St. John the Baptist parish is located in Lockport, Niagara County to the west of New York City. It is one of the oldest Catholic churches, yet it has been maintained well for a long time. In fact, it was the first church to be built during the establishment of Lockport city. It was established in 1837, and since then it has undergone different developments (Hayden, 1968). The purpose of this paper is to describe the background and history of this church. It discusses the religious affiliation of the church and the history of the community that gathers there to worship. It also highlights the authoritative element of the church as well as the description of the structure. The essay analyzes the structure of the space in terms of religious meaning and aesthetics, and how they correspond with the religious community affiliated to the structure. To conclude, the paper gives a descriptive analysis of the church.
In 1837, Father John Neumann who had been newly ordained had a priest, was given the responsibility to be in charge of the mission territory of the diocese in New York because the people living in that area were short of priests. The region was dominated by many Catholic Christians, who had neither found a place big enough to gather for worship or a priest to officiate mass. Father Neumann traveled to different places in western New York trying to administer his priestly services to the congregation in the area. When he visited North Bush, he encountered the log chapel of St. John the Baptist. It had been built by German Catholics who had settled in the area ("St. John the Baptist - Lockport", 2018). Occasionally, Fr. Neumann would gather his flock at the chapel to recite the rosary or have mass in the company of other priests who visited the area rarely. He built a structure near the church, which served as a school and a clinic for the parishioners. Fr. John Neumann is the one who planted the seed of ministry in St. John the Baptist RC church that is known today. He briefly stayed at the church, but the impact he left has never been forgotten ("About Us | St. John the Baptist R.C. Church", 2018).
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Fr. Neumann would later join the Redemptorist Order in Pittsburgh after being worn out from the services he offered at St. Johns. He had been teaching the children of the locals and treating the sick. In 1840, he returned where he had begun his mission, to assist the priest in charge. He later left and was appointed Bishop in Philadelphia. He then died eight years later. The history of this church is attributed to Fr. John Neumann because without him; perhaps it would have forever been a small chapel where individuals would visit to say their prayers. Father Neumann is behind the big mission church that is known today. Up to date, the Christians of St. John the Baptist church believe that John still watches them and guides them through their Christian missions from above ("St. John the Baptist - Lockport", 2018). The community that gathers at the church believes in missionary work, just as Fr. John Neumann had taught them (Hayden, 1968).
The church is currently under the authority of St. John’s Parish which is administered by a bishop. However, by 2009, Father Michael J. Parker had been appointed the priest in charge of the center. The structure was initially dove-shaped, with the altar having a higher level. The altar faces the congregation and has pews surrounding it. However, through time, many developments have been made. The outreach center of St. Ann House was demolished, and the land leveled. Currently, the church at Buffalo has been renovated by furnishing the paintings and replacing the broken structures ("About Us | St. John the Baptist R.C. Church", 2018). This structure is a reflection of most of the recommendations since the Ecumenical Council-Vatican II. The dove-shape structure of the church was reconstruction after the realization that the walls of the church were weak and could not sustain their services for long.
St John, the Baptist family, is a Catholic Christian community that believes in Jesus Christ, His teachings and the Church under directions of the spiritual leaders ("St. John the Baptist - Lockport", 2018). The faithful watch and pray as they follow the Lord’s call for love, holiness, fellowship, and life. The floor plan of the church is created in such a way that people are getting a full view of each other, and no one is left facing the wall. The planning allows the congregation to focus their attention on the one leading the mass. The structure of the St John the Baptist RC church in Lockport contains a number of subsections in the layout (Boyer, 2015). First, the sanctuary is an elevated portion of the church that symbolizes heaven. The clergy, as well as other ministers, perform their specific functions in worshiping God. Second, the Nave is the main body whereby the congregation gathers while the Narthex is the gathering place or lobby outside the church. Third, the Blessed Sacrament chapel refers to the place where the tabernacle is located. This is also where the faithful go to pray (Michael, 2002). Fourth, the Sacristy room stores and prepares sacred vessels, vestments and other items used for celebrating the liturgy. Fifth, the altar refers to a sacred table whereby the sacrifices of the mass are offered to God. From this table, the faithful receive the Blessed Sacrament. Sixth, the Ambo refers to the lantern where the readings are proclaimed, the Presiders chair where the priest sits as the mass progresses and the Credence table where objects are placed during the mass. Lastly, the Tabernacle is a golden container where the Blessed Sacrament is served whereas the Pews are the benches where the members of the congregation sit, and Ambry is the cabinet where the holy oils are kept.
There are a number of rituals that take place in St John the Baptist Rc Church in Lockport NY. These rituals include Marriage, Baptism, Holy Communion, and Confirmation, Anointing the Sick, Confession, and Ordination (Boyer, 2015). The structure of the church, as well as other things in the church such as holy water, facilitates the various rituals conducted by the church. Holy water is a reminder of the supernatural life of God's grace and baptism. The Sacred Chrism refers to olive oil mixed with perfume. It is consecrated by bishops every year, and it signifies strengthening of the dedication to God. This oil is significant in the consecration of bishops, for confirmation, after baptism and during the ordination of priests. The Oil of the Sick is olive oil blessed by the bishop to signify the healing strength. The Oil of the Sick is used to anoint the sick. The Oil of the Catechumens is the olive oil blessed by the bishop every year. It signifies turning away from sin and the strengthening of repentance. The Oil of Catechumens is used in the preparation of baptism. The Thurible is used for burning and carrying incense while the Incense boat holds the incense before placing it on the thurible for burning. The crucifix is an important element that facilitates the conduct of any mass within the church. The crucifix is a reminder that Christ's death hence there has to be a cross figure near the altar. The Paschal candle is blessed and prepared annually for the Easter Vigil. The light is placed at the altar during Easter season, near the casket during funeral rites and near the baptismal font on other days in of the year. Candles signify the presence of Christ, the tabernacle lamp burns near the tabernacle in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (Michael, 2002).
Being the oldest church in the region, St. John the Baptist church is held with plenty of prestige by the parishioners that worship there. Since it was started, the church's mission was to save the community by providing an appropriate education as well as well as clinical services to the local citizens. The church was started as a mission center, and the Christians there today still do community services and causes of charity. Over time, the religious community of the church has increased in number, with the same mission for which the church was started. The Catholic Elementary school was productive for a long time, offering and encouraging the locals to enroll for basic education. Academically analyzing the importance of the church to the locality, one can conclude that it played a significant role. In a significant way, the establishment of the church led to the development of Lockport city when it was approved to be a city. This is because it promoted education and proper health services, not only to the members of the church but also for the citizens in general.
References
About Us | St. John the Baptist R.C. Church . (2018). Stjohnskenmore.org . Retrieved 23 April 2018, from http://www.stjohnskenmore.org/Parish-History
Boyer, M. (2015). The Liturgical Environment. What the Document Says . (3rd ed). Minnesota: Liturgical Press.
Hayden, R. (1968). Writing the History of a Local Baptist Church. Baptist Quarterly , 22 (8), 409-417. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0005576x.1968.11751263
Michael, K. (2002). What You Will See Inside a Catholic Church . Malaysia: SkyLight Paths Publishing
St. John the Baptist - Lockport . (2018). Stjohnslockport.org . Retrieved 23 April 2018, from http://stjohnslockport.org/history.html.
