Midnight Mass

As you'll recall, I took a time out for Christmas and went to midnight (err 11 PM) mass at St. Pius X.  Midnight mass is my favorite of the Christmas masses and one of my favorites of the year.  There is something beautiful and mysterious about it, something special about a choir singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve.

Mass did not disappoint. Rick "And with your Spirit" Hilgartner celebrated mass.  That's right pseudo practicing Catholics, you have been away so long that the words to mass have changed.

The homily was about how our lives would change if we would accept Jesus into our hearts.  Rick "consubstantial" Hilgartner even broke into song, complete with piano accompaniment.  He has a nice voice.  There was also some discussion about what popular songs tell us we want for Christmas, including our two front teeth, you, crabs and beer, and a hula hoop.  He left out hippopotamus.  We left into a cold and wonderfully starry night.

Merry Christmas.

Twas the night before Christmas...

I'm home from midnight (err 11 PM) mass after a wonderful and exhausting day with family and friends.  I'll update tomorrow.  For now, here's a link to all of the Christmas readings.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/122511.cfm 

Merry Christmas!

St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Bethesda

Hello readers!I heard some of you were worried I would hit the wall this week.  I didn't, but thank you for the concern.  I made it to 5 pm mass today at St. Jane Frances de Chantal.   An afternoon mass was perfect after a late Christmas party.  (I didn't know you could bring alcoholic gifts to dirty Santa...this changes everything!)

I never knew St. Jane Frances had an afternoon mass, making this a happy find.  (St. Elizabeth is at 6, nice to see some varying mass times.)  The church is made of red brick, it is bright inside with white walls and pink cushions on the pews.  The pews are in multiple columns that go all slanty ways.  It was pretty packed.  A choir with organ sang Ave Maria and O Come O Come Emmanuel.  They have the red hymnal that I can't remember the name of.   Today's homily was about accepting God's plan.   They didn't have enough guides to the New Roman Missal, meaning I got most of the and with your spirits and not much else.  In case you are wondering, I was in my car at 5:59.   

This brings us to the 4th week of Advent.  Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, which means I'll be taking a Christmas time out.  See you at midnight (11 PM) mass at St. Pius. 

St. Brigid's

I went to the Jingle Bell Run in Canton this morning so going to St. Brigid's afterword seemed like a really good idea.  Mass is at 10:30, despite what the sign on the side of the church says.   We arrived in our sweats, Charlie Brown Christmas t-shirts, and as an extra surprise for me, with cream cheese in my hair.  I have a lot of nice things to say about St. Brigid's, but this is by far the longest Sunday mass I have ever been to.  We were approaching Easter Vigil territory here.  It was like mass in slow motion.  This is what I get for being annoyed on Thursday.

Before mass started, someone was reading announcements.   She continued 8 minutes past the 10:30 start.  I know this because sitting behind us was St. Brigid's very own Statler and Waldorf, who by the way, have the New Roman Missal down.  They sigh for the rest of us.  And she was kind of a downer.  The cost of heating the buildings has gone up.  Church calendar sales are dwindling.  When those announcements ended, the priest spoke about two parishioners who had died this week.   There was a lengthy presentation by a Mission Helper of the Sacred Heart.   Mass was also slowed down because they were offering anointing of sick.

But after that, it was like they were dreaming up ways to make church longer.  People actually left.  At communion, the priest gave communion to the altar servers and folk group by name.   There were more announcements.  I asked what they could possibly have left, and Lauren told me that a lot had happened in the world since we came in.  The laughter that caused was reminiscent of the Slagathor incident of 2009.

But as promised, there is good stuff.  St. Brigid's is a small brick church with stained glass and brown pews.  I used to go there sometimes with my grandparents.  There's an extremely folkly folk group.  There were pink vestments for the third Sunday of Advent.  Most of the crowd was older, but there were several young couples with babies.  They have a support group for people who have lost their pets.  They had a post church tailgate.

I'm planning something easy for next week, but I'm not sure what that is.

