Saint Charles Borromeo Church

I'm officially catching up!  I spent Sunday morning at Saint Charles Borromeo for 11 am mass.  In an unexpected blog twist, this is the first overlapping priest of the year.  Could that priest shortage we hear so much about actually be real?

The church is small and stone and sits on a narrow street.  Inside, the pews form a V with the point leading to the altar.  There are cream colored walls and long stained glass windows.  Ten minutes before mass started, there were a dozen or so people quietly praying inside.  Ten minutes after mass started, the place was packed.  Mass started five minutes late.  (There is a clock on the back wall.)  And if it weren't for an audio message from our old bishop, I would have been out in an hour flat.  

The contemporary choir sung some of my old favorites from the Gather Comprehensive.  I think there were more guitars than singers.  There was also a harp.  I haven't heard a tambourine in months.

An about to be ordained priest gave the homily.   Basically he was always interested in being a priest but when it was time to go to seminary he resented doing what he thought was expected of him.  He started seminary in Oklahoma, dropped out,  and joined the Army.  He went to Iraq, met a priest from Baltimore and enrolled in seminary here.  Next month, he'll be ordained.  

The crowd was one of the more diverse crowds I've seen so far.  I picked up a Bishop Lori trading card.  And I learned how to say Alleluia in sign language.  

I'm still leaning toward something on Saturday afternoon.