St. Boniface - Fort Smith

Hi all.
On Saturday I decided to visit Forth Smith to visit the historic site instead of mopping in my apartment. (There will be a 2nd post explaining the mopping.) I managed to visit all 3 parishes in Fort Smith and attended Mass at St. Boniface at 4 pm on Saturday.  The parishes were really close together, something I was rather surprised give how spread out everything else is.

You know the best part about doing this?  Walking into a Catholic Church and recognizing it as a Catholic Church.  I've been in some churches that could be confused for a giant lecture hall.  St. Boniface did not disappoint in this aspect.

The music was supplied by a piano and cantor in the choir loft.
Music:
Opening:  Lift High the Cross
Offertory:  Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
Communion: We Have Been Told
Closing: How Great Thou Art

So I never really got the whole idea behind Father What-A-Waste...I mean they are priests.  Most of them are *old*  Yeah.  I got it today looking at the priest.  Very cute in a rugged way..that's one way to get people to come to Mass.

Mini-Homily:
Means of our Lord's death becomes our redemption.

Homily:
The homily was said by the Deacon.  This had to be one of the best homilies by a Deacon I have ever heard.  I was impressed.  (Which is saying something.)
18 yrs ago when in formation, taking homelitics, something stuck in my mind.  A near perfect homilest was talking about how a homily was not an exercise in elocution.  It is by the Power of the Cross that I have been given the power of giving homilies.  The Feast of the Holy Cross has been around since the 7th century when the True Cross was recovered from the Persians and shown in Jerusalem.  The cross is about the triumph of Jesus' love for us.  The cross of Moses prefigured Jesus.  Moses' cross healed all those who gazed upon it.  Jesus was lifted up so that all who believe would have eternal life.  God so loved the world, He gave His only Son.  The cross is a symbol of all our stains; it is the symbol of our personal relationship with Jesus.  Many people think the Cross is a trinket and has extra powers.  It is the power of Christ that conquers evil. (Duh...that's what they chant in the Exorcist...).  In the 2nd reading, Paul explains that Jesus accepted the worst death to demonstrate God's love for us.  Jesus showed us His love of the Father.  His death saved us from horror and a meaningless life.  Jesus is Lord.  His love makes this possible.  When we wear the cross, we are showing that Jesus is the Lord of our lives.  All of our problems take on infinite (missed this word) when merged with the Cross.  All might be saved through the Cross.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells.  Additionally there was a 2nd collection.  Father explained how he didn't get a raise every time there was a collection but that the money was used to protect the Church's patrimony.

Pictures:

Link:
St. Boniface - Forth Smith

St. Boniface - Bigelow

I was feeling a bit homesick and trying to find a church to visit this morning.  As I was looking at the list of parishes, St. Boniface caught my eye.  Perfect!

I attended the 8 am Mass at St. Boniface in Bigelow.  Before Mass, there was Adoration, Rosary and Confession.  There were prayer books in the pew.

St. Boniface is a very cute little church.  It was built in 1906 but the high altar was saved from the fire that build the first church built in 1896.  The side altars were carved by a parishoner to match the high altar.   From what I understand, the parish has a goal to keep the church looking like it did when it was first built.

The music was provided by a girls choir and I understand this was their first Mass singing.  They were very sweet.  The organ and choir were in the front because the seating in the choir loft was needed for parishoners.
Opening:  We Gather Together
Offertory:  Prayer of St. Francis
Communion:  Look Beyond
Closing:  Lord of the Dance

The homily was incredibly short :D
The Bishop of the diocese has asked for a second collection for the victims of the Philippines Typhoon.  Father mentioned that there were a couple of Thanksgiving Ecumenical Services.  An atheist travels down a country road and sees a rabbit and a priest fishing.  Next to them was a sign that said "The End is Near"  The atheist got out of the car and yelled at them and then sped off.  There was a screech of brakes and a splash.  The Rabbi said "I told you we should have just put Bridge Out"
This is the last Sunday in the Church Year.  Next week is Christ the King.  The End is near.  We don't know when.  If we knew when, my ears would burn from all the Confessions.  People waiting to the last minute.  Grease me up so I can slid right into heaven.  Do we really want to live like that?  The people in the Philippines must have thought the end was near.  I saw a picture this morning of a Philippines celebrating Mass.  The Church was packed and it had no roof.  Do you have that kind of Faith?  The End is coming:  Are you prepared?

