Travels to Saint Peter the Apostle, East Troy, Wisconsin

Saint Peter's Church is a beautiful old country church in the small town of East Troy, Wisconsin. East Troy, a village is home to farming community and the Buell Motorcycle factory. The village is located 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee, WI in Walworth County.

The Exterior of the Church

The Interior of the Church

The interior of the church was well preserved. They must had some great pastors here. As I took my pictures, an older woman told me there were once beautiful side altars in the church. They were removed during a renovation and replaced with statues. On the right side there was a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mother. I can't remember what was on the left side. Needless to say, the statues weren't all that impressive.

The old rectory is now a Parish center.

The rectory garage was once home to some beautiful Cadillacs, I'm sure.

Saint Praxedes Basilica

Santa Prassede
One of the most interesting Churches was the church we visited on the very first day, Saint Praxedes. Reconstructed in 822 AD. The Crypt (apply at the Sacristy) with sarcophagi and a 3rd century altar. Chapel of S. Zeno, one of the most important monuments (Byzantine) in Rome. It was a rainy day and we had inadvertently stumbled upon it.

The basilica filled with beautiful mosaics. Below is an icon that represents Paschal I, whose pontificate started in 817 and lasted until 824.
Below is the mosaic that is seen from the ground up toward the apse bowl Below is a bennu or phoenix with a small bright nimbus. This Symbolic bird from the Nile valley is the emblem of the rising and setting or the sun, of birth and rebirth. Christian Culture has made it the emblem of the Christ-son, born and resurrected and of the resurrection of Christians in him. As you see in the above picture, near the feet of the bystanders flows the Jordan River.

Below, is the mosaic of Paschal I. The square, rather than the circle,

above his head, represents the fact that he was still among the living

when the mosaic was completed.

More on the Basilica of St Praxedes and theses pictures later.