Foto Friday #105

Grammy Writes,
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I focused on one subject in all these photos: the Holy Cross Church in Pfeifer, Kansas. This Gothic-style church was built in 1918 and impressively towers above the handful of homes that remain in this tiny town. Not far from the church is the beautiful Holy Cross Cemetery filled with unique grave markers, some dating back over 120 years. Among those buried here are my great-great grandparents. My ancestors are German, but migrated to Russia before eventually coming to the United States. They settled here in the Pfeifer area and had a hand in constructing this magnificent church which rises up from the middle of nowhere. I am related to a good many of those whose graves are distinctively marked and lie within sight of the church they built and loved.

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Focus on the Subject

31 Comments

  4. I love how your subject stays the same in all these images, but your foreground changes. Great idea. Beautiful images, too. Your family history is really tied to this place. Wonderful.

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  5. Such a beautiful church. The interior of it must be stunning, too. Thanks for sharing and have a good weekend. Only four more weeks until the lockdown is over in Ireland. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see our family and friends for Christmas 😀 Aiva

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    1. We had not seen anything quite like it either. We found our entire visit to be an uplifting experience, to be sure! The intricate and unique designs of these grave markers warrant a post of their own in the future. Thanks for the comment!

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  8. Good idea focusing on one place only, and changing focus in that place while moving around. A nice way to really find different angles of interest for the subject. Well done.

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    1. Thank you, Leya! The cemetery was beautiful on its own, but I challenged myself to find a few ways to include the church in the background. I appreciate your comment.

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  12. I’ll never forget seeing Holy Cross as we headed east to Wichita on the I-70 (virtually impossible to miss to the south). I’m surprised to read it’s not a cathedral. We stopped in Hays for coffee (at Fort Hays State U – the only Starbucks around). Wish we had more time to visit this spectacular structure Next time!

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    1. I thought this church was gorgeous! There is a church just a few miles away in Victoria known as the Cathedral of the Plains. It is beautiful too, and completely unexpected for the area (to me, anyway). Stay safe!

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  13. Ah, I stand (drive?) corrected. Cathedral of the Plains is closer to the I-70 and even bigger than Holy Cross. I’m sure I’m thinking of Victoria instead.

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