The Apostles' Creed was said.  Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells.  And the Church bells were rung right before Mass.

Pictures:

Link:

St. Boniface

St. Boniface - Quincy IL

Imagine if you will 2 people in car driving around looking for Catholic Churches:

Snup:  I see a spire...
RoW:  According to the map, that's not St. Rose of Lima
Snup:  Yeah, it doesn't look Catholic.  It looks like some modernist Protestant church.
RoW:  St. Boniface is over that way...
Snup:  We have to go see!  (drive)  Is it that one?  That back looks awfully Catholic and there's a grotto/shrine in the back.
RoW:  Indeed.
Snup:  It's apartments!  It's like they chopped the front half of the church off and jammed on apartments.
RoW:  Turn here.
Snup:  No way is that Catholic.  That can't be St. Boniface.   I refuse to believe it.  It's like 1930s art deco....
RoW:  It's Facist.  That's the style.  It's not to my taste.
Snup: ugh.  ugh.  ugh.  ugh.  I'll take a picture.  Maybe Crescat will have another Ugly Church Contest.
RoW:  Mormon or Catholic.
Snup:  I could snark about this for days!  And they only have Mass here 1x a month...for the youth.  About 1x month would be all I could stand.  I'm getting old.  I'm getting conservative.  WAIL.

It's a box.  With a stick.

I like the steeple.  Just not on my Catholic Church.

I wonder if it shines...like the top of the Chrysler Building.

This is a window.

I would like to say that Catholic Churches should not 

lead you to having to go to Confession.

Because now I have to go.  

I can't repeat what I said.

But this link might help...

Update:

I found 2 pictures of the old St. Boniface (exterior and interior).  This would be the kind of Church that produces saints yes?  Not an occasion of sin...

Lost (& Found): St. Boniface

A few people have asked me to visit and describe the parish I grew up in and learned about being Catholic.  I can't as it was closed in 2005.  But, I will start this new series at, for me, what was the beginning.

St. Boniface was formed in 1860 and was primarily German.  It closed in 2005.  It was located in south St. Louis city, in an area known as Carondelet.

Pictures (taken March 11, 2010):

There used to be a big statue of St. Boniface in the niche 

above the door.

I looked all over for a cornerstone: no luck.

Plaque

I vaguely recall the day this was installed.

This used to be a Marian Grotto.

We would have May Crownings here.

Rectory

St. Boniface School

I graduated in 1990.

Banner attached to streetlight

St. Boniface

1860-2000

Celebrating 140 years

This used to be the stables waaaaay back.

Then it was the boiler house for the Church & School.

The old school used to be to the right.

This formed a hidden area that my classmates and I would "sneak"

to during recess.

The old convent.

Side of the convent

The curved windows on the first floor used to be stained glass.

This was the chapel.

Links:
Info from the St. Louis Archdiocesan Archives (with the wrong address and closing date)
St. Boniface Parish Website (All sorts of goodies!)  (The commemorative booklet is missing the circle window, and the St Peter and St. Paul windows in the front but they are in the virtual tour!  Supposedly, the St. Peter window was donated by my family, but the angel with the scroll that says who donated it is blacked out...)
Digital Copy of a Book from 1896 detailing the history of 20 German Catholic Parishes (St. Boniface is included)  Oh.  It's in German ;)
Pictures from Built St. Louis (Includes interior shots)
Exterior Shot (and Baptismal Font, currently at St. John the Apostle and Evangelist) from Rome of the West