St. Vincent de Paul - Perryville

Good evening.  I hope everyone had a good Monday.

For Sunday Mass after a slight setback (no 3G, closest Masses were at 8 am... etc) I attended 11 am Mass at St. Vincent de Paul in Perryville.

The music was accompanied by a guitar, which was in the loft.
Music:
Opening:  Come Christians Join to Sing
Offertory:  The Servant Song; This is the Air I Breathe
Communion:  One Bread, One Body; Love Never Fails
Closing:  City of God

Before Mass there was a little summary of the Gospel and a greet your neighbor time. Father's stole was pea green.  I only noticed because I thought it was white and it's Ordinary Time and I was trying to remember what feast it was when I realized it was pea green and not a deep green.

Dramatic reading and hand motions - just don't.

Father's homily started off with a story.  There was a couple who were expecting a baby and discovered she would have a serious genetic problem.  They were offered options:  abort or keep the baby.  They decided to have the baby knowing the risks.  The baby died at birth.  The father of the baby told this story before the funeral Mass.  We all defend the right to life.  It imitates God's choosing of life.  We celebrated this little girl's life and ministry to people.  There was a moment of conversion in the pews.  How can we say that she was something to be gotten rid of.  We need to speak against the evil of abortion. We are being coerced into paying for abortion.  The Catholic Church can not do that.  We can not pay $94 a day for not complying.  Catholic institutions will disappear.  A man came up to Father after Mass and said that the Catholic Church just needs to suck it up.  Father was speechless.  Have you found a cross to die on?  We have found it in this.  The Bishop is willing to go to jail.  I am ready to get an orange jumpsuit.  In the Gospel, the disciples were sent out into the world.  It's not about sandals.  (Father apparently has more shoes than Imelda Marcos...which is disturbing) God says to us Don't Worry, I'm going to take care of you.  Don't let all of this stuff rob of us of our joy or keep us from proclaiming God's love for us.  Her life had value and meaning.  She was a Child of God.  We need to pray to God to heal of us our willfulness and our dissent.

Father used one of the Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs.  The Our Father was sung.  People held hands too.

There was Anointing of the Sick after Mass.


Pictures:

St. Vincent de Paul

View from the Back Pew

Holy Family

Ark

Mary

St. Boniface

 

St. Vincent de Paul

All of the windows were in this style...

Link:
Website of St. Vincent de Paul

St. Catherine Alexandria - Coffman

This morning, I headed out to 10 am Mass at St. Catherine Alexandria in Coffman.  I even convinced my best friend to come with and then head to wineries.  Only one itty bitty problem.  Apparently, they moved the Mass time - to 7:30 pm on Saturday night.  So Friend and I are there at 9:45 am on Sunday and realizing that there's no Mass.

So here's a picture of the church!

St. Catherine Alexandria

I did go to Mass.  I did take pictures.  I will post Monday night :)

St. Paul - Fenton

Good Afternoon!

This morning I attended the 10 am Mass at St. Paul in Fenton.  St. Paul was built in 1983 and is in the same style as Seven Holy Founders.  The stained glass windows are the chunky block glass.

The music was provided by a choir, organ, piano, guitar and a mandolin.  I think it was a mandolin...
Music:
Opening:  I Heard The Voice of Jesus
Offertory:  Eyes Have Not Seen
Communion:  Taste and See; Open My Eyes
Closing:  God Chosen Me

Before Mass, there was a mini commentary about pain.  Also that we should quiet our cell phones and our hearts to welcome Jesus.

The celebrant at Mass was a Bishop from Bangladesh.  He used Eucharistic Prayer II.  There were bells at the Consecration.  There was hand holding at the Our Father.  Interestingly, there were pockets of non hand holders.  It was about 50-50.  Guess that community thing isn't working so well.

The Bishop's homily started off explaining how the Gospel is about Jesus preaching in the synagogue in His home town.  The people demanded He read and explain the Scriptures, then rejected him, because of the hardness/prejudice of their hearts.  The same thing happened in the First Reading to the prophet Ezekiel.  In the Second Reading, St. Paul says God gives us enough grace to carry out the mission.  The bishop went on to talk about his home diocese and his work.  First he lectured us because we want cheap t-shirts, they all come from Bangladesh now and the workers get $2 a day.  There are only 4,000 Catholics in Bangladesh (I believe we have parishes bigger than that!)  They get along with their Muslim neighbors.  And then I kind a zoned out because he then asked for monies.

Pictures:

St. Paul Fenton

St. Paul

View from the Back Pew

Station VIII

 I have no idea what some of these windows symbolize...some are obvious, like the two below, the others, not so much.

 

Link:
Website of St. Paul - Fenton

Sts. Teresa and Bridget

Good Sunday to you!  I hope everyone is staying cool.  This morning, I headed out to Sts. Teresa and Bridget in North St. Louis.  Don't worry:  I brought a bodyguard!  He protects me from bad people and those who want to hug me during the Sign of Peace or hold my hand.

Sts. Teresa and Bridget is a lovely turn of the century church.  The parish is mostly African-American but the inside has not been modified to reflect that like other north city parishes.

The choir was up in the front instead of the choir loft.  Music was accompanied by a piano, drums and a tambourine.
PreMass:  Because of Who You are, I give You glory
Opening:  We've Come This Far by Faith
Alleluia:  to the tune of Amazing Grace
Offertory:  He Touched Me
Communion:  I Am the Bread of Life
Communion Meditation:  Give Us This Day
Closing:  Don't Pass Me By

Father announced he used the third votive of the Eucharistic Prayer III.  I'm not sure what that is.  There was handholding at the Our Father.  The Sign of Peace lasted 5 minutes and was a free for all.  Everyone was very friendly though.

The Liturgy of Announcements was really long.  They did recognize all of the parishoners that were recent graduates, complete with Nazi salutes, blessings.

Father gave a mini homily about how we have come by Faith.

Father's homily started with thanking God for Holy Wisdom.  God did not make death.  He does not rejoice in our death, He formed us to be imperishable.  We are thankful for the gift of life.  Jesus was on the go, on the move, fulfilling God's Will to be a part of people's life.  We see him preaching, in the crowd, on the move.  We are reminded that God does not rejoice in the destruction of human beings.  We must take this in context.  Most of us have experienced loss.  There is life beyond this life.  We are promised.  We rely on transforming grace to take us beyond.  We know we are not talking about physical death but emotional and spiritual death.  Moments of letting go.  Jesus was present for them.  He intercedes.  He healed them.  Our Church does that today, the healing of souls and spirits.  Jesus healed by word, touch, presence and intercession.  We know that the laying on of hands is the work of the Church.  That healing is found in Baptism, anointing, and in ministering to others.  That healing touch is with us today and touching us.  It brings us new life, hope and encouragement.  It is for all of us.  Have Faith.   We continue on to death and beyond.  Grace transforms us.  God does not desire the destruction of our hearts and souls.  We are made in that image of life to intercede.



Pictures:

View From the Back Pew

St. Teresa

Don't ask me which

St. Bridget

Feeding the Masses

Ceiling Painting

Slaughter of the Innocents

Ceiling Painting

Station VIII

Links:
Website of Sts. Teresa and Bridget
Pictures from Rome of the West