Category Archives: Churches

Arbanasi : Churches can be Interesting and Happy Hours Sacred

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Churches, religion

 

For lunch we dined at the Yantra Grand Hotel. It was truly grand with grand views of the countryside. I dined with Phillipe from Normandy France and his wife Diane from Chicago. They live in both countries. Nick from Toronto joined us. It was a diverse group and we dined without arguments or animosity. It sounds strange to say it.

After lunch we explored one of the oldest towns in Bulgaria (circa 4300 BC), as well as Bulgarian Revival architecture in the 15th-century town of Arbanasi with an eclectic combination of old style and modern architecture, as well as its churches and monasteries I was told the Real estate is among the most expensive in the country of Bulgaria. I never realized it before, but Bulgaria is a very popular tourist destination among Europeans. It is much more than a former Communist country.

The first place we visited after that was another old church. I know some members of our group were getting sick of churches. I rarely attend church but found them very interesting. Maybe I should go more often. Churches can be interesting. This one is called Church of the Nativity of Christ (c. 15th-17th century). This really is a remarkable old church in a fairly small village that has more than one interesting church. Remember that this village has been around for approximately 4,300 years before the birth of Christ. In this church nearly every inch of the vaulted interior is covered in unique frescoes depicting 2,000 scenes from the Bible! It also has more than 3,500 images of saints.

The Village of Arbanasi, one of Bulgaria’s most attractive settlements, is located on a high plateau 4km northeast of Veliko Tarnovo. Traditional architectural styles are maintained throughout the village, and fortified houses from the 17th century are maintained there with some very well-preserved and open to the public as museums.

In this tiny village you could visit an astounding number of preserved churches and monasteries, together with remarkable collection of religious art from the 16th and 17th centuries. We were greeted by an interpreter who told us that officially no photography was permitted but she was probably the most liberal of the interpreters, making it clear that we could take photographs as far as she was concerned.  To be as discreet as possible I was using my cell phone rather than my big DSLR camera. I took just a couple of photos.

 

The church is covered in murals and paintings depicting various aspect of Christian history. It is an incredible collection of Christian art produced in several stages from 1597 to 1681. There were literally hundreds of paintings in a small church.

We also visited one of the fortified houses of a wealthy merchant family. Ordinary houses were fortified, not just churches!  It was called Konstantsalieva House which was built in the 17th century which was an excellent example of era’s fine attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. The house was not large. About the size of a modern bungalow back home with a fortification wall surrounding it.  If the Turks arrived you would have to man defences at any time. I was puzzled by the fact that it had just 1 bedroom for a family of about 9 people, including 3 generations. And these were well-to-do people.

 

Given that we were all tourists from North America it is hardly surprising that we were also led to 2 gift shops in the tiny village. Again, I bought nothing. I had 2 excuses. I had no cash, although here I could probably have used a credit card. Second excuse, I had absolutely no room in my suitcase. I was deliberately going lighter. Just before the trip started, I bought a much smaller suitcase, even though on my last trip to Victoria, I had been over weight. This is the new me. Go light or stay home. Next time I will go even lighter.

Later, we joined our ship in Svistov where it had sailed with Christiane from Ruse. On the cruise ship we did what we always did. We participated in Happy Hour.  This was a great way to meet people. We met people from around the world. On this photo there are people from Tennessee, Ste. Anne Manitoba, Winnipeg, and New Zealand. And  we had fun in the process. Lots o convivial conversation.  Happy hours became a sacred trust. Each of us can kind find the sacred as where we find it.

 

Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of the Lord in Veliko Târnovo

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Churches, Fortress

 

 

While in Bulgaria, we visited the spectacular Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Ascension of the Lord. That is quite a handle. It is a former Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Veliko Tarnovo. This city has been called the “City of Tsars” and was the capital of Bulgaria during the Second Bulgarian Empire from the 12th to the 14th centuries. It is located on a top of a fortress, or fortified hill. I found it very telling on this trip how often churches were part of fortresses. It told me how often wars were religious wars.

The cathedral was the seat of the Bulgarian patriarch from the time it was built in the 11th and 12th centuries to the time it was destroyed in 1393 by the Ottoman Turks. It stands on top of a late Roman church that was built in the 5th and 6th centuries. Even Christian churches used predecessor churches for building materials. The church was reconstructed in the 1970s and 1980s.

It follows a cross-domed plan with a bell tower and triple apse. Both the interior and exterior are richly decorated. In the Balkans people don’t spare the cash when it comes to churches, unlike how Mennonites used to do it.

