I was spending a few days in Kansas’ largest city, enjoying some great barbecue, a wonderful botanic garden, a good zoo, and some worthy museums. Sometimes on foot, sometimes by car, I continually happened upon some excellent architecture that is easily among the best in the state and that add greater interest to the city. Read about the top five buildings in Wichita, Kansas >
Tag Archives: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Capital Ideas for a Great Time in Albany, New York
Even though I live only a few hours south of my state capital, I never got around to seeing it until I decided to go on an in-state vacation and check out some of what New York State offers north of the Bronx. My first stop was Albany, a city with more than 400 years of history behind it. That lengthy existence brings with it plenty of diversions and attractions, from shockingly beautiful churches to Hudson River views, from memorable meals and museums to tranquil parks. Read about the top five things to see and do in Albany >
Share my story:
Let There Be Sight
On the Feast of St. Lucy, celebrated on December 13, followers of the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox faiths venerate the Christian martyr who died a virgin at age 21 in 304. Patron saint of the blind and visually impaired, Lucy’s fame spread around the world, from celebratory processionals in Scandinavia to Dante’s Divine Comedy to the naming of St. Lucia in the Caribbean. I had the good fortune to view the saint’s body, enshrined in a glass-front coffin, in the Church of Sts. Jeremiah and Lucy in Venice, Italy, in 2008, but before and after that, I’ve always been intrigued by how she’s treated in art. Read about the top five artistic depictions of St. Lucy >
Share my story:
The Best Churches in Kansas
Traveling around the eastern half of Kansas, I found that there always seemed to be a church steeple on the horizon somewhere, whether popping up over a small town or making up a key element of an urban skyline. Like tempting beacons, I was lured to them and was never disappointed by their beauty, and by the surprises they contained. Read about the top five churches in Kansas >
Share my story:
Missouri’s Best Religious Buildings
One has the largest collection of mosaics in the world. Another has some of the finest stained-glass windows in the United States. Still a third has a reredos that knocked my socks off. What are they? They’re some of the most beautiful churches in Missouri. Read more about them >
Share my story:
Five Fantastic Buildings in Albany, New York
In 1614, Dutch traders built Fort Nassau, a fur-trading post and the first documented European structure in present-day Albany, New York. Things have changed over the four centuries since then, and a wood fort would hardly blend in at all in the capital of New York. I would have liked to have seen what that short-lived structure looked like (abandoned after only a few years due to the river’s flooding), but I found just as much pleasure in checking out some of its successors. Read about the top five buildings in Albany, New York >
Share my story:
A-List Churches in Albany, New York
For a smaller capital city, Albany, New York, teems with iconic structures: the unique state capitol, The Egg performing arts venue, and the sprawling old headquarters of the Delaware and Hudson Railway, now the administration building for the State University of New York. Chief among them are the city’s churches, eight of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Their congregations include Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Presbyterians, and United Methodists. They span a wide variety of architectural styles, and they all enjoy voluminous histories, making a visit to these venerable institutions a very rewarding experience. Read more about the top five churches in Albany >
Share my story:
The Best Artistic Depictions of Palm Sunday
This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, a key date in the Christian calendar when millions of Christians around the world commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem — a fateful day that launches Holy Week. Depicted in art for centuries, Palm Sunday is an unmistakable scene, whether it’s been rendered on a canvas or, as in most of the ones that really impressed me, stained glass. Read more about the top five Palm Sundays >
Stephen Travels 