Our Lady of the Angels

I have never attempted to write a review of a church before. Actually, I am not even sure it is morally appropriate to do so. Please excuse any unintended offense in so doing.
Our Lady of the Angels is better known as St. Joachim’s Church in the neighborhood that used to be almost totally Italian, but is now much more diverse. Where once the priests had to speak both English and Italian to reach the flock, today, Spanish is required. This is a modest RC church in the heart of Trenton’s Chambersburg section. It is easy to feel the generations of baptisms and funerals that have begun and ended so many lives of the parishioners. The kneeling shelves are worn from all the devotion.
Still, although somber in its Romanesque style, it fills with light, and the grand organ in the rear balcony resonates deeply. It has been well cared for over the years, and a new wing only adds to its stateliness. As a visitor who is not of the faith, I can only feel the spirit of the space without relating to its religiosity. As the congregants sing, the organ drones, and the priest invokes the Latin liturgy, it is easy to intuit why this place so directly calls believers to prayer and celebration.
Its simplicity is profoundly personal and touching. These walls and stained glass house the inspiration and otherworldly dreams of generations past, present and future. There is no need to be a member of the church to feel it reach into you and ask for just a moment of holiness.