Hail Holy Queen...

Tonight took me back to Holy Redeemer in Kensington for the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  The last time I was there, I definitely got the Mickey Mouse scrubs are not acceptable for Sunday mass vibe.

I walked in to hear a choir in a choir loft.  They had three altar servers.  I was impressed. And kind of pissed. I was expecting a quiet mass lasting no longer than 30 minutes.  I'm tired and cranky and if it weren't for this stupid blog, I probably wouldn't have gone to church at all.   But I did, and by the time the choir was singing Ave Maria, I had cooled my jets.  They ended with Hail Holy Queen, and I really thought they were going Sister Act style, but they didn't.  Their hymnal was called Journey Song (or something of like, I tried googling, but you get songs by Journey instead).  I told you I was tired.

Holy Redeemer is a t shaped church with 3 sets of 2 columns of pews.  That layout makes it big and small at the same time.  It's kind of white and green.  Tonight's message was focused on sin and sin creating a divide between you and God.  It fell appropriately between butterflies and fire and brimstone.

Tonight was a pleasant surprise.  It showed me what I already know, that one visit to a church is not a fair or accurate representation of what they have to offer.

see you at St. Brigid's.

St. Joe's Fullerton

I finished out the quadrangle of partner parishes this week at St Joseph's in Fullerton for 10:30 mass.   St. Joe's has a semi circle layout with 7 or eight columns of pews with modern stained glass windows lining the back wall.  It was a full house with plenty of people standing in the back and sitting in the choir loft.  There was a diverse crowd made up of young and old.  The ushers wear suits.

The had Children's Liturgy at this mass, and it was like the Pied Piper was there leading the kids away.  There were a lot of them, barreling (in a good way) up to the front of church.  At the end of mass, the second graders turned in their reconciliation project.  That was another mob scene of enthusiastic little ones on the altar.  

This was the first mass I have been to with a Choir.  I think their robes make them look rather like Pilgrims.  They use the Gather Comprehensive.  I've never seen so many people leave after communion.  You know all those jokes about church parking lots?  They are about you, St. Joe's.

This week's homily started out pretty standard for the second week of Advent: Christmas is about more that trees and presents and parties.  There are no short cuts to spirituality. No short cuts?  Like say, going to a different church every week in desperate search of something you can't identify?  Uh oh.  Maybe I'm in more trouble than I thought.

And I still haven't gotten the hang of the New Roman Missal.

Next week I'm going to St. Brigid's after the Jingle Bell Run.  And this week some where for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

I'm almost at 500 page views!  Thanks for reading, and happy St. Nicholas day!

God Laughs: The New Roman Misal

Saint Ursula (week 8/church 9)

Happy Advent!  This morning took me and my crew to St. Ursula's for 10:30 mass.   The first day of the New Roman Misal was okay.  We messed up the first "and with your spirit."  And, in the process, forgot to light the Advent wreath.  I could hang in there as long as the cheat sheet was in my hand, otherwise I was not good at this.  It was also pretty funny to hear people read the red words that direct actions.  (Imagine someone giving a speech and saying "pause for uproarious laughter.") Hey Hilgartner, I notice  His wasn't changed to God's in the new translation.

St. Ursula's is a stone church.  It has two columns of dark wooden pews, red and blue stained glass and cream colored walls.  The crowd ranged in age from babies to grandparents.  The music was again a contemporary group with piano and guitar, mostly using the Gather Comprehensive book.  I think my tambourine joke is falling flat, St. Ursula's has one too.  Today's homily was largely spent discussing the giving tree and adopt a family programs.  At the end of mass, we applauded St. Ursula's newest altar server, who was introduced as someone who would grow up to be the first woman priest.

I can't imagine Advent without the giving tree, so I'll have to figure out how to make that work.  It's not like you can pull a tag at one church and drop it off at the next.

Who was St. Ursula?  (I knew I should have found a copy of Picture Book of the Saints before starting this.)  She was the daughter of a British Christian king who was granted a postponement of marriage that she did not want.  She was later killed by Pagan huns when she refused to marry their chieftain.