Its internal walls are now filled with modern frescoes, which I learned meant that it has not been reconsecrated. It is not an active Christian church. I think that means it has been built for tourists who come here and take a lot of photographs. Built for people like me. It has been opened for visitors—paying visitors—since 1985.

The original church was built to be part of a monastery. The fact that the church contains relics of a warrior saint signifies the constant warfare between the Romans (Latins) and Byzantines (Orthodox).  Yes, Christians fought each other too.

 

The original Patriarchal Cathedral was destroyed after the Ottomans captured the Bulgarian capital during the siege of Tarnovo on July 17 1393.

 

 

People’s Salvation Cathedral

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Churches

Looks pretty grand doesn’t it?

 

Just in case you might think Romania’s problems are behind them, I have one last story to tell. Another story about another church. Fitting perhaps for this land of glorious churches.

 

As their former Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu personally demonstrated, Romanians love the extravagantly grandiose. Not just their corrupt leaders.  On our last day in Romania, this country I had grown to love, though not ignoring its blemishes, I noticed a spectacular church near the fantastical Peoples Palace. How could I have missed this? And we were on our way out to our ship for the first time. Too late. As we drove closer to it, I realized it was not yet completed. That made me feel somewhat better. Who needs to see a church under construction?

This church is going to be spectacular. Again, grandiose, but this time we won’t be able to blame any communists. This time the church and current “original democracy” are responsible. But they don’t seem to have learned a lot.

This church is called People’s Salvation Cathedral but  also the National Cathedral. It is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and is under construction in Bucharest Romania and when complete will serve as the patriarchal cathedral of the Romanian Orthodox Church.

It will dominate the Bucharest skyline visible from all corners of the city. It will be the tallest and largest Eastern Orthodox church building by volume and area in the world! It is the tallest domed cathedral in the world with a height of 132 metres and the 6th tallest cathedral and 3rd tallest domed church.

 

It will have the largest collection of church mosaics (interior decorations) in the world. The mosaic of the altar will be about 3,000 sq. meters. It will have glass from Venice and Carrara stone from Italy. It will also have the world’s largest free-swinging bell. And it will have the world’s largest iconostasis (a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church).

It will be grand. It will be stupendous. It will cost a fortune to build. Will it be insane for such a small and relatively poor country?  Is it necessary? Or should parishioners reach for the stars?

Patriarch Daniel explained in 2008 that the choice of name “New Patriarchal Cathedral,” is a spiritual manifestation of gratitude to God for the deliverance of the Romanian nation from oppression and alienation. But is it deliverance from oppression into poverty and financial ruin?

As Jimmy Buffet would say, only time will tell.

 

The Black Church: The final resting place of the Stinking Rich

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Churches

One of the most important structures that we saw on our walk through the city of Brasov was the so-called Black Church (Biserica Neagra) of Brasov. It has been cleaned up and is no longer so very black. It is the most important church of the Saxon community in Romania. It is a Lutheran church that was built by local Transylvanian Saxons. Our guide Vio said the church got its name as a result of a 1689 fire which deposited soot in and around the church and gave it its dark appearance. Some modern interpreters have said the color was actually the product of pollution. And pollution as we all know is ubiquitous, so that is a reasonable interpretation. The church is a working church and is considered the main city landmark of Brasov.

 

The church was built during the 14th century, before the Reformation. Most scholars believe it was built starting in 1383 and was probably completed by about 1476. Like so many great churches of Europe, it was built on the site of an earlier church (destroyed during Mongol invasions in 1242).  Christians are by no means the only religious group that destroyed the churches or places of worship of its rivals. Such destruction was common among most if not all religions, except those who lacked the power to do so.

 

The interior of the church was very beautiful.  It has lovely balconies and stained-glass windows in addition to the huge organ.

The 1689 fire occurred when it was invaded by Hapsburg forces during the Great Turkish war but that theory is now widely refuted. The church was substantially restored in 1937 and again in 2000.

The church contains an impressive organ and Transylvanian rugs as well as 3 bells the largest of which weighs 6.3 tonnes making it the biggest in Romania. It is also the largest Gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul. The large organ has 4,000 pipes and was built in 1839 and is played during weekly concerts.

The church also has gorgeous Turkish carpets, including 119 Anatolian carpets,  that were donated between the 15th and 17th centuries by wealthy Transylvania merchants who were grateful they had survived their journeys into “barbaric” lands to the south and east of the Carpathian mountains. And of course, they probably believed the sums would help purchase a pleasant and cool permanent home for their souls rather than one that is much too hot. We were told the collection of carpets is the largest of its kind in Europe. In recent years, the church windows were outfitted with special UV-filtering glass to protect them.

