Holy Family Church - Table of Contents
SANCTUARY - Holy
Family RC Church
Our Lady of Charity Parish
1885 South Park Avenue, Buffalo NY
Research by Maureen Evans
On this page, below:
Photos taken March 30, 2021
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Partial reprint Celtic religious treasures at south Buffalo church By Eileen Buckley WKBW, Mar 22, 2021 (online April 2021) Rare artwork has been uncovered at a south Buffalo Catholic church. Murals painted about 100 years ago inside Holy Family Church, now Our Lady of Charity on south Park, have been revealed in a large restoration project. "Before I leave this earth — someone else should know about it,” declared Henry Swiatek, sr. It's been Swiatek's mission to reveal these original, gilded Celtic murals inside the former Holy Family Church. The Swiatek family is in the restoration business. Swiatek says he learned the Celtic murals had been painted over in the 1960's when he started working at the parish back in the early 1980's. It took years, but Swiatek says he was finally able to convince the parish to begin the restoration process. His son, Brett Swiatek, who now runs Swiatek studios is conducting the restoration. Swiatek says they've spent the last three years removing layers and layers of paint to reveal these treasures. |
| Murals 1920 murals by Frode Rambusch ... Murals incorporate Celtic design - more than any church in the US 2019-2021 ... Mural Restoration by Swiatek Studios Stained glass windows 1920 stained glass windows by Tyrol Art Glass, Innsbruck, Austria ... Munich Pictorial Style stained glass windows |
 Nave ... Sanctuary  Sanctuary ... Details below: |
Ceiling mural  Ceiling mural ... Mural by Frode Rambusch ... 2019-2021 Mural Restoration by Swiatek Studios ... Details below:  Ceiling mural ... "Jehovah" in Hebrew in the center of the Star of David ... Celtic knots  Ceiling mural ... Evangelists Matthew (winged man) and Mark (winged lion)  Ceiling mural ... Holy Spirit  Ceiling mural ... Evangelists Luke (winged ox) and John (eagle)  Ceiling mural ... Crucifixion ... INRI ... Regnavit a ligno Deus = God has reigned from the tree ... Detail below:  Ceiling mural ... Crown of thorns ... One of the five stigmata  Ceiling mural ... Apostles ? and St. James the Greater (pilgrim's staff)  Ceiling mural ... Apostles ? and St. John the apostle/evangelist (beardless, Bible)  Ceiling mural ... Apostles ? and St. Peter (keys)  Ceiling mural ... Apostles St. Paul (sword and bible) and St. Andrew (saltire)  Ceiling mural ... Apostles St. Jude (axe) and St. Thomas (square)  Ceiling mural: Apostles St. James the Less (carpenter's saw) and St. Bartholomew (flaying knife)  Menorah and Torah  Pelican and Chicks  Sacrificial Lamb  Ten Commandments and Crosses Bottony |
Munich Pictorial Style stained glass windows Stained glass windows by Tyrol Art Glass, Innsbruck, Austria  The Sacrifice of Melchisedech ... Genesis 14: 18-20 ... Abram appears before Melchisedech after victorious in battle. It is the first reference to the Eucharistic offering in the Old Testament ... Three details below:  The Sacrifice of Melchisedech - Detail #1 ... Grapes ... Host in chalice ... Wheat  The Sacrifice of Melchisedech - Detail #2  The Sacrifice of Melchisedech - Detail #3  The Last Supper ... Four details below:  The Last Supper - Detail #1 ... Pelican and Chicks  The Last Supper - Detail #2  The Last Supper - Detail #3 ... Far left: Beardless St. John  The Last Supper - Detail #4 ... Upper right: Judas, looking away  Crucifixion ... Four details below:  Crucifixion - Detail #1 ... Anchor  Crucifixion - Detail #2  Crucifixion - Detail #3 ... St. Mary Magdalene  Crucifixion - Detail #4 ... Mary, the mother of Jesus  The Mass of St. Bernard ... Two details below:  The Mass of St. Bernard - Detail #1 ... Sacrificial lamb  The Mass of St. Bernard - Detail #2  Figures in reverse order: Domenichino's Last Communion of St. Jerome ... St. Jerome ... Four details below:  Domenichino's Last Communion of St. Jerome - Detail #1 ... Crowned chalice  Domenichino's Last Communion of St. Jerome - Detail #2  Domenichino's Last Communion of St. Jerome - Detail #3  Domenichino's Last Communion of St. Jerome - Detail #4 |
Two
Canvases: Christ in
Emmaus  Christ on the Road to Emmaus (Pronounced: ee MAY is) ... Luke 24:13-27 ... Text: "Stay with us lord for it is nearly evening" ... Partially restored after a coat of white paint was removed ... Detail below:  Detail - Christ on the Road to Emmaus (Pronounced: ee MAY is)  Supper at Emmaus ... Luke 24:13-27 ... Text: "He was made known to us in the breaking of the bread" ... Detail below:  Detail - Supper at Emmaus |
Main
Altar Main altar ... Details below:  Main altar ... Pelican and Chicks ... Vitruvian scroll ... Dentil molding ... Gilded dove  Main altar ... Pope Pius X  Main altar ... St. Teresa of the Flowers  Main altar ... Note tabernacle, detailed below:  Main altar ... Locked door of the tabernacle: Sunburst ... IHS ... Wheat ... Grapes  Main altar ... Marble columns ... Panel with Celtic Greek key/meander design |
Celtic
murals Door to the left of the altar ... Celtic mural door surrounds ... Two details below:  Celtic mural door surrounds - Detail #1  Celtic mural door surrounds - Detail #2  Carpet page from the Book of Lindisfarne ... Note the similar pattern in the photo below:  Celtic wall murals to the left of the altar ... Celtic carpet page pattern inspired by the Book of Lindisfarne ... Three additional photos below:  Celtic wall murals - Detail #2 ... Henry Swiatek, Jr., head of Swiatek Studios that removed 1960s white paint and restored the murals ... Maureen Evans, the historian that documented the artwork in the church in 2018  Celtic wall murals - Detail #3 ... Henry Swiatek, Jr.  Celtic wall murals - Detail #4 ... Henry Swiatek, Jr. |
Altar
rail Altar rail/communion rail/chancel rail ... Marble balustrade ... Column-shaped balusters ... Mosaic and marble Celtic cross at left  Two column-shaped balusters  Marble Celtic cross on gold mosaic tessarae ... Two details below:  Celtic cross - Detail #1 ... Marble cross ... Glass gold mosaic tessarae  Celtic cross - Detail #1 ... Exquisite Celtic knots  Communion rail gates ... Two details below:  Pelican and chicks  Lamb of God |
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