In the shadow of the Back Bay is how the brochure describes the location of Our Lady of Victories Catholic Shrine. I chanced upon the church yesterday after a meeting. Crossing a street, I actually saw the back of the building first, an old brick structure with darkened windows that clearly had to be stained glass. I made my way to the front of the building, studying the exterior and wondering if I might contact someone, some day, to ask if I might photograph the interior.
“Do you want to go inside the church?” A large man stood across the street. He seemed to be in a hurry because he didn’t even wait for my answer before saying, “Just go down those stairs over there.” Then he continued on his way.
I went down the stairs into a little alleyway. There were a couple of older gentlemen there having a smoke. They greeted me kindly, and again without really waiting for me to say I wanted to enter the church, they directed me through a side door.
Inside was dark and warm. People moved about a bit in the shadows and I could hear a few sounds. I could see no stained glass windows though. Then, to my right, a gentleman walked from a side room. He smiled and said, “You can come on in. We’re just watching a movie.”
I thanked him for the offer, and said, “Actually, sir, I was wondering if I could go inside the church upstairs where the windows are.” His grin widened, and he said, “Of course. Just go back outside and up the stairs. The doors are open.”
That’s what I did and following is a bit of what I saw. There are quite a few images so please enjoy at your leisure. You can read more about the church’s history via this link. In the future I hope to post more about the architecture and about the primary window designer, Franz Xaver Zettler. And, by the way, I believe that the gentlemen who were so kind to me, were themselves being helped. Located in the basement of the church is the Medeiros Center for Change.
Words + Images 