Next week looks like St. Joe's Fullerton.

Saint Isaac Jouges

Week 7 (Church 8)

After I had solidly made plans for St. Isaac Jouges, I spent too much time remembering how many times I had seen Black Robe.  Once for sure in 10th grade history class, once more in college as part of Fr. Rossi's film series...what class was that even for?

My attention span at mass yesterday evening wasn't much better as you are about to read.  Mass was both joyfull and fulfilling.  St. Isaac Jouges is a big yellow church with four columns of pews.  (How did I not notice before that so many churches are yellow?)  It was bright with a full crowd, lots of high school kids.  It was noisy.   They used projectors and screens.   I have a general aversion to that.

Gather books!  They were barely used last night. (Am I  turning into one of those people who only know the words to Hear I am Lord and Eagle's Wings?)   Their youth band was great, but I was expecting something different.  No Soon and Very Soon?

This week's homily:  Sin looks like fun, but it really isn't.  (Are you sure?)  Be a person of charity and love.

St. Isaac Jouges has these cool bookmarks in the pews for visitors.  I filled one out and directed them to this blog.  And so ends the liturgical year.  Though we didn't talk about it last night (thankfully) it seems everyone is pretty serious about this New Roman Missal business.

I'm not sure where I am headed next week, but I'll post when I figure it out. Happy Thanksgiving!

Immaculate Heart of Mary

week 6 (church 7)

This week took me to Immaculate Heart of Mary.  And I had company.  Turns out you can take the community on the road with you.  How fun!  And if it weren't for them, I would have been that dork who messes up the communion line.

Immaculate Heart of Mary is another small church with two columns of pews.  It has a pitched roof, stained glass, marble and carpeted floors.  It was full of families with funny kids who dance who in church aisles.  I love ornery kids at church.  I think it's funny.  But secretly I pray that if I am ever so lucky to have kids of my own, I want the ones who work the crowd at the sign of peace.  Not the ones who throw matchbox cars at the altar.

I discovered another red hymnal that I can't remember the name of.  (I should write these things down!  Or look out for red hymnals this year.)  There was also  a book called Choose Christ which I wasn't that into.   We sang City of God and One Bread, One Body. No complaints from me on the music front.  It was a pretty standard piano and guitar combo.  Apparently the tambourine is more popular than I thought.    This mass also offers a sign language interpreter.

This week's homily was about using your talents joyfully and in service of others.  There was some more time spent on the New Roman Missal.  (Please leave the permanent cards in the pews for everyone to use!)  What must Vatican II have been like?

Next week is the feast of Christ the King.  I've had a request for St. Isaac Jogues.  See you Sunday at 5:30.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you doing this?
There are plenty of reasons to go to church.  But what I'm missing the most is this protected, quiet hour of the week where everything just seems to make sense.  After that, I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'm pretty sure I'll find it.  Weird, huh?

Is this a bet?
No.  No money will exchange hands over this project.  Now if you're talking about my immortal soul...

Do you think this will get you into heaven?
Absolutely not.  At best, I looking at some extended time to think about blogging in purgatory.

Are you only going to Catholic churches?
Yes.  I'm searching for my Catholic identity.  Maybe the blog continues next year.

Is this about meeting men?
No.  How would that even work?

Are you writing a book?
I wasn't planning out it, but it turns out having a blog is fun.  Wouldn't it be awesome if I got an e-mail from America magazine?

Where are you willing to travel to?
Anywhere within reason, likely kept to driving distance.

Do you get a lot of suggestions?
Surprisingly no.  I know a lot of people who are good at ignoring me.   Or who don't go to church either. Or who are just holding out on me.  I want to know what's out there, good, bad or otherwise.  Is there a guilty pleasure church?  A lector who sounds like James Earl Jones? Liturgical dancers?  Tipsters are guaranteed anonymity.

