A TOUR OF from these steps. Three weeks later, on April body and blood of Christ; and alpha and T RANCIS AVIER HURCH 7, 1882, a devastating fire gutted the interior omega, first and last letters of the Greek S F X C of the church, and destroyed the spire. alphabet, signifying God as the beginning Despite tremendous damage, the church was and end. The 2nd shows the Ten restored within a year, with the spire rebuilt Commandments and Holy Bible, the 3rd the by another Cincinnati architect, Samuel Greek IHS for Jesus, and the chi and rho for Hannaford. With the exception of two Christ; and again the alpha and omega. The windows behind the main altar the original 4th recalls the crucifixion: nails, hammer windows survived, although some are and pliers, and behind a Roman ax and whip obscured by the 20th century vestibule and the monogram “INRI”, Jesus of Nazareth, choir loft. Today this elaborately decorated King of the Jews. THE HISTORY building, notable for its pointed arches, The gray figures in the 5th are two WELCOME TO ST. XAVIER CHURCH! This spires, gargoyles, finials, and many marble symbols of the four Evangelists. The lion building, completed in 1861, is the third one altars, is considered the finest example of represents Mark and his gospel of on this site. The first Catholic church in Gothic Revival in Cincinnati. resurrection; Luke’s is the sacrificial ox Cincinnati, a little wooden structure built in In 1987 the interior furnishings were representing the priesthood of Christ. The 1819 at Liberty and Vine, was moved here on reconfigured to conform to changes called 6th shows the papal mitre and keys to rollers in 1821. In that year Catholic for by the Second Vatican Council. The Heaven; and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, afire churches were no longer forbidden within marble reredos, or back, of the main altar with love, with a crown of thorns, the cross, city limits, the city became the seat of the remains, but the altar itself, the Communion and the anchor of hope. The next two first Ohio diocese, later to be an archdiocese, rail and elaborate pulpit were removed. The window pairs are obscured by the vestibule and an era of explosive population growth new altar is closer to the congregation, and and the choir loft, closed to the public, which began in Cincinnati. Within five years a the new pulpit, or ambo, alongside it retains has a magnificent Wicks organ of 39 ranks, larger brick church replaced the little the wooden sculptures of the original pulpit, or sets of pipes. wooden one. symbolic representations of the four The 7th pair shows the bishop’s mitre, In 1840 the bishop began plans for a Evangelists. Two Reconciliation rooms, at shepherd’s crosier, and metropolitan, sign of new cathedral at 8th and Plum, and the rear of the church, have replaced ten the archdiocese; and the keys to Heaven. prevailed upon the Jesuits to accept the confessionals. The baptismal pool was The gray figures of the 8th are Matthew’s running of this parish. When the cathedral designed and built by Cincinnati potter winged man, sign of his gospel of Christ‘s was completed in 1845, this church was Michael Frasca. human ancestry, and the eagle of John’s dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. Within gospel which emphasizes Christ’s divine fifteen years the parish had grown to the THE WINDOWS nature. The 9th are Christ’s cross and point of yet another expansion. In 1859 the The windows behind the main altar, crown, triumph over death; and the pelican, cornerstone for this building designed by dating from the reconstruction of 1883, are piercing its breast to feed its young, as Christ Cincinnati architect Louis Picket was laid, artificially lit from behind. They show St. gave His life for us. and the first Mass was celebrated within its Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and The 10th shows Mary’s symbol, a rose, walls in 1861. St. Francis Xavier, patron of the missions. In with “Ave Maria”, the angel’s greeting; and A large mid-century influx of Irish the round window’s center, the eye of God in her heart pierced by the seven sorrows she immigrants challenged the sensibilities of a triangle surrounded by rays of light faced. The dove, the Holy Spirit, and the Cincinnati’s original German settlers. In represents the Trinity. Easter lamb, Jesus, are the 11th. In the 12th response, St. Louis church, nearby but closer Contained in the stained glass lancet pair lightening marks the moment of to Over the Rhine, became “the German windows are painted rounds depicting Christ’s death on the cross, and the cloth of church” and St. Xavier “the Irish church”. Christian symbols. Clockwise from the Easter morning’s empty tomb; and the The 1882 St. Patrick’s Day parade departed sanctuary, the 1st pair is a host and