You know how when a place piques your curiosity and how driving or walking by it more than a bazillion times only exacerbates that curiosity? I'd been like that about The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus for a number of years. Thanks to Phoenix Flies, presented by the Atlanta Preservation Center, my curiosity met a live and in person tour of the church...the sanctuary is stunning!
The stained glass is some of the most beautiful I've seen...and thanks to Phoenix Flies, I'm seeing a LOT more recently.
The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus was designated a minor basilica relatively recently, February 2012, by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The church was formerly known as the Church of the Sacred Heart.
The Church had been entered on the National Register of Historic Places way back in May of 1976, recognizing its "artistically significant architecture." The notable Atlanta architect who designed the Church, and other Atlanta buildings, was W. T. Downing.
Our tour guide was brilliant and incredibly knowledgeable about the Basilica...she made us feel right at home and I thoroughly enjoyed all the tidbits of facts and factoids she shared, like the statue of Christ in the lobby used to be on a platform at the front of the church until it was discovered that the platform would not much longer support the marble sculpture. Fortunately, it was moved in time.
There's more detail in this church than I have space to write about, but rest assured, attention to detail and telling of biblical stories were paramount in the creation of this building.
Like I said, the stained glass windows are breathtaking. You can see more over on the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page...I wish I'd taken even more photos!
The carved wooden doors of the confessionals are particularly captivating. I had no idea confessionals could be so incredibly beautiful. There were two of these at the rear of the Church.
Mary, of course, holds a significant place in the Church. This statue is truly beautiful. Religious or not, one cannot help but admire the beauty and peace this statue gives.
I ran into Terry Kearns, fellow blogger and author of Architecture Tourist. Terry also recently created a "Stained Glass Bucket List" for Phoenix Flies...learn more about that at the Atlanta Glass Project!
Terry is an inspiration for me. During those times when I'm tired and feel like I want a break from blogging (which is relatively rare), I'm reminded of Terry's enthusiasm for the craft and it re-energizes and motivates me to continue...his example helps remind me of just how much I love doing this. Thanks, Terry!
This tour was part of an "Organ Crawl", part of Phoenix Flies, which meant we were treated to a marvelous performance on the Church's organ. You can see here just how remarkably beautiful it is.
Everything about the sanctuary is stunning...the detail that went into creating it and I can't even imagine the upkeep that's required to maintain its beauty. I'm grateful that people have places like this where they can reflect on and plan their lives...present and future.
There's still time to go on dozens more Phoenix Flies tours...I recommend going on as many as you possibly can. Some of these opportunities only come once a year!
When you're done here, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more photos of this incredible church, with a few more photos of its gorgeous stained glass too!
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus was designated a minor basilica relatively recently, February 2012, by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The church was formerly known as the Church of the Sacred Heart.
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| Terry and Travis at The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
Terry is an inspiration for me. During those times when I'm tired and feel like I want a break from blogging (which is relatively rare), I'm reminded of Terry's enthusiasm for the craft and it re-energizes and motivates me to continue...his example helps remind me of just how much I love doing this. Thanks, Terry!
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
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| The Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus |
When you're done here, head over to the wanderlust ATLANTA Facebook Page for more photos of this incredible church, with a few more photos of its gorgeous stained glass too!
