Church #57 - St. Joseph, Burrillville

This church is in the town of Burrillville, which is more of a collection of little villages than an actual unified town. St. Joseph's is in the village of Pascoag, which even by Rhode Island standards clearly predates the invention of the automobile, based on the way the roads are laid out. I got horribly lost trying to make my way out of it. Not surprisingly, a sign at the church says that it was built in 1884.

 

The church's advanced age also makes it beautiful on the inside. It's mostly made of wood, and there are two rose windows, one of which is sort of hidden behind the organ. There are two extra tabernacles without the Eucharist in them on either side of the altar area. There is also a cool little chapel off to one side that houses the baptismal font, which I don't seem to have a picture of for some reason.

There are two alcoves halfway down the sanctuary with a bunch of statues in them. Were there always statues in these spaces, or did they serve some other function in the past?

My favorite thing in the church is on the way down from the choir loft - in the process of either building or repainting the wall, a silhouette formed that looked like the face of Jesus in profile, and one of the parishioners painted over it. It's possible that I'm completely butchering the story, but that's roughly what I remember one of the parisioners telling me.

I wish I'd sat closer to the front for Mass, because I had some trouble hearing the priest. I do kind of enjoy being at Mass with all the doors and windows open, though, and hearing passing cars and other sounds of the outside world coming in.