Part of the Mausoleum for the filthy rich

For many years people wanted to be buried inside the church because they felt they would be closest to God there and thus might not be so easily forgotten by God. The richer the person the closer he was allowed to be buried to the Eucharist. Like the rich around the world, from Steinbach to Brasov, the rich here were not averse to trying to buy their way into heaven. Sadly, though despite the donations to the church, some of the corpses of the wealthy decomposed and stank to high heaven. Vio said these were early examples of “the stinking rich”. And it was their fitting final resting place. At least so they thought. Some think they found that final resting place in much hotter environs.

 

Fortified Church

2025 Cruise up the Danube River, Churches

 

Prejmer fortified church

Have you ever heard of fortified churches?  I don’t recall that I had, but we visited one on the edge of Brasov where we had stayed for the night.  A short bus ride in the morning brough us to a fortified church Biserica fortificată Premjer, Romania. I had never heard of a fortified church before. Many are found in the Balkans, particularly Romania. They were built in the Balkans, and probably many other places, to protect the Christians from the Turks who saw fit to exact taxes from them or face the rough consequences of attacks. The Turks like the Christians could be brutal.

 

Sigismund of Luxembourg, who according to Vio our guide, “owned all of Europe” in the 14 hundreds, and was the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary who wanted protection from the Turks, allowed Saxons from Germany to live in this region without paying any taxes. All they had to do, was protect him from the Turks. It was a pretty good deal. They had good land and lots of clean water. But there was a catch—the Turks. And the Turks were violent, abusive, and nasty.

 

The Prejmer fortified church is a Lutheran Church located in Brasov County in the Transylvania region of Romania that was fortified to give the parishioners protection from frequent raids by Turks who extorted payment of taxes from them. If they did not pay the protection racket charges the Turks would attack. The church was founded by Germanic Teutonic Knights that was later taken over by the Transylvania Saxon community. It was originally a Roman Catholic church that became Lutheran after the Protestant Reformation. The church is now part of the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Around 1211, King Andrew II of Hungary permitted the knights to settle in his territory around Prejmer where they built this church in 1218. The church was built with a Greek cross plan, the only one of its kind in Transylvania. A similar design is found in a few German churches in the northeast part of Germany.

The triptych altarpiece shown in my photograph dates to around 1450. The scene is from the Passion of Christ. It is the most ancient triptych in Romania.

A bell tower was added above the center of the church in 1461. The Greek cross shape was modified between 1512 and 1515 when 2 side naves were added while the main one was extended. The interior of the church is very simple and shows no signs of frescoes. There were some 19th century paintings in the church which were removed during restoration.

When Ottoman forces (Turks) or other invaders broke through the Buzâu Pass nearby  the first place they encountered when they were looking for tribute was Prejmer. The Turks basically came every year. The Christians had to pay every year and they didn’t like it. In addition to plunder, the Turks often seized women, children, and even men as slaves. As a result, the parishioners built the fortification around the church to give them some means of defending themselves rather than paying annual tribute. As soon as the warnings went out that Turks were on the way people gathered inside the fortification ring where they lived for as long as it took to repel the invaders.

 

When they were attacked by the Turks the siege could last a few weeks during which time they would have to store sufficient food for them to survive. They also had to eliminate their waste inside the fortification since it was not safe to venture out when the Turks were there.  This could get a bit unpleasant. Between the 13th and 17th  centuries the church was only rarely captured so the fortification was quite effective.

People who did not follow the rules were obligated to stand outside the church holding a big heavy rock. Huguette, Christiane’s sister, was bad so she had to hold the rock, but could not even lift it. I guess people were stronger back in the day.

 

The fortification also had a moat that was filled with water for added protection. The circular exterior walls were up to 5 m (16ft. in) thick and reached nearly 12 m (39 ft.) in height. There is a second arched wall at the entrance gate. There were 5 towers for defense along with a battlement.  A battlement is defensive architecture that consists of that portion of the city walls that comprise a parapet, in in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals to allow for the launch of arrows or other projectiles from within the defences against invaders. The parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure.

There were over 270 rooms within the fortification at this church that could offer shelter to about 1,600 villagers when attacked.

Nowadays we think of churches as peaceful places of worship.  Historically however, they were often fought over by the various religions or political forces.  To us a fortified church seems weird.  At one time they were a matter of life or death.

