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Religious Site : The Grotto in Dickeyville, WI. A five year project built of bits of pottery, colored glass, gems, porcelan, sea shells, coral, rock crytals, petrified wood and other material gathered from all over the world. Constructed between 1925 and 1930. Open to the public. Donations appreciated. Gift shop on the premises. Next to the Holy Ghost Church in Dickeyville, WI. Comments welcome at bottom of page. Recent photos taken at Andrew and Springbrook, IA. Photos may be purchased through Smug Mug.

Religious Site

prairieman

The Grotto in Dickeyville, WI. A five year project built of bits of po ...

Updated: Jun 24, 2009 7:11pm PST

Catholic symbols : I started my Catholic symbols photo project in Arizona in early November 2005 with a single photo - an iron gate with a cross - at San Xavier del Bac.  However, the original photograph turned out too blurry.  Two weeks later I returned to Arizona  to backpack the grand canyon but also to return to San Xavier del Bac to photograph the gate properly with a tripod.  From that one photograph I haven't stopped photographing various catholic symbols within and around the missions in Arizona and the 21 California missions.  As of June 2008 only one mission in California has yet to be visited and photographed - Santa Cruz.  My goal is to complete the primary photography for this project by July 2008.  After completion of the primary photography I will begin the process of selecting images for two yet to be named photo books.

Catholic symbols

mikecavanaughphotography

I started my Catholic symbols photo project in Arizona in early Novemb ...

Updated: Dec 02, 2008 1:37pm PST

Pope Benedict XVI Close Up Shots : POPE BENEDICT XVI Photos taken at JFK Airport and the World Trade Center
April 2008  ******************************************************************************* 
PLEASE NOTE that the COPYRIGHT IMPRINT SHOWN ON YOUR SCREEN WILL NOT APPEAR ON YOUR PRINTED PHOTO

Pope Benedict XVI Close Up Shots

NotYourAvgJoe

POPE BENEDICT XVI Photos taken at JFK Airport and the World Trade Cent ...

Updated: Apr 24, 2008 9:20pm PST

Pope Benedict XVI JAP : POPE BENEDICT XVI Photos taken at JFK Airport and the World Trade Center
April 2008  ******************************************************************************* 
PROFITS FROM SALES OF THESE PHOTOS WILL GO TO BENEFIT THE FAMILY OF WILLIAM "SCHMITTY" SCHMIDT.  PLEASE NOTE that the COPYRIGHT IMPRINT SHOWN ON YOUR SCREEN WILL NOT APPEAR ON YOUR PRINTED PHOTO

Pope Benedict XVI JAP

NotYourAvgJoe

POPE BENEDICT XVI Photos taken at JFK Airport and the World Trade Cent ...

Updated: Apr 23, 2008 9:32pm PST

St. Matthew Reliqury Restoration Estimate : Photo Documentation for St. Matthew Reliqury Restoration Estimate.

These are dissassemby documentation photos and figuring out just what it was going to take to fix this piece using methods from the era it was made. Basically restore it (heh! and remember what went where in the re-assembly process should it take time to get funding approved!)

St. Matthew Reliqury Restoration Esti...

madjeweler

Photo Documentation for St. Matthew Reliqury Restoration Estimate. ...

Updated: Jan 12, 2008 2:56am PST

Leeds Hindu Temple - Anniversary 2007 - Changing the Flag : Leeds Temple Anniversary Celebrations - 2nd September 2007.

This is the changing of the temple flag. The celebration is carried out every year. The people doing the service had previously bid towards the temple's community center charity for the privilege of doing it. I spend a fair amount of time fixing computers, but witnessed some of the morning service, the whole flag changing and the start of the afternoon fire ritual.

<H3>"They are swinging God"</H3>

Later I went to the last two hours of Krishna Jaanmasthami, the celebration of Krishna's birthday. I didn't take the camera as photography would get in the way. The temple was overflowing with people. People crowded around the side doors to look in. The priests were telling the story with quite some enthusiasm while it was acted out. People sang. A band of percussion and jangly things provided accompaniment throught ranging from a background rhythm in the story to a bigger role in the songs. At some parts people at the front threw sweets into the audience for the children. Krishna himself was played by a small child who at one stage was carried into the temple on a silver tray over someone's head. At the end people hugged and shook hands. Fruit and Indian sweets were passed around and people danced to the band.

My favourite quote is from a Hindu lady, "They are swinging God". She sat down beside me at the end while I was watching a ritual where a small brass Krishna deity was on a swinging chair. People got up to pull the chains attached to the chair. It was variations on offering, touch, swing, pray or offering, touch, pray, swing.  I'm afraid the things I tended to notice were that the swing was quite well damped, and that the deity had huge white eyes - details that an engineer would spot.

"They are swinging God" said with belief is quite touching really. If the people doing it set their mind up such that the brass model is their god then that little bit of intimacy must be quite special. I was unable to make the connection - most likely too much rationalism in the way. Someone brought up on Hindu literature would be more used to the idea of gods being amongst us. I think that would make it easier to make the mental switch of seeing the idol as the deity as opposed to just a symbolic representation of something. All this on a philosophy that seems more pantheist when you get down to it.

As for the rest of the celebrations, I think Christians ought to try that for Christmas. I can't imagine the vicar doing joyful shouting down the microphone though. Church is much more formal. Krishna Jaanmasthami was a good party, a real celebration, but with the religious element quite clearly there too.

Footnote: Last night I went to see Carnival Messiah. Christians do have something like this.

Leeds Hindu Temple - Anniversary 2007...

Richard Corfield

Leeds Temple Anniversary Celebrations - 2nd September 2007. This is ...

Updated: Sep 02, 2007 1:05pm PST

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