Monday, November 9, 2009

Peaceful, historic and late bloomers

- A quick trip on Saturday to my hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia, and stopping by the sun dappled Sacred Heart Catholic Church to sit for a few peaceful moments in its rose garden.

- This historic church was completed in April 1874 and contains handmade pressed glass windows that had been in the Lafayette Hotel which originally stood on this spot. Local author Flannery O'Connor attended Mass here.

- Late blooming roses give off a delicious fragrance. The sculpture of the Virgin Mary has a plaque that reads, "In memory of Mary Frances d'Ambrosio. Say one Hail Mary." I meditate for a little while and head back north.

15 comments:

LL Cool Joe said...

We visited a great many catholic churches in Italy, and compared to our very boring Baptist church in the UK, they seemed very spectacular.

G-Man said...

More Georgia Caholics?

Did you say a Hail Mary?

Maude Lynn said...

That last picture is so pretty!

Lynn said...

Joe -

This one is very simple. They also have a large Vietnamese congregation that have their own Mass.

G-man -

This was just for you. :) I am Presbyterian, so don't have the whole Hail Mary language learned, but did say the first part of it.

Mama Zen -

And it was a pretty day there. All Saturdays should be so nice. :)

Cookie said...

There is another Sacred Heart Church in New Jersey that my family used to go to. It's been a long time since I heard that name.

TALON said...

That looks like a story book church - it's lovely!

I love pink roses and I think I can smell it, it's such a pretty photo. Wonderful shot, Lynn.

Riot Kitty said...

I envy your rose-friendly weather - it's pouring and cold here.

Meredith said...

I love the shot of the pristine pink roses blooming in front of the pristine white Mary. Lovely :)

I don't know any of the language of the Hail Mary, so I'm impressed that as a Presbyterian you knew some of it!

Lynn said...

Cookie -

That's neat.

Talon -

Thank you - it is a storybook kind of place and the little rose garden dedicated to the memory of Mary Frances is so lovely.

Riot Kitty -

If the weather was any nicer here I couldn't stand it. :)

Meredith -

It is probably all those Catholic friends from high school who were always having to say Hail Marys as penance. Hail Mary, full of grace... that's all I know really.

Snaggle Tooth said...

1800s! Very interesting n strange hotel story on the plaque- Nothing like the hometown church. Mine was "Our Lady's Help of Christians"
I really like the pic of the Virgin Mary statue with the roses.

Snaggle Tooth said...

btw- went to catholic school
Here you go:

Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners. Now and at the our of our death, Amen.

(Of course, I usually do it in Latin)

Lynn said...

Snaggle -

Milledgeville was the designated capital of Georgia and remained so until it moved to Atlanta at the end of the Civil War. It must have been a boomtown for someone like the Marquis de Lafayette to visit.

Thanks for the entire Hail Mary. I am so impressed that you know it in Latin!

Jannie Funster said...

I love those moments of meditation. I had a few on the trail today, when I wasn't reading blogs on my new phone.

The leaves are turning nicely now, I forgot they can do that down here, well, over here or maybe "up" here to you. I will have to check your latitude...

Okay... You are at

Atlanta AP
(S) 33° 39' N 84° 26' W


And I am at...

Austin AP
30° 18' N 97° 42' W

You're "up" I guess?? Yep!

Kim said...

Looks like a beautiful area! I'm starting to explore southern GA a little bit more lately. I made it all the way up to Jessup on Sunday! :) Nice area!

Lynn said...

Jannie -

Yep - I am up!

Kim -

Jessup - I have been there, but it's been a long time. Milledgeville is definitely worth the trip.