Comments on: An Echo of the Hagia Sophia http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/ Exploring urban life through word and photography. Fri, 16 May 2008 18:52:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.1 By: Mary Soderstrom http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152760 Mary Soderstrom Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:13:09 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152760 Sherry Simon wrote an interesting essay on Mile End and St. Michael's, called Hybridité culturelle published in 1995 by Ile de la Tortue press. Some of the original parishioners of the church still live in the neighborhood: we attended the funeral of one last summer, who went to mass there regularly until sortly before her death at 96. Her older sister has recently moved back to the neighhborhood: she's 102 and lives in the family house on Durocher with her daughter who is what Gil Courtemanche call "dans la belle soixantaine." Quite a church. Mary Sherry Simon wrote an interesting essay on Mile End and St. Michael’s, called Hybridité culturelle published in 1995 by Ile de la Tortue press.

Some of the original parishioners of the church still live in the neighborhood: we attended the funeral of one last summer, who went to mass there regularly until sortly before her death at 96. Her older sister has recently moved back to the neighhborhood: she’s 102 and lives in the family house on Durocher with her daughter who is what Gil Courtemanche call “dans la belle soixantaine.”

Quite a church.

Mary

]]> By: Patrick Donovan http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152802 Patrick Donovan Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:21:58 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152802 I wrote a 60-page paper in French about that church for my Masters degree, so if you need more information... A fascinating building indeed. The inspiration may have been London's Westminster Cathedral, built in the neo-byzantine style for Irish Catholics in the imperial capital a few years before. It is probably the first armed-concrete church in Montreal. And the restaurant next door has the best & the cheapest pierogies in town. I witnessed a Sunday car-blessing ceremony next to the church a few years ago, where the parish priest was spraying holy water on a new car purchased by a parishioner. I wonder if he'd bless my bike. I wrote a 60-page paper in French about that church for my Masters degree, so if you need more information…

A fascinating building indeed. The inspiration may have been London’s Westminster Cathedral, built in the neo-byzantine style for Irish Catholics in the imperial capital a few years before. It is probably the first armed-concrete church in Montreal. And the restaurant next door has the best & the cheapest pierogies in town.

I witnessed a Sunday car-blessing ceremony next to the church a few years ago, where the parish priest was spraying holy water on a new car purchased by a parishioner. I wonder if he’d bless my bike.

]]> By: Kate M. http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152859 Kate M. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:59:08 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152859 Mary: I see the Bibliothèque nationale has that book, so I'll go have a look sometime. My dad was also a parishioner for a few years when he lived on Waverly, but he died ten years ago. Patrick: I might be interested to see that paper. I wonder whether Irish priests would've allowed themselves to be directly inspired by an English building around that time. Are you sure the priest was blessing the car, and not just running a quick fund-raising car wash? Mary: I see the Bibliothèque nationale has that book, so I’ll go have a look sometime. My dad was also a parishioner for a few years when he lived on Waverly, but he died ten years ago.

Patrick: I might be interested to see that paper. I wonder whether Irish priests would’ve allowed themselves to be directly inspired by an English building around that time.

Are you sure the priest was blessing the car, and not just running a quick fund-raising car wash?

]]> By: Patrick Donovan http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152912 Patrick Donovan Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:17:21 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-152912 I think Westminster Cathedral is first and foremost a Catholic building rather than an English building. Even though it was in London, I imagine most parishioners would have been Irish and reformed English tractarians sympathetic to the Irish. The Imperial mystique was pretty strong at the turn of the 20th century, but I'm not sure how the Mile End Irish would have felt toward it--most being second-generation middle class... I think Westminster Cathedral is first and foremost a Catholic building rather than an English building. Even though it was in London, I imagine most parishioners would have been Irish and reformed English tractarians sympathetic to the Irish. The Imperial mystique was pretty strong at the turn of the 20th century, but I’m not sure how the Mile End Irish would have felt toward it–most being second-generation middle class…

]]> By: Olga Schlyter http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-159808 Olga Schlyter Fri, 09 May 2008 20:13:02 +0000 http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2008/04/13/an-echo-of-the-hagia-sophia/#comment-159808 What a lovely building. Thanks for an interesting post. What a lovely building. Thanks for an interesting post.

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