St. Alphonsus Church hosts Christmas candlelight service, tour
The candlelit sanctuary of St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore, Maryland. (Anthony C. Hayes)
On Saturday evening, December 26, St. Alphonsus Church in Baltimore hosted a Christmas week candlelight Mass followed by a tour of its beautiful Southern German neo-Gothic style sanctuary. The relaxed tour, which focused on some of the unique aspects of the church, was led by Deacon Hugh Mills. Parish Pastor Monsignor Arthur W. Bastress reminded the faithful during a brief homily that for the first several decades after the church’s completion in 1845, evening services in the stately sanctuary would have been held by candlelight.
St. Alphonsus Church is the National Shrine of St. Alphonsus Ligouri. The mission of Saint Alphonsus is to minister to a far-flung Lithuanian community and to those who feel the need for more traditional services. The church, which is located at 114 West Saratoga Street, also reaches out to a new generation downtown, providing a link between old and new Baltimore. Saint Alphonsus is the designated home to the Tridentine Mass, every Sunday and Holy Day. Please enjoy the following photo tour of St. Alphonsus by candlelight. (Credit all photos Anthony C. Hayes)
Anthony C. Hayes is an actor, author, raconteur, rapscallion and bon vivant. A one-time newsboy for the Evening Sun and professional presence at the Washington Herald, Tony’s poetry, photography, humor, and prose have also been featured in Smile, Hon, You’re in Baltimore!, Destination Maryland, Magic Octopus Magazine, Los Angeles Post-Examiner, Voice of Baltimore, SmartCEO, Alvarez Fiction, and Tales of Blood and Roses. If you notice that his work has been purloined, please let him know. As the Good Book says, “Thou shalt not steal.”