St. Elizabeth's Rockville (week 5/church 6)

I cheated this week.  I went for a sure thing and went to mass at St. Elizabeth’s in Rockville.  I knew it would be on my list of must dos this year.   It was recommended to me andI  haven’t been there since starting this project. 

I stumbled across St E’s when I lived in some near by apartments.  It reminded me a lot of my home parish…down to the brown bricks, back wall of stained glass and across the church seating.  The floor even slants down like it used to in the other brown church.  And the priests who say evening mass have the same names.  How’s that for a doppleganger parish? 

After working night shifts on Saturday nights, I would beeline there, hoping to get there 15 minutes late, go to mass and still get a decent day’s sleep.  There was an older gentleman who was an usher who always insisted on finding me a seat.  That wasn’t the case at some other area churches.  Showing up in scrubs was simply not allowed. 

Anyway, last night did not disappoint.  It was a Life Teen mass.  I don’t remember 6 pm mass being a youth mass before, I’ll have to check out the website. The music was a respectfully rockin’ acoustic guitar.  Today’s message:  I want to go to heaven, but not yet.  Getting to heaven involves being a person of service and forgiveness. 

I'm leaning toward Immaculate Heart of Mary for this weekend, let me know if you are interested.  

Also, I'm working on a list of frequently asked questions for later this week.

Holy Cross Kensington (church 5)

Look at me, going to church on a holy day of obligation.  I heard Only the Good Die Young on the radio on the way to work.  Someone has a little All Saints' Day Humor.  I think that song was played at every Youth Ministry dance I attended.  I don't know if everyone thought that was so funny...

Anyway, Holy Cross was more undiscovered territory for me.  It kind of has the same set up as Immaculate with two sets of pews and has a stained glass/pitched roof vs cinder blocks decor. No seats with obstructed views this time.   And it was cold.  Note to self: wear winter coat from here to Spring.

This was the first quiet mass on the journey.  Or it would have been if it hadn't been for the chatty Cathies and Carls sitting behind me.  Actually, I tend not to mind that sort of thing, but with a crowd of 50, you should be more discrete in your banter.  It was a pleasant night with a message about how being holy is what is expected.

Some of the saints were no saints, right?

Immaculate Conception (week 4)

In addition to striking a better balance between timely and lengthy posts, I'm also working on the balance between participant and observer at mass.  I was only half kidding about the reporter's notebook.  

Immaculate Conception is kind of yellow church, 2 columns of pews, and has this stained glass and columns versus linoleum floors thing going.  I made a rookie mistake of sitting behind a column.  

I went to 5:30 mass today.  I was heading into direct sunlight on the way over and was meet by a fall night when I left.  The "Praise Band" takes care of music with a violin, drums, guitar, piano.  And I can't be sure because I didn't see it, but I am pretty sure I heard another tambourine.  

Much of mass tonight was spent discussing the new Roman Missal.  It's a good thing I started going back to mass now, because if I waited a few more weeks, I would feel very lost.   The changes in wording, we were told, will make mass more beautiful, poetic, and lyrical.  The changes will also break us of our rote memory style of prayer.  (Where would I be now without rote memory?)  All Saints' Day this week, Advent starts in four.  Where did the year go?

I had the happy surprise of running into an old friend tonight.  That reminds me that part of going to church is being part of the community.  I realized I wouldn't have it by church hopping, but I didn't think I would miss it.  

The readership has spoken...

Hello everyone!  I'll be staying in my own back yard this weekend with Sunday afternoon mass at Immaculate Conception.  I've never actually been to mass there or inside the church.  As you'll remember, Sunday afternoon mass is my favorite.  And I'm tired.  I will also be working on striking a better balance between timely and more thoughtful (longer) posts.

St Joseph Taneytown (week 3)

I've made it to week three!  I think I'm hitting some sort of stride here, but it wasn't without stumbling blocks.   This was the first busy weekend I've had.  There were festivals and long runs to attend to.  I felt like I was fitting (cramming?) church in.  There really are no excuses for missing mass when you are Catholic.  You can go Saturday afternoon.  Or Saturday evening.  Or early Sunday morning into the afternoon.  Or Sunday evening.  Or if you live near a Catholic college, late Sunday night.  

