Saturday, August 06, 2005
Church Lady
Today I wandered back down to St. Joe's Cathedral in downtown Ha Noi. I started out photographing the Cathedral from the outside. The church is not only beautiful, but there are some unique sculptures on the outside. There is a montage of scenes from the life of Jesus that is painted onto a stone wall. The wall is not completely flat it has contours and raised surfaces, sort of like a relief map.
I went inside the church with the idea of photographing it, I had not brought along the camera during the previous visit. When I stepped inside I went to one of the side altars, dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Already there was an elderly Vietnamese woman who I had seen during my previous visit, she must be a "regular." As I knelt she gestured to me to take off my hat. Embarrassed, I didn't know what to do when I entered church, years ago we women kept our hats on.
Anyway, I prayed there and at the altar for the Blessed Virgin. The elderly woman eyed me skeptically while I was there, she must've thought I was a tourist who just got religion to have an excuse for pics!
I went inside the church with the idea of photographing it, I had not brought along the camera during the previous visit. When I stepped inside I went to one of the side altars, dedicated to the Sacred Heart.
Already there was an elderly Vietnamese woman who I had seen during my previous visit, she must be a "regular." As I knelt she gestured to me to take off my hat. Embarrassed, I didn't know what to do when I entered church, years ago we women kept our hats on.
Anyway, I prayed there and at the altar for the Blessed Virgin. The elderly woman eyed me skeptically while I was there, she must've thought I was a tourist who just got religion to have an excuse for pics!
