This is the only church in the Archdiocese named after Saint Augustine of Hippo (a.d. 354 – 430); Bishop, Doctor, and Father of the Church. The current parish was formed by consolidation with a number of other parishes in the area.
The church has a modern layout; the church's old high altar is now separated from the nave by a sanctuary veil, and is used for Eucharistic adoration.
NOTE: this screen has been subsequently removed.
The high altar behind the veil.
On the tabernacle is carved ΙΧΘΥΣ, ichthus, Greek for 'fish', and a very early Christian symbol.
Mary's altar.
Mary, Queen of Heaven.
IInd Station of the Cross: Jesus is made to Bear His Cross.
The choir loft has a painting of Christ the Good Shepherd.
Address:
1371 Hamilton Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri 63112
The desacralization of this Church is emblematic of the putrescence of post-Vatican II liturgical liberal thought. Whoever put up the curtain, split the coffee-table altar from the middle with "equal weight" given to the pulpit should be arrested at once.
ReplyDeleteWhat parishes were combined to form St. Augustine and did it have a different name before the merger? I know another St. Augustine (near Natural Bridge and Jefferson in N. City) closed not too long before this combined St. Augustine was formed. Also, was there a fire or something that damaged this church? The outside just doesn't look right. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThe Archdiocesan website says this parish was founded in 1992.
ReplyDeleteAnother website says this parish was founded from the parishes of St. Barbara, St. Rose of Lima, St. Edward, St. Mark, and Notre Dame de Lourdes.
I don't know the history of this particular building.
Can you photoshop out the drum kit in front of Our Lady? :-)
ReplyDeleteThe reordering churches in this style ultimately derives from an ecclesiology based on the philosophy of Hegel, which states that individuals only have identity within the context of a community.
ReplyDeleteHistorically, some of the popular definitions of "community" based on the theories of Hegel included the Oppressed Proletarian Working Class, and the Aryan Master Race. This doesn't mean that Hegel was wrong, but....
While the curtain is terrible, at least they haven't destroyed the high altar. This one can at least be put back together, which is more than can be said for many of the other old Catholic churches in St. Louis.
ReplyDeleteI found it a beautiful church for the most part, and it is my intention to mainly show photos of churches that have many good qualities.
ReplyDeleteI don't care much for the curtain either. However, the Eastern Christian custom of having the altar of sacrifice itself behind a curtain and iconostasis is quite awesome.
See http://stlouis.missouri.org/neighborhoods/history/cabanne/churches5.htm for a history of the building, St Barbara Church.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow, Jan 10, 2016 a special "Mob Mass" will be held at 10:30 am. Looking forward to the mass.
ReplyDelete