Dan Antion

Springfield RC Cathedral

Welcome to Thursday Doors, a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

Before I talk about the doors I have to share today, I want to thank everyone for supporting the initial Thursday Doors Writing Challenge. 10 people offered (many more than 10) doors to serve as inspiration and there were 14 creative contributions, 15 if you include the last thing I received. Janis, from Retirementally Challenged created a badge image. I was planning to sponsor a badge contest early next year, but until then, I think I will use her contribution. You can see it at the Writing Challenge page, which will remain active.

The doors in the gallery today are all associated with the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Springfield. The Diocese of Springfield, most of western Massachusetts was removed from the Diocese of Boston and made a suffragan (a bishop in relation to his archbishop or metropolitan) of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of New York.

Five years later, the Diocese of Boston was elevated to a metropolitan archdiocese, and the Springfield Diocese was assigned as one of the initial suffragans of the new metropolitan. As the Catholic Church in Massachusetts grew, diocese assignments shifted along with the territory included in each diocese.

Perhaps the most interesting building in the gallery is the Chancery. This structure began as two independent private residences. Both homes were built in 1871. The Gothic style houses were similar, but not identical. In 1902, the two houses were acquired by the Diocese of Springfield. One is used as the Bishop’s residence and one as the chancery office. The buildings have since been joined by a walkway at the first-floor level.

When I was leaving the museums on the quadrangle, I saw this remarkable building. Originally two separate houses, these were joined to form the Chancery.
Side door to the Chancery office complex.
This sign makes me think the northern building is the Chancery office.
This is the southern building in the Chancery complex
Entrance to the southern building in the Chancery complex
The Chancery complex. I don’t know which home is which, but the signage would indicate that the building on the left is the Bishop’s residence.
This is the southern building in the Chancery complex
Entrance to
This is the Rectory of the cathedral.
This is the main entrance to the Cathedral Rectory.
Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel.
A side door, apparently providing handicapped access to the cathedral.
Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel.
Main entrance to the Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel.

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109 comments

  5. Magnificent entrance and the brick pattern, and I like the first building too.

    But most of all I like the fact that I didn’t wake up at 4 am in vain today. Sings Luuuka, Luka, Luka, Lukaaa in the general direction of the USA. Just one more.

    I have guest door photos for you today. They are from Madeira and the doors are painted most happily.
    https://mexcessive.photo.blog/2021/06/03/thursday-doors-3-6-21-funchal-madeira/

    Liked by 2 people

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    • At one point, when there were two schools, the Cathedral complex occupied the entire eastern and most of the southern part of the block.

      You brought us an interesting story, some history, and a connection to my home town.

      Like

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    • Brick was a common material for building in the late 1800s, and there were brick factories on the Connecticut River. It was also a time when a lot of houses in this gothic style were built. It is an interesting composite building, although it’s hard to see the connection from the front.

      I left this comment on the pingback – I like the way you worked through your mini-study or architecture.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  16. What beautiful buildings! Everything about them is overwhelming, as likely it is supposed to be, and they wear their doors regally. I love the way the leaves are part of the images.

    Liked by 1 person

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  18. Beautiful entrances today, but the color of the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel is magnificent. Love the brickwork and the detail to trim on these buildings. The icing on the cake is the arched windows! Kudos to the maintenance people who keep these buildings looking brand new. No small feat.
    Ginger

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Ginger. These buildings are well maintained, and you’re right, that has to be no small feat. The buildings, the gardens, are all so well kept. The details on the Chancery complex buildings are just remarkable.

      Like

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  19. I like the doors into the Cathedral Rectory. The wood, the arch, I’m in love.

    I’m delighted to read that your initial writing challenge was a success. Obviously you’ve come up with a good idea. Yay Dan!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Ally. I’m glad you liked these doors. We’ll be back next May with a second writing challenge. I wonder if people will have as much time for writing a year from now, but I hope they will.

      The rectory is a wonderful building.

