Monday, October 17, 2011

Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

I grew up in Carondelet.  I remember passing the Motherhouse all the time.  When I was in grade school, I think in either grade 7 or 8, my class toured the Motherhouse, most likely as Confirmation prep or to encourage us girls to think about being sisters.  I remember loving the courtyard and being creeped out by the chapel, which housed many relics.  And not chips of relics but whole skeletons and all.

The Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet are celebrating 175 years here.  They came in 1836 from Lyons, France.  On October 15, they had an open house and tours of the first floor of the Motherhouse.  Needless to say, I went and took pictures.

Jesus and St. Joseph

Courtyard


Floor Pattern

School Manual

Monstrance

St. Joseph

Mural

Exterior of the Holy Family Chapel worship space

Ascension 
Outside Chapel

Death of St. Joseph
Outside Chapel

The Arrival

Bell

View From the Er. Uh. hmm....
sigh.
why. why. why.  

Altar of Repose

  


  

Mary


St. Jospeh

   
The Evangelists

 








St. Agatha

St. Agnes









Grotto
The stone is from Tiff.



Links:
Website of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Pictures from Rome of the West

2 comments:

  1. Hi i have to ask What / Why did You change the name Chapel to worship space? is this some type of Political correctness? and what's w/ the "view from the er?er?why?why?" business?
    i know this sounds angry but personally i dont believe You have the right to change names or diminish the sites you were previledged to visit.What's with you???

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  2. As to changing the name of the chapel to worship space, all the brochures I was handed at the open house referred to the chapel as a worship space. The documentation also mentioned that all faith traditions were welcome. I know those of the Jewsh faith tradition don't worship in chapels, thereby calling a chapel a worship space less "offensive" to them. I guess the fact I'm offended by the diluting of our Catholic identity doesn't matter.

    As to the view from the er? comment, if the worship space is circular, there really isn't a back is there? A circle has no front or back. In the churches I visit, I always take a picture from the back pew. Since there is no back row, let alone there were no pews, how should I describe it.

    As to the why? Why? comments. The building's architecture is a cruciform shape. The building was designed to be used a certain way, which is not in a circular way. As I illustrated at Sts. Peter & Paul, it doesn't tend to work. It works at St. Anselm because that is how the building was designed to be used.

    I'm angry and I'm sad. Because everytime I go to a Catholic place that has been made more protestant, I feel my Catholic identity is erroded and made to be worthless. Why am I Catholic if we are going to do the same thing the protestants do? Ultimately, I feel a sense of deep betrayal. Priests and religious have a responsibility to uphold the Faith and its Traditions. They are not doing this in many cases and in other cases are selling out to the latest big thing.

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