by Katie Vasquez
When Andrew Masi goes to church, he’s bringing hundreds of other Catholics with him.
“I feel like I’m taking people on a virtual tour of these places. I’ve had people tell me- you give me a way to experience the beauty of the church,” Masi said.
He’s known to his Instagram followers as, “The Catholic photographer,” most notably for capturing snapshots of faith on a cell phone camera.
Masi first picked up his camera almost a decade ago.
It was Easter Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, and he was inspired after simply looking up.
“I’m looking up at the beautiful church, looking at the magnificent architecture, its gorgeous stained-glass windows, the statues, and I’m thinking wow this church is just amazing,” Masi said.
Since then, he’s taken his passion for photographing parishes on the road.
He’s visited 35 out of 50 states and captured basilicas and cathedrals in cities like Philadelphia, Lansing, Michigan and Las Vegas.
“I feel a sense of gratefulness for my Catholic faith drawing me to these places,” Masi said. “Without my faith, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”
On Labor Day, Masi will hit a new milestone. He’ll photograph his 100th church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis, Tennessee.
“They already know I’m coming and they’re like oh we’ll get the red carpet ready for you,” he said.
Masi said he’s on a mission to see all the cathedrals and basilicas across the United States, a task he expects to finish within the next decade.
But he’s not stopping there, he would also like to photograph churches throughout Canada and eventually all of Europe.