On Sunday, September 5, I attended the 10 am Mass at St. Vincent de Paul, which was preceded by pancakes (which they have the first Sunday of every month). St. Vincent de Paul is on a hill in the middle of farmland, which was handy because I had the wrong directions. The GPS couldn't find the address, so I took the latitude/longitude coordinates from Google (which comes the Archdiocesan website) and inputed them into the GPS via Google Maps which had (38.602050, -91.009209). Unfortunately, those coordinates are about 1.5-2 miles off. By the front door of the church, the coordinates are (38.59233, -90.98446).
According a sign posted outside of church, the parish was founded in 1837 and was originally known as Sts. Peter and Paul. The name was changed in 1858 when the first brick church was built. The current church was completed in 1875. I don't think the interior is from 1875 however, except for the windows.
The music at Mass was accompanied by an organ and the organ and choir were in the choir loft (getting to be a rarity...having the choir in the *choir* loft). The Gloria was spoken.
Music:
Opening: Lift High the Cross
Offertory: You Are Mine
Communion: One Bread, One Body
Recessional: For the Fruits of This Creation
Mass Setting: The one with the Lamb of God that goes "Lamb of God, offered for us, and Grant us everlasting peace"
Between the pancakes and the very unhappy toddler, I'm not sure I got where ever Father was going with his homily. Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem and is telling stories. In today's Gospel, the story is about discipleship and is meant to "shake up" some of his followers, specifically, who are following Him to see a miracle and will then go home and back to their ordinary lives. It is a call to wake us up. We change even though week to week we sit in the same place at Church (hmmm what is it about church seating? 2nd week in a row mentioned...). We need to go deeper, where our lives encounter scripture (This is where he lost me.) All the joys and sufferings are wheat for the bread (He means the Eucharistic bread). Jesus is alive and engaged in his life, deep within. (I'm glad to hear a priest profess belief in Jesus.... :) ). Our days belong to Jesus, surrendering all. Only Jesus can meet me in the depths of my heart (Hope He brings a flashlight); that is where I will meet Jesus. We need to consecrate everything to Jesus. Jesus wants us in His inner circle (great...Jesus has a clique too.). It will cost everything (most cliques tend too). It is your choice.
Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells at the Consecration. At Communion, everyone stood and stayed standing until everyone was back in their pews.
Pictures:
Found in the Parish Hall
The same statue, but with the children reversed,
is in the choir loft, where a rose window would be.
Our Lady of Fatima
I love how the majority of these scenes have sheep.
St. Vincent de Paul - Dutzow
View From the Back Pew
That Jesus creeped me out all through Mass.
Jesus didn't seem in proportion...
Baptismal Font and Easter Candle
Horns! The Candle has horns!
or
The Claw...the Claw is my master...
Mary
St. Joseph
The Eighth Station
Jesus Comforts the Women
In the back was a case with some historical items
I thought this was rather interesting.
Apparently this parish raised/donated a total of $5000 to build the Cathedral.
An enormous sum back in the day.
Stained Glass Windows: Under each window was the name of the saint depicted in the window and who they are the patrons of. I always find it interesting which saints are chosen for the windows. Is it the most popular, the most recently canonized, or something more practical, the favorite saint of the one donating the window?
Immaculate Heart of Mary
St. John comforting Mary
Patron saint of cats
St. Theodore
died 306
Invoked against storms
(can't find anything online)
The Holy Family
Patron Saint of Photographers
Links:
St. Vincent de Paul Website
Pictures from Rome of the West
And were you in the back pew? That's where I generally sit, too.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what was traditionally on the wall behind the altar before they painted scary Jesus on it...
ReplyDeleteJjoy
I wonder as well. I found a framed document that suggested the original altar was a privleged altar. I can't imagine Archbishop Kenrick would have gone for a privleged moveable wooden altar.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
I was in the second to last pew, but the picture was taken from the back pew. The pews had signs on them reserving them for parents with small children and I try to be respectful of that. Had I known that it was generally ignored I would have sat back there...unless you consider upper grade schoolers small children ;)
Some adults can be small children, too!
ReplyDelete