Saint Michael the Archangel

Waterloo, Indiana

The church sits in the middle of nowhere on Old US 27, just north of Waterloo, Indiana. In 1921, the church members of a small German parish decided to erect the current structure after outgrowing a previous parish.

The steeple of the church thrusts up over the flat Indiana countryside, making it a visible beacon as well as audible. I can only imagine the sound of bells tolling across the field heralding the arrival of farmers with their families in horse drawn carts heading to Mass

The church is far removed from civilization, but that adds to the simple country charm of the parish.

The church is the second to serve the parish since its conception in 1880. The church originally served several German families.

The small part of the church butting out from the side is the space where the confessional sits.

The choir loft. Flanking the upper-central arch are pipes for the pipe organ. In this small of a parish I cannot imagine that the organ would be very large. Within the window of the arch is the ladder leading up to the belfry.

One trademark found in any German church is the stained glass. German churches are renowned for expert quality stained glass that is vibrant and deep in color, as well as expertly crafted. To see such craftmanship in such a far removed location is a real rarity.

The stations of the cross were also hand painted and incredibly detailed. It was obvious that many hours were poured into the beautification of the church in the 20th century.

In the early 2000's, a grand interior renovation took place. This included the creation of the overhang on the front of the church as well as the addition of a narthex, the repainting of the church, and the restoration of the high altar.

Another pleasant sight to see was the original wood confessional. All hand carved, I'm sure. Confessionals like these are again, rare to see so beautifully decorated this far from removed from civilization.

A side shrine to Our Lady. Although the side altar itself is very simple, little tricks and carving angles give it a much more sophisticated appeal.

The main altar was a treat to behold. The statuary is properly proportionate to the size of the altar. Even though Saint Michael dominates the top of the altar, it seems to be the whole point. Saint Michael has conquered the devil and stands triumphantly over the devil, acting as an example to Christians the power he has over temptations and the assistance he can be.

In normal Catholic tradition there are eight candles on the reredos. Two were lit for Low Mass, and the other six for High Mass (And Missa Cantatas). There was also probably a time when vases filled with fresh flowers always graced the altar adding a splash of beauty and color to an already gorgeous space. The statue of Christ above the tabernacle is also able to be moved, thus when Eucharistic Adoration commences, the monstrance has a location already set and waiting

In Aramaic, there is no good, better, best, grammatical translation. The only substitute is to use the same word one to three times depending on the emphasis want to stress. This is why Jesus sometimes says, "Amen I say to you," or "Amen, amen" and "Amen, amen, amen, I say to you." The same goes for Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, 'holy, holy, holy.' By having this written here, this is a reminder to all that this is comparable to the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem. Communion rails were excellent visual reminders of this fact. Also note that the high altar is three steps up. That is no coincidence, it was put there by design.