Winter Solstice

In the house chapel this morning, I could see my breath.  The chill here gets into the home and into the bone.  The longest night of the year drapes everything in shadow.  A cold rain means a bit more darkness while it lasts, and, when it lifts, more snow on the cordillera.

Last week, the Vicar for Zona Centro asked if anyone knew a photographer to photograph the five historic churches of Santiago, the Cathedral, Santo Domingo, La Merced, Agustinos, and San Francisco.  Naturally, I volunteered.  So, I will be using my free time over the next few weeks to catalog images in the churches for the Archdiocese.  At the same time, I want to capture something about the places and how I experience them.  At one time or another, I have visited all of these churches, but I also hope to learn something new about each one.  People have been gathering to prayer in each of these places for more than four centuries.

While the days remain short, I hope to capture some of the light in these great houses of prayer.

This image captures an angel atop the high altar of the Catedral Metropolitana, the Cathedral of Santiago.