We had the privilege of visiting Ludlow’s Church of the Annunciation for the first communion of the daughter of a dear friend.  The Mass was beautiful, and we really appreciated the kneelers that were placed at the front of the aisle for communion.  It was a nod to tradition that is not common everywhere. It was nice because some people chose to kneel and receive on the tongue, and others received standing and in their hands, but the opportunity was there for both.   

Architecturally speaking, the church building was interesting. The outside was covered in dark brown shaker shingles, reminiscent of tree-bark; very fitting for a church in a Vermont ski town.  Ludlow is home to Okemo, which is a large ski area, and Annunciation gets a lot of ski-visitors at Mass.  The inside of the church was much brighter than I expected it to be given the dark color of the outside.  The ceiling gave it a rustic feel, but there are beautiful, large, stained-glass windows along each side and a large rose window at the back of the church over the door and another one over the altar.  The colors of the stained glass with the morning light shining through were beautiful.

I can’t help but think about what the church must have looked like when it was built in 1876 with a communion rail.  I also wonder if there used to be paintings or stenciling on the walls or if they were always white.  I enjoy trying to imagine what it must have been like to walk into the church 150 years ago for Mass.

For pictures visit https://catholic251.com/ludlow/