I grew up in the Immaculate Conception parish, in Formosa, Ontario, and have only recently started to realize how beautiful our church is, and how fortunate we have been with our priests. One aspect that caught my attention the other day was the number of angels scattered throughout the sanctuary and church – we have no less than twenty freestanding statues of angels, and more in paintings and relief.

My favourites would have to be the holy water fonts, which are large shells held by angels in reverent positions.

And of course we have the classical poses of Sts. Michael and Gabriel, flanking our baptismal font.

In the paintings on the ceilings and high walls, angels are also prominent. Facing the confessional is a painting of the Final Judgment and the angels calling the souls of the dead:

On both sides of the sanctuary, typological scenes are painted, one of which depicts Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, and yes, the angel staying Abraham’s hand:

In the main body of the church, the entire Ave Maria is written on scrolls held by angels:

The two side altars have painted relief carvings of two scenes, the Annunciation and the Holy Family. While it is not surprising to find an angel in the scene of the Annunciation, the artist saw fit to place two angels with the Holy Family.

Finally, on the arch above the sanctuary are painted two angels holding a scroll on which is written, “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus.”

It’s good to remember that we’re not the only ones attending Mass.