How to read maps…in El Paso

Written by chattykerry
Church of the Immaculate Conception, El Paso
Church of the Immaculate Conception

This is the Catholic Church I was looking for, however, if you look at a map upside down you end up at the other end of town… I traipsed across an Interstate, train-tracks and found myself in a pawn shop area. There was a beautiful Anglican church below – which I would have gone into, if it was open. Eventually, I did the sensible thing and went into the pawn shop and asked where the church was. Even with that, I had to go into the police station, closer to the Immaculate Conception to check where I was. Usually, I am a good navigator but I guess God was leading me on a different path.

'Not the Catholic Church' St Clement Anglican Church
‘Not the Catholic Church’
St Clement Anglican Church

Both churches were really beautiful but the sky around the Immaculate Conception church was breathtaking. It was a small church within the downtown area and there were some parishioners praying. Suddenly I was back 40 years because one of the ladies had a long scarf over her head. Back in the day, women couldn’t enter a Catholic church without a head covering. A scarf was sufficient, occasionally a Mantilla, but today I was wearing a $3 Fedora.

This is just the sort of church I love. Small, intimate, beautifully decorated by those who care for it.

stained-glass-el-paso

Station of the Cross Christ consoling the women
Station of the Cross
Christ consoling the women
St Anthony and stained glass
St Anthony and stained glass

One of the comments on my previous church post referred, with astonishment, that there could be intact stained glass windows all over Texas. I am astonished that anyone could break a stained glass church window but perhaps that’s my naivety. My rose tinted illusions about the USA are getting shattered daily. Doesn’t everyone have friends of different ethnicity, religion and color? What’s wrong with the world?

Catholic Masons.
Catholic Masons.

I think I could get smitten for that… For those who don’t know, the Knights of Columbus are not dissimilar to the Masons. At one time Catholics could not join the Masons, so they had their own society. I don’t approve of Masons, Knights or Sororities but I was one of the Drama Group Geeks who always felt on the outside. I was so shocked when I discovered my paternal great grandparents were both Masons. WHAT! I didn’t even know they were Protestant… 👿

Masonic Sphinx
Masonic Sphinx

I loved this Sphinx in front of the Masonic Hall – just trying to balance things. 😇

16 thoughts on “How to read maps…in El Paso”

  3. That really is a church for you … right down to the Egyptian Sphynx languidly guarding the steps. My mother worked for the headmaster of The Royal Masonic School before she was married. Much as I wholly disapprove of all things masonic, fraternity or any other society that is exclusive, it must be noted that they did fantastic work in educating fatherless boys. One of them was Anthony Andrews (Brideshead Revisited’s Sebastien amongst so many other roles) and years later I found myself as his Agent’s assistant. He took my mother for lunch and thanked her for the work that she had done for the school that set him on his path at a time when his situation would have left him with little or no hope. It was rather lovely. But I still feel the same about those secret societies 😉

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    1. My comments are partly tongue in cheek because I know that Masonry is viewed completely differently in the States. They and all the other funny groups (Shriner’s) do marvelous work for children in need. Not so sure about sororities… Haven’t you been a lucky girl meeting all these celebrities and he was very yummy back in the day!😍 I was reading someone else’s travel blog and realized mine is a bit random. At least it is unique or special (in the French way).👻

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      1. I used to say that I could name-drop for England and I can. it was just the way it turned out for a while and yes, he was extremely yummy though the moment when World of Interiors described his drawing room as a repulsive shade of labial pink he was less than pretty!!!!

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