Holy water

Detail of holy water font, part of the baptistery at St. Mary's Cathedral.

The tarnish on the bronze caught my eye
Now that Daylight Savings Time has ended it's too dark to take photos of the stained-glass windows so I will have to find new things to look at. My interest in Contemplative Photography was renewed recently by a mention on the web, and this blip is the result.

This weekend is the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome. This church, also known as St. John Lateran, is the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, who is of course the Pope. Therefore the Lateran ranks above all other churches in the Catholic Church. It is also the oldest, consecrated in 324 A.D.

Although the Church as an institution can be irritating in the extreme, its buildings are often beautiful and bear silent witness to the prayers and sacrifices of many generations of ordinary people and their artists, artisans, and architects. I feel very fortunate to be able to worship regularly at not one but two magnificent cathedrals.