St. Patrick's Church Interior: Nave & Altar

After photographing the exterior of St. Patrick's church last spring, I was looking forward to finally coming back around to capture the interior of this Medicine Hat landmark at some point. Finally, I got the opportunity several weeks ago and had a brilliant time doing it. Not surprisingly, I shot so many pictures that I thought it would be best to divide them up into several posts.

Starting with the main portion of the church, the nave and altar, I also put together another photo set featuring all of the stained glass windows, and another featuring the interior of the bell tower. St. Patrick's is absolutely beautiful, and as I shot my images that morning I was fortunate to catch the rising sun as it bathed the altar in golden light.

I wouldn't say that the interior of St. Patrick's church is necessarily as dramatic as the exterior might suggest it would be, but it certainly feels rich and varied. The mixture of wood, marble, and glass creates a beautiful combination of textures, and I loved all of the details.  


St. Patrick's has been modified over the years, and the biggest variation is the dropped wooden ceiling, which hides the original vaulted ceiling. In 1932 the wooden ceiling was installed to reduce heating costs, and I have to admit, I love the warm tone the wood adds to the interior. There's no question, St. Patrick's church is still an amazing location today, 100 years after it was built.