A GUIDE TO

Saint Joseph Church A Roman Catholic Parish

in the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island

Welcome Welcome to Saint Joseph Church! We hope that you enjoy reading about this magnificent place of worship. This guide has been prepared to help you appreciate the aesthetic beauty and theological significance of the many ele-ments of design and structure in our beautiful stone church.

A Bit of History On January 24, 1851, Bishop Bernard O'Reilly established Saint Joseph as the third par-ish in the City of Providence. The present church building was erected in 1853 and has served as our place of worship ever since. The building was designed by the renowned 19th-century architect Patrick C. Keely (1816-1896), whose résumé boasts nearly 600 churches in the Eastern United States and Canada. Saint Joseph Church is one of the most breathtaking examples of English Gothic architecture in the state, and enjoys the distinction of being the oldest operating Catholic church building in the historic City of Providence.

The Front Entrance Our tour really begins with the front entrance to the church building. The door of a church is not merely functional. Above all, it calls to mind the words of Christ: “I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:9). When one enters a church, one en-ters into the very mystery of Christ, who calls us to ever increasing union with him through personal prayer and the reception of the Sacraments. At the en-trance of the Church is found a marble basin called a holy water font (which can be seen just inside the outer doors). The custom of dipping one’s finger in blessed water and making the Sign of the Cross is a reminder of our Baptism. Just as we entered the family of God through baptism, so we enter the church building by first calling to mind our membership in the Body of Christ.

The Central Nave The central body of a church is called the nave. This is the area of the church where the congregation sits. Im-mediately upon entering the church, the architectural lines draw one’s eye immediately to the sanctuary, the spiritual and aesthetic focus of the building. A unique aspect of Saint Joseph’s church is the placement of upper seating galleries on each side of the nave, which were used in the past for overflow crowds.

The Shrine of the Sacred Heart Immediately to your right and facing the sanctuary is a statue of Jesus, on whose chest is pictured a heart, blazing with fire and surrounded by thorns. This image of the Sacred Heart (made popular after the visions of Jesus to a 17th-century French nun, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque), portrays the burning love of Jesus for all people. It expresses his desire to “draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). An appropriate prayer to recite at this image is an old pious exclamation: “Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make our hearts like unto thine!” Just beyond this image is the con-fessional, the place where the Sacrament of Reconciliation is celebrated every Saturday from 4:00 to 4:30 p.m.

The Stained-Glass Windows As you walk up the main aisle of the church, note the magnificent stained-glass windows (see also The Windows of Saint Joseph Church). These windows were designed and installed by the famed Meyer Stu-dios (based in Munich, Germany) from 1900 to 1905. These win-dows portray scenes from the lives of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph. Of particular note is the last window on the right side of the nave, which portrays the Death of Saint Joseph (right). While this event is not recorded in the Gospels, tradition holds that Joseph died sometime before Jesus’s public ministry began. This less-than-common depiction is a unique por-trayal of the Holy Family. Saint Joseph is honored in the Catholic Tradition as the patron of a peaceful death.

The Baptistry As you approach the sanctuary, to the right you will see the baptistry, the area where the font (left) is reserved for baptisms. Alongside the font is the paschal candle, a special candle blessed at the annual Easter Vigil, which is a symbol of the Risen Jesus. Through his Resurrection, Jesus destroyed the darkness of sin and death with the light of his glory. This special candle remains lighted at all Masses throughout the Easter Season and is also lighted at all baptisms and funerals.

The Shrine of Our Blessed Mother Just beyond the baptistry is a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God (right). The Church has always regarded Mary as a model of faith and discipleship for all Christians. The Church does not worship Mary, but honors her as one who can intercede for us in heaven and present our prayers through Jesus to God the Father.

The Altar To the left of the Marian Shrine is the altar (left), the ceremonial table on which Mass is offered. The altar is the

most important fixture in the church building. Beginning with the People of Isra-el, God instructed that proper sacrifices be made to Him as a sign of devotion and worship. While sacrifice in the Old Covenant entailed the slaughter of an animal, the sacrifice of the New Covenant is the very Body and Blood of God’s own Son, Jesus Christ. It is here that Christ becomes truly and substantially pre-sent under the appearance of bread and wine at every Mass. This is an altar of sacrifice, but it is also the table from which the faithful are fed with the Bread of Life and Cup of Salvation. This particular altar was reconstructed from the origi-

nal altar of a different configuration, designed by the famous liturgical artists Heins and Le Farge, which dated from 1905.

The Ambo To the right of the altar is the ambo (or pulpit; right), which is another focal point of the church building. It is from here that the selections from Sacred Scripture are read at each Mass. The Latin inscription reads “Beati pedes evangelizando pacem” and is translated as “Blessed are the feet that carry the message the peace.” It is also from here that the priest preaches the homily, breaking open the Word just proclaimed. The lector also announces the prayer of the faithful from the ambo, a series of intercessions for the needs of the whole world.

The High Altar Designed in its original form by Heins and Le Farge, the high altar was modified to accommodate the liturgical changes implemented by the Second Vatican Council. Apart from enthroning the altar cross and candlesticks, the

backdrop of the altar boasts two mosaics: one of a lamb (left) and the other of a phoenix (right). The image of the lamb is symbolic of Jesus, who was “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:7). Below the lamb is a book with seven seals, which calls to mind the vision of Saint John as recorded in the Book of Revelation. “Worthy is the lamb to re-ceive the scroll and break open its seals” (Revelation 5:9). The phoenix was a popular symbol in ancient pagan mythology. Early Christians

adopted it as a symbol of the Resurrection. Like the phoenix, Jesus was consumed in the fire of death, yet from the “ashes” of defeat rises the new phoenix, the Risen Christ. The four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, look down on the sanctuary from the windows surrounding the high altar.

The Altar of Reservation Opposite the shrine of Our Lady is another important element of our church. Apart from the main altar, the al-tar of reservation holds a central place in the arrangement of our church. Here is located the tabernacle (below left), the special container in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved. The physical presence of Jesus is always reverenced with a genuflection, a bending of the right knee to the ground. A candle remains lit at all times to

indicate that Our Lord is present under the sacramental species. The two Latin inscriptions on the tabernacle, “Hic est panis qui de caelo de-scendit,” and “Ego sum panis vivus,” are translated as, “This is the bread that came down from heaven” and “I am the bread of life,” respectively. Both are references from the Gospel of Saint John.

The Statue of Saint Joseph In front of the altar of reservation is a statue of Saint Joseph (left), the foster father of Jesus and our parish patron. Saint Joseph is also the patron of the Universal Church and the patron saint of a happy death.

The Sanctuary Window Perhaps the most striking visual element in our church is the large stained-glass window above the sanctuary. The scene portrayed is the crucifixion of Jesus, who is pictured with his mother, Mary, Saint John, and Saint Mary Magdalene. The cinquefoil at the top center portrays the Risen Jesus (pictured at right).

Please come again Thank you for reading this guide to our beautiful church. You are always welcome to stop by for a prayer, or to join us for Mass. The contact information and Mass schedule can be found on our website. We look forward to seeing you.

Many thanks to James Baar for his help in organizing this guide.

Photos by Meaghan Gillis