 

The Churches of Mahone Bay

2024 Trip to Eastern Canada, Churches

 

I like church buildings. I never really liked going to church very much. I guess that tells you too much about me. I don’t know the name of this church I photographed on the way in from Digby Nova Scotia to Mahone Bay.  I just stopped to admire it amid the autumn leaves.

 

The three famous churches are St. James Anglican Church, St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Trinity United Church.  I have always been puzzled by the appearance though of 4 churches. Can’t you see 4 steeples in my photo. Why does the 4th church get no credit?  It can’t be because it’s a Mennonite Church. Or could it be? I think it might be the Calvary Temple which is not quite on the shoreline. So it does not get included. Churches getting exclusive again?

I really like the area in around Mahone Bay Nova Scotia. It was first settled by Mi’kmaq people since time immemorial. Thousands of years.  The French were the first Europeans to settle here and called the area La Baye de Toutes Iles (The Bay of Many Islands).  The current name derives from the French mahonne, a type of barge After the British took over from the French, in 1754,  they brought in German speakers from Europe to settle the region. At first they brought them to Lunenburg and then Mahone Bay.

This was the first dreary day in a while, but sadly, it was not the last.

I think churches are a little like lighthouses.  Offering a warning? Or better, an illumination?

 

A Church in need of a Savior

2024 Trip to Eastern Canada, Churches

 

After our time in Yarmouth Nova Scotia we continued on our way back to Digby, but this time we travelled along the coastal route, carefully avoiding the access controlled highway.  Meandering in other words.  As a result, we saw a good part of the Acadian French coast of Nova Scotia.  There were numerous little French towns that were settled by the Acadians. Acadian heritage is proudly on display in every small town here.  Their flags visible everywhere. Ubiquitous.

 

Yet there was one stain on their proud record. That was the dilapidation of Eglise Ste. Marie.  This is a huge French Romanesque Revival Church in the Acadian community of Church Point. It is right beside the highway. We were not expecting it and new nothing about it until we happened on it.  How could we not stop to see this?is reputed to be the largest wooden church in North America. It is an important cultural mark for the Acadian community yet it has fallen into ruin. It is no longer used as a church and is likely unsafe.  I saw some pretty big cracks in it and feared to go close let alone inside. Christiane disagrees with me but she is a Catholic. I know I did not want to go inside. Too me it looked rickety and unsafe.

In my opinion, churches, like lighthouses can be beautiful.

As I have said, I love dilapidated buildings, but when a heritage building falls into such disrepair it is sad. It is sad the community was not able to get together to save it. The Catholic church who continues to use it, but is not able to maintain it, has listed it for sale.  You can buy this church!  Why not buy it?

It has been designated as a historic place by the Province of Nova Scotia.

The church was completed in 1905 so it is pretty impressive. It was the third church to be built on the site to serve the local Catholic congregation who were mainly the descendants of the Acadian families who arrived in the area in 1769 from Massachusetts after being deported by the English. They returned to Nova Scotia on foot. Their homes had been destroyed by the barbarian English who had displace the Acadians.

 

I have been told that the high vaulted ceilings combined with the large nave and transepts give the visitor, upon entering, a sense of grandeur and awe. As I said, I was too afraid to walk inside for a closer look. It takes a man of faith to do that. But the sheer size of the church gives it a dominating appearance as the 185-foot spire can be seen from miles around. We just happened upon it and at first thought it was a church in good standing. Sadly, on closer inspection that was no longer the case.

 

About 10 years ago the Arch-Diocese gave a community group 1 year to raise the money to restore and maintain it but they were only able to raise $500,000. It was estimated that $10 million would be needed to save it.  After that money would be needed for maintenance.

The roof is leaking in several places said a local Pierre Comeau the head of a local committee that tried to raise the $10 million needed to save it. Comeau said “The church deserves to be maintained and preserved as a monument to the faith and the tenacity of our ancestors who built it.”

 

In 2023 an anonymous donor offered to pay the $10 million purchase price and pay for maintenance. When Comeau and his group heard about the offer they were “ecstatic and overjoyed.” When they heard the news it felt like “the offer came down from heaven.” Spiritual ecstasy, like political popularity, is often short-lived. Alas, heaven has failed to save the church. That offer was withdrawn by the secret donor who did not give a reason for his/her changed mind. Now it is a monument to inadequate faith!

 

In 2024 the church was deconsecrated and put up for sale. Apparently According to numbers provided by the archdiocese, 32 church buildings in Nova Scotia have been deconsecrated in the past decade, and nine of those buildings have been sold. The province said it would not buy the church.

 

One thing is clear, the church needs a savior or it is a goner. And that would be a shame.