      Liked by 1 person

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  21. The Chancery is beautifully designed and I love the colour. I also like that pink hue of the Cathedral’s brickwork and how well the Rectory blends with it. Very nice finds, Dan. I’m sorry I didn’t get to participate in the writing challenge. I made a couple of early attempts but wasn’t happy with them and then May became extremely busy for us. Here’s my link for this week, thanks. https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2021/06/03/thursday-doors-drive-by-shots/

    Liked by 1 person

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    • Thanks Jean. The writing challenge will return next year, so you have plenty of time. For a composite building, I think the Chancery turned out very nice, and it has been well maintained.

      I like your drive-by-shots :)

      Like

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    • The cathedral doors do seem a bit meager compared to the surround, but I think that had to be overstated to keep proportion with the upper two windows on that front wall.

      You have some nice doors today. The leaded glass adds a nice touch.

      Like

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  23. Beautiful, stately buildings. And, of course, the doors are elegant. Thank you, Dan, for this morning’s adventure into structural beauty.

    Liked by 1 person

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  24. Janis did a great job with the badge for the Door Writing Challenge. It is perfect! Growing up and going to Catholic schools all my life, the rectory and the convent (we called it ‘the nunnery’) were all on the same grounds as the church and school, but none so pretty as this. Look at that rectory!! That yellow/green door to the chancery is beautiful. I’d never heard of a Catholic chancery before so had to look that up. We have a Pastoral Center downtown, which I guess, would be considered a chancery…not really sure.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I did a fair share of looking up words for this post, Lois. I spent a few years as a practicing Catholic, but I didn’t learn much about the structure. If you recall the unnamed building I shared last week, the one with the detailed wooden entrance, that may have been a school or perhaps a convent at one point. I think the area around the block, from the Chancery to the Cathedral was, at one time, all part of the church. There was a RC High School on the block, and a lower-grades school as well. The high school has been turned into condos. I think I have a picture of that somewhere.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • The research you do for these posts is awesome, Dan. So you had me curious about my old grammar school and high school. Both closed due to declining enrollment. Grammar school closed in 2012 and high school in 1981. Grammar school was in a great location; high school was in bad condition in a not-so-great part of town, so not too surprised about it.

        Liked by 1 person

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    • I wish I could take credit for the sunlight, you know, say that I planned the timing, but it was the three hour window I had between trains, so…I was lucky to have such a nice day.

      I enjoyed visiting the Forbidden City.

      Like

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    • Thanks Pat. I walked all around that building. At first, I was confused about the way it appeared to be built. I didn’t know they had joined two buildings until much later.

      Like

      Reply

  36. That yellow building looks nice. Not all yellow buildings do, A few years back a pub was painted in bright yellow and it looked dreadful. I think it only stayed that colour for about a year, I think the yellow must have put customers off.

    Liked by 1 person

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  44. These buildings are so perfect, their lines so straight, I could sear they are on a scale model :)
    I can also imagine them as a group of ladies dressed in crinolines trimmed with lace, lifting their dresses slightly to step over a patch of grass :)
    Beautiful!

    For today’s Thursday Doors we go back to Brasov to look at some 16th century houses:
    https://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/statues-roof-majestic-16th-century-houses-brasov/

    Liked by 1 person

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  50. Hi Dan – fascinating place to visit and to see … I prefer the pale yellow buildings … but the whole obviously makes a great set of building alternatives for the administrative diocese – ours are called Palaces … Lambeth Palace – but they’re CofE – originally early Church residences centuries ago … But these look flourishing. The area has lots of offer too – with the museums … great area to spend a few hours in on a bright sunny day. Thanks – interesting … cheers Hilary

    Liked by 1 person

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    • I’m glad you enjoyed this little tour, Hilary. The buildings in the pictures I shared last week were probably part of the church at one point. The church has suffered some setbacks in recent years, but these buildings, being part of the diocese cathedral and administration survive.

      Liked by 1 person

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  51. It is heartwarming to see the care and attention that is given to these buildings to keep them in such good shape. Dan, WP has dropped you again. Please forgive me if I miss you. It is not intentional.

    Liked by 1 person

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  56. Great doors and another Takeaway was the bright blue sky and those greens that adorned some photos –
    Really nice
    – oh and so nice of Janis to make a badge – and good idea to use it until a formal one unfolds

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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