This is the cathedral for the diocese of Galway, Ireland. I lived in Galway for a few months while studying at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and I went to Mass here every Sunday. It is a most impressive building…not exactly what I would think of or even approve of if I heard about, but beautiful in its way and seemingly fitting for its location. Despite its old appearance, it was in fact built in the 1960’s with help from Cardinal Cushing of Boston. It truly dominates the skyline of Galway… the following picture is the view from my room in another part of the city:

When I first saw it upon my arrival in Galway, I thought it was a mosque for a second. I talked to some other non-Galwegians who had thought the same. Particularly from this angle it seems to have an exotic kind of look.

The interior is rather cavernous, and the design of the sanctuary leaves something to be desired. However, I did much appreciate going to mass here every Sunday for a while. It is be no means the prettiest church in the world, nor even in Ireland, but it is unique and, when viewed across the city on a cloudy day, inspiring.

As my girlfriend Catherine and I were driving through the small coastal California town of Half Moon Bay, far away we saw this vision through the mists…a house…with a roof that looked, well, saltboxy. We approached closer.

It had all the characteristic features of a saltbox-style colonial house. The front was symetrical and pretty standard-looking, but the back had the large extended roof which was designed to allow for storage or extra space in the house. This one in particular, according the information outside it, has a Catholic chapel on the second floor. It was built in the1850s and more information about it is available here.  The website says it is the only saltbox on the west coast, which I find both fascinating and unfortunate.