book provides an excellent short history of the history and art in the Basilica or as some call it, the BasilicaCathedral of St, John the Baptist in St, John's, Newfoundland. While I am a Newfoundlander myself, I can honestly say I have never had the opportunity to go inside our Basilica though I've wanted to for years, I've never had the chance.
I can also honestly say that I would love to have the chance to go inside and take in the art and architecture of it.
This book gives a great idea of what to expect and where you can look to find it all, It is a mustread for anyone who enjoys art, architecture, anyone of faith, or anyone curious, In, Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming stood on the crest of a hill in St, Johns, Newfoundland, and imagined a cathedral on the site, He had no land, no money, and no support, save that of an impoverished Irish congregation, Read the amazing story of how Fleming secured the land he wanted, raised the thousands of pounds required, and even quarried stone from the ground with his own bare hands.
The massive project literally cost him his life, but even as the bishops strength faded, he was determined to say the first Mass in the cathedral.
And he did so, on a frigid January day, in an empty shell of a building, amid scaffolding and sawdust,
It was a time when bishops spoke freely on political issues, whenever these infringed on the rights of their flock, It was a time when people marched in the thousands for the laying of the cornerstone in, for the funeral of Bishop Fleming in, and for the consecration of the cathedral on September,.
It was a time when people gave freely of their time and limited means: fencing the land, digging the foundation and hauling away gravel, and dragging great blocks of granite up from the harbour wharves to the construction site.
Today the BasilicaCathedral is a visual testament to the grit and determination of the people of St, Johns and the bishops who led them, Each magnificent work of art tells its own story, The Dead Christ,pounds and carved from a single block of marble, The memorial to Bishop Scallan was the bishop actually excommunicated And the old high altar taken apart in, but the controversy lives
on,
Take a tour of the Basilica of St, John the Baptist you will never see it in the same way again,
Shortlisted for theDemocracyAtlantic Book Award for Historical Writing sitelink post a comment,
Uncover The Story Of The Basilica Of St. John The Baptist Narrated By Susan Chalker Browne Format Ebook
Susan Chalker Browne