"In this very careful and extensive study of the artistry of St.
Aloysius Church, Mr. Bob Murray has brought together history,
poetry, wonderful photography and his own extensive knowledge of
art and architecture, to enable his reader to share his
enthrallment with the genius of both Constantino Brumidi, the great
Washington master artist and Fr. Benedict, Sestini, S.J., Jesuit
architect and astronomer, a genius enshrined by them in this holy
edifice which for almost two centuries has captivated and inspired
generations of Catholic parishioners and Gonzaga high school
students.
Mr. Murray's research leads us back through the earliest years of
St. Aloysius Gonzaga Church and traces thoughtfully its periods of
'prosperity' and decline up to the present, allowing us to see and
feel the glory and the pain of each era of this Church's remarkable
history, a history continuing today with its most recent lovely
renewal and with its latest trial, the roof-raising tornado of
2017."
--Lucien Longtin, S.J., Spiritual Director, The Jesuit Center,
Wernersville, PA.
Author of Swampoodle Lily, Robert Murray, along with others on the
conservation team tread in and out of St. Aloysius Church's murky
setting from 1991-1994 and amazingly and masterfully saved the
vintage church restoring it to active use on the Gonzaga campus.
Successful fundraising demanded the author dig out and uncover the
building's original to the present day structural details and share
detailed accounts of its cultural and religious value from its
founding to the present. Murray credits the conservation success to
its patron, Aloysius Gonzaga, the Patron of Integrity, Stability,
and the Dignity of young people today. Once again stable in its
urban surroundings, thanks to its ingenious redesign and
reconstruction and with the continued blessings by Gonzaga,
historic St. Aloysius Church stands securely for many generations
to come welcoming all for worship, respite, and a closer look at
timeless D.C. history. Author Robert Murray dug literally and
physically to save St. Aloysius Church and share its story with
you."
--Anne Ridder, Assistant Dean (Retired), Liberal Studies
Program,
Georgetown University."In this world where tourists chase around
the globe to appreciate man-made wonders before they disappear from
age, neglect or abuse, it is a comfort to discover Robert Murray's
book about the design and history of the Church of St. Aloysius
Gonzaga in Washington, D.C. Here is a lesser wonder in our own
backyard mostly overlooked.
In his own way, Murray preserves the Church with his authoritative
description of its network of links to many of the leading forces
of art and architecture of the time. William Thornton, Architect of
the Capitol, for example, included in the Capitol paintings and
decor of the Italian immigrant, Constantino Brumidi, who at the
same time was working on the interior of Saint Aloysius,
supervising the same artisans who were doing decorative painting in
the Capitol.
Murray, an art dealer himself, embellishes his narrative with
renditions of the art and architecture of the Church of Saint
Aloysius by artist, Nathan Leibowitz, whom Murray commissioned to
do the drawings.
It would be a great cultural loss if some day Saint Aloysius is
turned into a parking lot. If that happens, Murray's book will be a
valuable record of past glory. Meanwhile, tourists visiting
Washington, D.C. will find the book an excellent guide to one of
the City's unknown pasts."
--William F. McDonald, Professor, Department of Sociology,
Georgetown University.
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