"You see - the moulded whimsy of a frieze
on a portico keeps us from recognizing, sometimes,
the symmetry of the whole...
but now and then the name of a street,
or a street organ weeping in the twilight,
will remind us in a more vivid and more
truthful way than thought could resurrect
or words convey...
And in that hour, the soul
will miraculously sense the charm
of past trifles, and we will understand
that in eternity all is eternal..."
-Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977), The Tragedy of Mister Morn
When people think of Montana, the connection typically runs along lines of “Montana: Wild West and Big Skies”. They don’t usually associate our State with ceiling art a la the Sistine Chapel. But Montana boasts several fine examples of historic sacred illustrations. Immediately coming to mind are Missoula's St. Francis Xavier, pictured here, and the St. Ignatius Mission, about an hour’s drive north of Missoula, Montana. (Also see “things mission cooks did in their spare time”.)
Despite a century-plus of history between now and the completion of St. Francis Xavier, one thing unchanged is the implicit invitation open to all - to come away, and be still, and know.
