full immersion
By Diogenes (articles ) | December 28, 2007 6:09 PM
The Irish Jesuits have sold Sacred Heart church in Limerick, a landmark of Catholic architecture, to a developer who plans to convert the building into a health club.
The scheme, if it gets the go-ahead from the local authority, will see the church transformed into a day spa featuring a swimming pool, gym and treatment rooms.
The nave of the church will become the pool, but the main altar will be carefully preserved and visible behind a glass wall. So the swimming and sweating will take place in a building with that nice old-fashioned Catholic "look" that's so fashionable these days. The architect assures us that there will be "very little alteration to the church."
Let's see, now. You take a prized example of our Catholic heritage, convert it to a completely secular purpose, but preserve the external appearance enough to make people feel comfortable. Then you assure everyone that there really hasn't been much change. An interesting approach, although not entirely original.
Did I mention that the architect's name is John Kennedy?
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Posted by: -
Jan. 03, 2008 3:27 PM ET USA
This one of the more puzzling news articles I have seen printed on CWN. A pool, and steam rooms(?), a spa of sorts, sounds much like some of the places the vice squad might visit in a crackdown on deviant behavior in most U.S.A. big cities. Here they might even catch a Jesuit or two!
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Posted by: -
Jan. 01, 2008 10:22 AM ET USA
The Latin Mass Society of Ireland told him bluntly what he could do with that plan. Have a look at this for the local response http://www.latinmassireland.org/newshappenings/limerick_press_release.html
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Posted by: -
Dec. 31, 2007 10:02 AM ET USA
where is Phinehas when you need him? ((Numbers 25:7-15; Psalms 106:30)
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Posted by: -
Dec. 28, 2007 7:45 PM ET USA
Even better, the article says the developer wants to have a Latin Mass in the structure once a month. Maybe so the Jesuits can exercise their freedom of conscience?
