St. Patrick and Me in WashDC

It's inspiring to be in a new city, but my mind never wanders far from the Middle Ages. Although Washington D.C. was inspired by the ancient republics, and many classical-style buildings, there are some medieval links. For this blog I want to concentrate on a lovely church where I connected with the spiritual side of the city: St. Patrick's parish church founded in 1792. Since we studied St. Patrick and early Christian Ireland within the European context, it's interesting to know that as immigrants came to America they used many of the symbols and connections to their homeland. I've attached some photos which show the outside (complete with Rose window), and the inside (beautiful stained glass windows, one of Mary receiving the Holy Spirit directly, in the form of a Dove's rays, with angel's heads behind her). Inside the apse there are images of the American Saints (not too many because there have not been too many), the majority canonized by Pope John Paul II. I've also attached some photos of some items inside the church that emerged in Middle Ages as church structures matured: collections for the poor, the emphasis on the celibate priesthood, the stations of the cross to meditate (I love that one is about Jesus and women), and the tabernacle for the consecrated host. I was also privileged to enter the church as a  baptism was being held.

With cries from the baby, I heard the priest ask as the no. 1 question: do you renounce Satan, and the group replied in unison, yes! Then on to no. 2 question: do you believe in the Trinity . . .These moments help build the relevance of history and make me feel like the past is sometimes more in the present than we think.

T