St. Ambrose

Hello Again!

Because of my schedule, I attended Good Friday Service at St. Ambrose on the Hill.  As usual, I got lost. I found Missouri Bakery Co.  They have the best cookies.

As I was taking pictures, one of the older men came up to me and asked what I was doing.  I was like, taking pictures for my blog.  He then cuts me off and tells me that this is the Holiest Day of the Year for us.  (uhm, solemn, yes.  Holiest, uhm...I thought that was Easter...).  Furthermore, this is not a tourist venue and it is inappropriate and rude and he didn't like it.  Uh.  Ok.  I'm more stunned by this little tirade.  Given that he had words with me in the nave, thereby creating a scene he accused me of creating, I was not amused.  Why is it that it is always those of the Vatican 2 generation that give me grief?  It's always the older middle age people that question me.  Well.  I had contemplated joining St. Ambrose since it was my Oma's parish and I'm Italian.  Perhaps not.

I will say the altar boys didn't look like ragamuffins :).  They had cassocks on that were the right length, pressed and they all had shiny black shoes.  It was rather refreshing.

St. Ambrose is a lovely church.  It is very Catholic.  And very Italian.

As it was Good Friday, there was a solemn entrance.  Father sang the opening prayer and the prayers between the intentions.

There were nuns!  And the sisters did the readings.

Music was accompanied by a piano.
Adoration of Cross:  Behold the Wood; Were You There
Communion:  Ubi Caritas

Father's homily started off with talking about last June when he was in Rome and had to come home because his Grandmother was dying.  It became time for family to look inside.  What is really important?  Time to reconsider and to regroup and where our priorities lie.  Today is no different.  We commemorate the death of Christ, a loved one.  It is a good time to think about what is important.  Barabas.  Son of the Father.  The people cry out and grasp for something that seems to fulfill them.  Cry out for real fulfillment.  That fulfillment is being crucified.  We chase after the wrong thing.  We let the real son of the Father die.  Beauty of day is that the real son of the Father dies for us.  The ones who handed him over, for our sins.  Where do our priorities lie?  Do they lie with the world or the one who loves us and died for us.

Pictures:

View From the Back Pew

Two Cardinal Coat of Arms on the Wall.

Not sure who.

I suspect one is Cardinal Glennon...

St. Ambrose

St. Dominic

I've never seen him with a Church

St. Rosalia

St. Fara

This was in the vestibule.

It was in Italian.

It's pretty awesome.

Station VIII

These were on the arches.

Different Beati I think

I don't know what Mites means

The Holy Family

St. Anne

Jesus and Children

St. Anthony

St. Margaret Mary Aloque

St. Francis?

Behold the Wood Of the Cross

On Which Our Salvation Hung

Links:
Website of St. Ambrose
Pictures (and here) from Rome of the West