I started checking some new wells out by Dodge City on the first of the month. This will give me the opportunity to scout out some new country. Today I went by the Windthorst church. It's been years since I've been to the little town. The church sits on the crest of a hill in northeast Ford county in the little town of Windthorst. It's a quiet little hill town with 6 houses and this huge church. It's a beautiful testament to the endurance of Catholic church architecture in Kansas. Further north in Rush and Ellis counties, some of the Catholic churches are bigger yet, and constructed out of native yellow lime stone. The one at Victoria is the most famous. Its called the Cathedral of the Plains. Stan and I was in it years ago, and the marble pillars inside were brought here from England.

http://www.skyways.org/orgs/fordco/windthorst.html

http://www.kansastravel.org/cathedralofheplains.htm

I couldn't get these links to work. Now they're working.

Brent

That is a very beautiful building, Have not seen anything that impressive this side of Austria where we toured a church build in the late 1200-1380 It makes me think of what King Solomon must have done to get the Temple built back then. Do we tithe enough to really show God's glory in our home churches? Can we also support the Churches in the city slums as well?

"That is a very beautiful building, Have not seen anything that impressive this side of Austria where we toured a church build in the late 1200-1380 It makes me think of what King Solomon must have done to get the Temple built back then. Do we tithe enough to really show God's glory in our home churches? Can we also support the Churches in the city slums as well?"

Howie,

That's just a good start of the magnificent Catholic churches in Rush and Ellis counties, though the Cathedral of the Plains is the most magnificent. Some more noteworthy churches are the ones in Liebenthal, Schoenchen and Pfeifer. But there are many more in that area. The ones I just mentioned are also huge churches you can see for mile out on the plains.

Brent

Brent: Have you actually made it inside of the Windthorst church? The wife and I drove many miles to attend a Christmas recital put on by Dodge City Comm. College on a cold and miserable day on very slick roads, (Yes we were very determined) to find the concert had been cancelled because of road conditions! Door was locked, coudn't even tour the building! I really enjoy the Church at Liebenthal, have visited that several times. I especially like to go back to the confessional area. I feel very peaceful in those old churches!

>>Brent: Have you actually made it inside of the Windthorst church? The wife and I drove many miles to attend a Christmas recital put on by Dodge City Comm. College on a cold and miserable day on very slick roads, (Yes we were very determined) to find the concert had been cancelled because of road conditions! Door was locked, coudn't even tour the building! I really enjoy the Church at Liebenthal, have visited that several times. I especially like to go back to the confessional area. I feel very peaceful in those old churches!<<

Sounds kinda worldly,Forreal.

" I feel very peaceful in those old churches!"

So do I; there is something about the old cathedrals that draw respect. Perhaps, because effort has been put forth to specially honor GOD. And yet, God is honored most with our faith and our lives.

Brent; glad to hear you have some "formality" in you, or that you appreciate others' formality. (We will not call it "religion")

Forreal, haven't been in the Windthorst church. It's nice to hear you've been to some of these churches.

Hank, I don't know if it's so much formality we're speaking of, but the realization of a waning spirit to create something enduring and lasting, and a nod to beautiful architecture.

I also do not forget these are government buildings and edifices, which I also recognize too.

These old churches are great Kansas landmarks, and the builders worked hard and sacrifices a lot to get them erected.

Now they build these cracker box churches that'll explode in a puff of wind, and the religion is as shaky, and the people are idle and leisurely, contentious and intolerant.

Brent