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Where heaven meets earth

Zoey Maraist | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

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Our Lady of Hope Church in Sterling and St. Raymond of Peñafort in Springfield, shown here, feature stars on their ceilings to illustrate the meeting of heaven and earth.

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In 1871, the Virgin Mary appeared to several children in
Pontmain, France, wearing a dark blue dress covered with gold stars. The
apparition became known as Our Lady of Hope, and the church in Potomac Falls that
bears her name pays homage with a ceiling similarly cloaked in stars. 

Father William P. Saunders, founding pastor, explains in his
book, A Labor of Love, that, “during the Middle
Ages, vaulted ceilings were often painted (with stars) … meant to show that
at Mass, Heaven touches earth, and that all of the members of the whole Church
— in heaven, in purgatory and on earth — are united and worshipping as one.”

Each deep blue circle within Our Lady of Hope contains a
constellation chosen for its Biblical or theological significance, such as
Virgo— reminiscent of the Virgin Mary, according to Father Saunders. 

Similarly, the apse at St. Raymond of Peñafort Church in
Springfield is painted a powder blue in honor of Mary. According to a parish
guidebook, the structural feature “originates in Greek architecture and implies
infinity or eternity.”

Later, gold stars of different shapes and sizes as well as a dove
descending from the sky were added to the apse. Denis R. McNamara explains in
his book, How to Read Churches, that stars, such
as the ones at St. Raymond, can appear “large and flower-like, (to reveal)
their glorious condition at the end of time.”

He continues, “The word ‘ceiling’ shares it origins with the
Latin word ‘caelum’ for heaven or sky, and traditional church buildings often make
this relationship explicit. … Look for a ceiling to show stars above the
heavenly City of Jerusalem and the beings who join them in glory.”

How does your parish utilize the ceiling, or incorporate
heavenly bodies into the décor? Take a photo and let us know at
[email protected] or on Twitter @acatholicherald. 

Maraist can be reached at [email protected] or
on Twitter @zoeymaraist

 

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