I spent a few days in Budapest last week and it was as architecturally striking as I have been told. This is St Stephen's Cathedral. However, be warned, if you go on a Sunday, having looked at their website advertising a Latin mass at 10am - it's only once a month (I think that's what was explained to me!)
The Cathedral puts on concerts in the evening and I went to hear Mozart''s Requiem. The trick, I find, at concerts of religious music in church is to look at the art works and statues or close your eyes - otherwise the facial contortions of the singers are rather off-putting to any sense of being moved by the music. What seems strange to me is that a concert of classical music all in Latin filled the church with visitors. I wonder when many in the Church will catch on to the fact that Latin is not a bar to attracting people! In fact, they will actually pay to come in and listen to it.
The Cathedral puts on concerts in the evening and I went to hear Mozart''s Requiem. The trick, I find, at concerts of religious music in church is to look at the art works and statues or close your eyes - otherwise the facial contortions of the singers are rather off-putting to any sense of being moved by the music. What seems strange to me is that a concert of classical music all in Latin filled the church with visitors. I wonder when many in the Church will catch on to the fact that Latin is not a bar to attracting people! In fact, they will actually pay to come in and listen to it.
The High A;tar is dominated by a statue of St Stephen - and very splendid it is.
On the hill of Buda stands the Mattias Church. A vision of glory, with every surface ablaze with frescoes.
I wouldn't mind preaching from this pulpit - and as I've no Hungarian, the congregation wouldn't be able to make any complaints!
An extraordinary window in the baptistery, off-set in the wall mouldings.
A statue of Our Blessed Lady adorns the High Altar - crowned with a replica of the Hungarian crown, blessed by Pope St John Paul.
Actually, I didn't specifically go to see the churches. What drew me was the prospect of all the glorious Art Nouveau and Secessionist architecture - which abounds all over the Pest side of the city.
here are just a few examples.
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3 comments:
24Father, have you visited St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague? The Mucha windows are spectacular - as is the rest of it. Also, no back copies of @The Tablet' or Cafod there either!
Gertrude,
Indeed I have. Very different style but stunning as well.
We visited Budapest as part of a Danube cruise in 2006 & your photographs of the cathedral remind us of that time - it was Christmas which we spent at Melk Abbey. Have you been there? It is magnificent! No wonder I intended (as a boy) to be a Benedictine.
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