Monday, November 5, 2007

Cait joins a parish!

Yep, I sure did. I joined Our Lady of Good Counsel last week. It's a quiet church on Louisiana Ave., about a ten minute walk from our house. Everyone there is incredibly nice, and the moment I walked in, I felt at home.

I'm going to have to adapt to not singing the Danish-style responsories, and I'll have to readjust to singing EVERY response, but hey, it's not every day you find a place where you can almost certainly grow in your faith, right?

An added bonus, while certainly not a major factor in my decision to join the parish, is that while the church is completely unremarkable from the outside (very typical Gothic architecture), when you step inside, it's breathtakingly vivid.


According to the church's website:

In 1887, the parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel was organized by the Reverend Father J. F. Lambert in New Orleans. In 1894, the current edifice was dedicated by Archbishop Francis Janssens, in the presence of a great multitude. Built at the corner of Louisiana Avenue and Chestnut Street, the Gothic-style brick building is arguably the most precious jewel in the crown known as New Orleans's graceful Garden District.

The Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the Garden District is rightly acclaimed for the beauty of its high altar, the magnificence of the stained glass so redolent of Roman Catholic symbolism, the striking statuary of beloved saints, the pipe organ, and the wonderfully intact sanctuary.


And they're not kidding, either - check this out:



















I feel so very fortunate to have found a great place to worship. :)