After a busy and tiring Saturday, I couldn't drag myself out of bed for the predawn trek to Taneytown. 8:00 mass was out,  but I made it to 10:00.  And made the first new stop on the tour.   St. Joseph's is red brick church on a busy street.  It's small and bright.   There are two columns of pews, maybe 15 rows each.  It was a full house this morning with welcoming and friendly people.  Fittingly, today's homily was about making time for God.   

And there was a tamborine.  All in all, a good day.  As for next week, I'm open to suggestions.   And company.  

#2 CMOQ

It's been a fun week, 52 weeks wise at least.  I've had fun chatting with friends about this new project, I've expanded the fire and brimstone scale (see below) and I've spent a good amount of time wondering who I know with an Android.  It was good to have Sunday morning plans.  But I've also spent some time this week freaking out.  What was I thinking?  Where do I get my crazy ideas?  What if I can't do this?  Is it wrong to take a reporter's notebook to mass?  (I didn't.)  Nevertheless, it was on to Cathedral as planned for 9:15 mass this morning.
 
I picked Cathedral because it is the church where I was both baptized and confirmed.   I haven't been there in eleven years.  It's both everything and nothing like I remember.  I've always found it beautiful but intimidating, remember it as dark and still.  Today it was bright with an undercurrent of chatter and kneelers banging up and down.  Marble echoes.  It was sixth and seventh grade mass this morning, but I don't think there was too much deviation from a regular Sunday.   There were Gather books!   (I probably haven't held a Gather book in eleven years either.)  Today's message: What world do you live in?  Kind of an imagine the impossible, what are our kids going to think when we tell them we didn't have flying cars in our day sort of thing.

In my later mass attending days, I was pretty solidly a Sunday afternoon mass person.  Though I covet sleep, I was rather drawn to Sunday afternoon mass as the transition from weekend to work week.  I found today that Sunday mornings might be rough for a while.  On the plus side, I realized when you go to a different church every week, you can wear the same clothes and no one will notice.

Next week will bring some unchartered territory, yet to be determined.  When I pick, I'll be sure to post.

Amanda's doodles on church evaluation:
Dress code:  from flip flops to tuxedos

Music: from electric guitars to Gregorian chant (tambourines are somewhere in the middle)

Homily: from butterflies to pitch forks

Week One

I don't know how it happened, but here I am, someone who considers herself a practicing Catholic but who doesn't attend mass.  I know it's absurd.  It's not as though I have renounced Catholicism or chosen another faith tradition.  I still believe in God.  I still pray.  Going to mass used to be part of my routine.  It was easy.  And then suddenly it wasn't. I don't know how to go to church anymore.   And it's not getting better.  I could blame shift and weekend work.  I could blame the many changes in the parish I used to call home.  Neither of those things seem fair.  So here I am, embarking on a one year journey of faith.  I hope you'll join me.

The plan is simple: 52 churches in 52 weeks.  I'll be announcing my destinations like a concert tour and collecting Sunday bulletins like baseball cards.  Sound gimmicky?  It is.  I need this though.  I'm not sure how else to turn around the past four plus years of spotty attendance.

I don't want to turn this into the Yelp of Baltimore area churches.  Incidentally, there are three well reviewed parishes on Yelp, followed by a listing for a pub.  Maybe I should check that out too.   I don't want to offend, just reflect.  So if you have a favorite mass, church, homilist or choir, please let me know.  I'm open to suggestions.

I kicked off my voyage with St. Pius X.  It is the place I most consider my parish these days.  It seemed fitting on the one year anniversary of my sister's wedding. It is the church where both she and my parents were married.  My sister has joked that I rate masses on a likert scale from fire and brimstone to kumbya. I call this one a wash.  As I left the church, I wondered how to journey forward when it seems I might already be home.

Next week, I'll be at the Cathedral of Mary of Queen for 9:15 mass.