chalice, monstrance displays the host. THE MURAL Jogues, missionary to Native Americans in There is no record of statues being in the The mural was painted in 1924 by what is now New York and Canada; and two empty niches high above the side altars. Cincinnati artist Charles C. Svendsen. The Peter Canisius, apostle of Germany Of those lining the church interior, clockwise left two sections depict influential Jesuits following the Reformation. Finally, Robert from the side door and handicap access are gathered around St. Ignatius, who looks Southwell, with a palm, another secret St. Joseph, spouse of Mary and patron saint upward to see the Lord blessing this missionary to Queen Elizabeth I’s England, of workers; St Isaac Jogues, mutilated hands assembly of Jesuits. Faintly visible is the is next to Andrew Bobola, missionary to a sign of his torture and martyrdom in cross, which Ignatius embraced in his eastern Europe. Canada; Patrick, patron of Ireland; Therese missionary work. From the far left are of Lisieux, “the Little Flower”; a painting of Claude de la Columbiere, also represented at Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of the a side altar, and Joseph Pignatelli, with a THE STATUES Americas; the wooden Pieta, Mary holding book, who kept the order intact during its The marble statues of the reredos, all her dead son, carved by artists in the suppression, 1773-1814. saints from the murals, are, left to right, Austrian town of St. Ulrich, renowned for its In the larger grouping, clockwise from Peter Canisius, Ignatius Loyola, Robert outstanding woodcraft. Finally the image of lower left are Francis Borgia, third Superior Bellarmine, and Alphonsus Rodriguez, with the Divine Mercy of Jesus. General and former Spanish prime minister; St. Francis Xavier above. The far left side The Way of the Cross, fourteen reliefs Robert Bellarmine in cardinal robes, a altar holds the tabernacle where the Blessed along the walls, recalls Jesus’ suffering and brilliant 16th and 17th century theologian; Sacrament is reserved, the adoring angels death. Outside the door, in the right Peter Faber, the first Jesuit ordained a and hanging lamp moved here from the vestibule is Anthony, patron of miracles. In priest; St. Ignatuis; and Francis Jerome, sanctuary in 1987. Above the tabernacle is a the left, the large crucifix, survivor of the Italian street preacher credited with mosaic of the seal of the Jesuits: rays around fire, commemorates the parish missions of promoting monthly Communion. Stanislaus the “IHS”, cross, and three nails. 1877 and 1878. Kostka, Aloysius Gonzaga and John The diagonal altar to the right, dedicated Berchmans, the “boy saints”, are to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, emphasizes a THE PARISH CENTER represented in another side altar, God who loves rather than a God who In 2015, the generous support and inspiration for the young men who studied judges, as presented in visions to Margaret creative design of St Xavier parishioners in this parish. Mary Alacoque, a French Visitation nun. allowed the church to remodel and In the large section to the right, Mary Her statue is to the right, and to the left, restructure the Undercroft (basement) into a blesses Jesuit missionaries, while behind her Claude Colombiere, her spiritual director functional and beautiful parish center. The the shoreline indicates the distant lands and supporter. The altar frontal shows Jesus center is not only a place for parish to gather these missionaries would seek. The central appearing to Margaret Mary. for social and educational events, but it is a figure is Francis Xavier, raising his arms The other diagonal altar is dedicated to facility for service and outreach to the over two kneeling figures who represent the the “boy saints”, their youth, purity and downtown community. The galleries and thousands he baptized. Also kneeling is holiness shown by lilies and crown on the décor are designed to tell the larger history Alphonsus Rodriguez, patron of Jesuit frontal. In the center Aloysius Gonzaga, of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Brothers, those not seeking to be ordained patron of youth, died at 23 while still a Catholic Church in Cincinnati. priests. Standing left to right are Peter de scholastic. John Berchmans, on the left, was Smet, a missionary to the Native Americans also a scholastic at his death at age 19. in western North America; Peter Claver, who Stanislaus Kostka died at age 18 as a novice served slaves in South America; John in the Society. The last altar is a shrine to Francis Regis, his staff topped by a cross, a Mary, here surrounded with lilies, the votive th preacher in rural 17 century France; candles in front representing the prayers of Edmund Campion, with a palm, covert those who light them.