Saint Wenceslaus

I kept it in the family again and went to Saint Wenceslaus, the parish of my grandparents.  My grandfather's eighth grade diploma hangs on our family room wall.  It's huge, easily bigger than my college diploma.  St.  Wenceslaus was the Czech parish until 1902 when Cardinal Gibbons deemed it should be the National Czech and English parish and that both the school and the parish had to be conducted in both Czech and English.

Despite my Czech heritage, I did not blend here.  I was quickly greeted by Father Peter, who asked if I was from MICA.  MICA students live in the school and I was pleased to know I can still pass for a college student.  Moments later, I was chatting with a woman from the church.  St. Wenceslaus is making a bid for friendliest parish.  They also have the world's youngest usher.  

The church is big with two columns of dark pews.  The walls are painted light green.  There is a dome over the altar, stained glass, and a lot of statues.  The stations of the cross are ornate carvings and the Romans have spears.  

The school is now dorms and the convent is a hospice for AIDS patients run by the Missionaries  of Charity.  A new charter elementary school is being built across the street.  

At 8:30 Sunday mass, they sing a Czech hymn each week.  The homily was about feeding others and the tragedy of hunger in this world.  With an extra hymn, a lengthy homily, and a slightly delayed van of parishioners, mass clocked in at an hour and fifteen minutes.  I had fun, so I'll let it go.  

And then there were ten....next stop, Saint Thomas Aquinas.