I love to light a candle for someone and say a prayer from them in a church/chapel, and pay the $1.00-$2.00 donation. I have noticed in recent years that churches have switched from real prayer candles to the more practical electric/battery switch-on ones. Are there any around that still use the real candles anymore? There's just a different feeling for me with lighting a real candle as opposed to turning a switch.

__________________
"I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God."
John Shelby Spong

There are a lot of churches that still use the traditionally lit candles, and some of them do not even ask a fee or donation to light them.

In the church I am involved with, we recently were given a "peace candle" from another congregation. The peace candle is a movement in which congregations light a candle to pray for peace, then give a separate candle to another congregation- either in their community or in another part of the world. Ours was brought by a missionary from Africa who visited to speak to us about his work caring for the sick in a war-torn tribal region.

A candle is such a powerful symbol of peace and healing- it reminds me of G-d's constant presence, as well as the fact that all people of faith share a common bond and do not walk alone.

__________________
Peace,

John

My Librarything

MySpace

My E-Bay World
. . . .

The first time I saw electric prayer candles was an impressivly large bank probably 10 rows high and 20 bulbs across at the Gothic cathedral in Barcelona Spain in 1992. Once you dropped your coin in the box at the end, you got about 15 minutes of "christmas tree yellow" light. I was curious and asked a priest about it. He snorted, shrugged his shoulders and said that officials feared open flames in such a historic and crowded space.

Our insurance agent voiced a strong opinion about unattended open flames in our not so historic church in East Falls.

Restoration Hardware had some pretty convincing LED bulb pillar candles before Christmas. Lets hope they catch on...

There are still some that use them, although they are few and far between. Some that come immediately to mind are St. John the Baptist in Manayunk, St. Athanasius in West Oak Lane, Immaculate Conception in Germantown and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament in West Philly.

You are right about the difference. There's nothing like lighting a real candle. I think it's the smell of the burning wood....

out my way in Norristown:

St. Francis of Assisi
St. Titus ( in east norriton ).
St. Anthony of Padua.

I agree I like the real wax candle better but I think fire codes are the reason the electric ones are used

__________________
Don't Taze Me Bro!![/size]


I love how some enlightened liberals have no problem censoring those with whom they disagree.

G.K. Chesterton quotes:

“I want a Church that moves the world, not one that moves with it.”

“I often find myself in hot water but that way I stay clean.”

“Only a live fish can swim against the current, the dead go with it.”

"Take away the supernatural and what remains is the unnatural"

"Be careful not to be so open-minded that your brains fall out."

Blessed Sacrament is closed, according to this site, anyway:

http://www.phillychurchproject.com/mostblessed.htm

__________________
"I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God."
John Shelby Spong

I was referring to OUR LADY OF THE Blessed Sacrament, which is a completely different parish. (I know, all these similar names can get confusing.) It's not far from Lancaster & City Aves., on the western edge of the city.

That church was named "Most Blessed Sacrement" Very very pretty church and at one time the largest Parish and School in North America.

My cousin sent her kids there and she was a member. It was very painful for her when the parish closed.

Yes, I do see that most church are switching to that electric push button "thingy" I personally don't like it, it is too "automatic" and takes the meaning out of it for me.

It's like hitting that buzzer on the Price is Right!

__________________
Don't talk to the monkey; speak to the organ grinder.

Ha, I know what you mean. I felt the same way when my Jewish family members plugged in the menorah for Chanukah- it's not the same as lighting it with real candles!

__________________
"I think that anything that begins to give people a sense of their own worth and dignity is God."
John Shelby Spong

Just to be clear--Most Blessed Sacrament (56th & Chester) and Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (63rd & Callowhill) are two distinct entities; their names are similar, but that's about it.

You're right, though; MBS was gorgeous, and its closure was quite a shame.