There are hundreds of small churches scattered throughout Umbria, medieval or only slightly later, that remain consecrated but are normally closed. The interiors of many of them are said to be of interest. Some are in the towns, others are quite rural, on remote hilltops for example.
Now canon law prescribes that Mass must be said in a consecrated church at least once a year; therefore all these little churches are in fact opened once a year. Usually this is on their name-saint's feast day; as, for example, the church of S. Martino in Manciano, Mass is said every year on Nov. 11, the feast of St. Martin.
I've decided to try to make my Umbrian site a bit more useful for the visitor by tracking down the dates on which all these little churches are open. In a first phase, frankly, especially from back here in Chicago, I don't expect to collect that many, especially that the local saint's day may not be quite the one you'd think (example: in Norcia, St. Benedict's home town, his feast day is celebrated twice: on July 11 the date observed worldwide, and on March 21, the less common solemnity date), and the umpteen Marian churches might be opened on any number of days, and for convenience' sake, the celebration may be transferred to the nearest Sunday, etc.
So I have a request of y'all — if you have certain, or approximate, knowledge of any church opening date, would you let me know? If I can assemble enough of them, from print and online sources, my own knowledge, and yours, I'll put one or more pages online. My e‑mail address is:
I hesitate to suggest this based on my own experience trying to communicate with the Diocesi di Napoli, but have you tried contacting the Diocese of Umbria? You can get some info at Chiesa Cattolica Italia.
ellen
Posts: 3020 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
A good idea, Ellen; at least on the terrain, since, as you say, e‑mail and Italians, forget it (although I'll probably try anyway, of course). But I wouldn'ta thought of it without you: I'm actually rather shy about approaching authorities of any kind.
Bill, shy is not a word I would have associated with you!
Any veil of authority that a clerical collar may have held for me was stripped away fairly early when my mother worked for the Monsignor at the Catholic church in our town. I would often hang out at the Rectory and offices after school and got to see the priests as people and individuals. Very enlightening.
Regarding communicating with the Church in Italy, I've given up on e-mail as they have never responded. I'm falling back on more traditional communication methods - I've written a letter. We'll see if that produces a response.
ellen
Posts: 3020 | Location: mahwah, new jersey, usa | Registered: 10 December 2003
The following item I just found doesn't really get anyone any closer to the resource I have in mind, but may be useful to some, especially genealogists; the results are not what you might expect, they're better, if not so well presented: Cimorelli's Parish Church Database.
And Ellen, yeah, I wouldn'ta said I was shy, either; but when it comes to going talking to people to open up a church, or, even on being recommended to the person who might even be expecting to see me, going to talk to some local expert — not something I usually manage to do. My notebooks are full of the names of people, said to be quite accessible, with whom I might have enjoyed a chat (and possibly vice-versa), that I studiously avoided; starting with Fr. Sensi in Spello, the great expert on the Valle Umbra. . . .
Topic Closed
