Some Catholic Church History in SPg

Sunday's weather was beautiful: sunny and hot. We planned separate activities after an early breakfast: me to mass at the Roman Catholic St. Catherine of Alexandria Church and Anne to shop for birthday outfits for Aleksi & Jenny.   Then we planned to meet and go to the Peterhof Palace and Fountains outside of the city.

Thanks to Anne & the internet, I found an English liturgy at 9:30 AM at St. Catherine's which was only about 3 blocks from our hotel.  Our food guide Peter had pointed out the green dome and cross to us, and it really was close. I could write tons about this place alone, but will just direct you to this Wikipedia site for solid details:  St. Catherine of Alexandria Catholic Cathedral, SPg

The church has been extensively renovated since its restoration to the Catholic community in SPg in the 1990's.  There are no more stained glass windows, no more elevated pulpit, no statues or elaborate altars of any kind except a modest main altar and a few statues in the adjoining "Lady Chapel."

St. Catherine of Alexandria RC Church, SPg, Russia

History Placque

Now the walls are finished and painted in pastel colors, pale pink, green, blue and yellow.  It is very light and airy, a truly beautiful space.  The absolutely stunning acoustics remain a strong feature.  It was a true joy to sing there. However, the east & west side altars were not restored but remain skeletal with only fragments of the stone & marble remaining in piles at the foot of the imprints on the walls where the large carvings once were.  One side altar has an icon of St. Catherine of Alexandria, a gift from a wealthy patron and the other side is adorned only with the large crucifix that a 19 year old parish girl, Sophia Stepulkowska, rescued (in 1938) from the high (main) altar, hid in her home and then gave to another parish for safe keeping until it was returned to St. Catharine's in 1992.  The only other decorations are a few potted plants placed amid the rubble, a striking testament to the suffering of this community.

But there is a happy story here too.  In the Lady Chapel,

Main Altar in Lady Chapel

 where another group of tourists were hearing a mass during our English liturgy, I read on a wall plaque:  "This chapel, restored though the donations of 'ordinary American Catholics',  is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima who asked us to 'pray for the conversion Russia' in 1917."   I remember saying that prayer with every rosary recitation throughout my childhood.  Praise God, our prayers work!