St. John, Apostle and Evangelist - St. Louis, MO

Happy Feast of the Immaculate Conception!

Jake and I are back in St. Louis!  Since December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, I had planned to visit churches named Immaculate Conception.  However, with Jake being sick and all that plan has fallen apart.  Because of the time and location, I visited St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, which is located in downtown St. Louis across from City Hall and the Post Office.  Mass was at 12:10 pm.  It was pretty full given it was weekday.  Many of the attendees were nearby office workers and city employees, which would account for the mass exodus after Communion as many had to get back to work.

There was an organ in the choir loft.
The music for the day was Marian-themed:
Opening:  Immaculate Mary
Offertory:  Organ musics
Communion:  I Sing A Maid
Closing:  Hail Holy Queen

St. John is a very old church that underwent a renovation in the 1960s for its 100th anniversary. The windows are newer but many of the decorations seem original.  I noticed a bishop's arms on the ceiling and am know engaged in a quest to figure out who's they were.

The homily was about how Mary is all that we hope to be and aspire to.  She is the dawn of our salvation.  We are glory bound through Mary.

Eucharistic Prayer II was used and there were bells at the Consecration.

Father wore a chasuble that was off white with blue trim and a zipper (about 10 inches) in the front.

The parishioners were very friendly as well.

Pictures:

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

You can see it surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings

Celtic Cross outside

On the bottom of the Celtic Cross

I wonder when this cross was placed, as Archbishop Glennon later became

Cardinal Glennon.

I have a suspicion this is one of the older windows as it doesn't

match the style of the other windows.

It features an eagle in the center, which often

is used to symbolize St. John.

View From the Back Pew!

The painting is a reproduction of The Transfiguration by Raphael.

Where the plant is on the altar, under the cross in the pavilion like structure

is where the Monstrance goes for Adoration.

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

Jesus calling St. John to be an Apostle.

Relic of the Cross?

This was on the big crucifix on the back wall.

Links:

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist website

Pictures from Rome of the West:  Today and Christmas 2006 (the Baptismal Font is from St. Boniface, which was closed in 2005.  That's the font used to baptize your favorite heathen!)

St. Patrick Urbana IL

Greetings all!
Jake, my precious little basset, is scheduled to be released from the hospital on Sunday morning at 8:30 am, so I went to Mass at 5 pm on Saturday, December 5.  I attended Mass at St. Patrick in Urbana, IL.

St. Patrick was built in 1901 and is an old style Church.  However, the interior and furnishings are modern, but with the original stained glass windows.  There were banners along the side.  The confessionals were gone and in their place were little shrine areas. The church was pea green on the inside.

The piano was upstairs in the choir loft.  There was a cantor who sang very nice.
Opening:  People Look East
Offertory: ?? was a solo.  A Voice Cries Out?
Communion:  I Sing A Maid
Closing:  Come Long Expected Jesus

The Advent Wreath had white candles with purple and rose ribbons around them.  There was no processional cross, but rather the sacramentry was carried in the procession.  Before Mass, all of the various ministers were introduced.  Father had a sparkly purple koi on the front of his vestment.

The homily was about John the Baptist preparing the way.

During the Our Father, everyone held hands (but me) and at the response people raised their hands up.  This just drives me bonkers, BTW.  I'm fine with the adlibbing, puppets, dancing and other liturgical shenanigans but raising your hands up like the Protestants just makes me roll my eyes.

The Lamb of God was about Jesse Tree and how Jesus was a branch and should have mercy on us.  Father's chalice was covered with a chalice veil.  It was blue-green and looked like a pillar candle holder.

No consecration bells, but an extra blessing at the end.

OH! A view from the back pew first!  A parishioner questioned me after Mass as to why I was taking pictures and notes.  I really wanted to tell her I was writing to the Vatican but I was good and just said "because."

Pictures:

View from the Back Pew

Sorry it's blurry.  I even used the tripod

It was just dark.

Oh and that is the Jesus escaping Crucifix

St. Patrick

 

Guardian Angel Window

The Holy Spirit

About 100W I think...

Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus

This was the only station I could definitively identify.

Shrine to Mary

Pelican stained glass windows

The narrow windows between the saint windows

featured symbols.

(scroll down at the link for a bit for the pelican)

Link:
St. Patrick Website

St. John's Chapel/Newman Center -Urbana-Champaign, IL

Good Friday to you all!  In case you somehow missed the news, my dog Jake, is incredibly sick and is at the Veterinary Hospital at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign.  I'm kind of at loose ends while I wait for Jake's operation.  Being the good Catholic I am, the best way to kill er occupy er an hour is to attend Mass.  Lucky for me, there was a 9 pm Thursday night Mass that I attended on December 3 on campus at the St. John's Chapel at the Catholic Newman Center at the University.

I have to be straight up.  I was expecting a Mass similar to the weekday Masses the Catholic Newman Center at University of Missouri-St. Louis. I was expecting 10 people and uber-casualness.  I mean it is a residential campus, I expected students in pjs.  So not what happened.

Barring St. Francis de Sales, this was the most reverent Mass I have ever attended.  The students were silent in Church before and after Mass.  Father was uber-reverent. The server (in cassock, surplice and DRESS SHOES!) was reverent.  The extra-ordinary ministers of Holy Communion were reverent.   

The entrance and communion antiphons were recited.  For the Penitential Rite, we used option B. The intentions were read straight out of the Sacramentary.  The chalice was covered with a veil and a burse, which has a corporal inside.  There were bells.  The Holy Holy was chanted in LATIN!  Mass ended with the Prayer to St. Michael.  Afterwards you could hear Father and the server praying after Mass in the sacristry.

I really got the sense from Father that he really really believed in Transubstantiation.  After Communion, Father purified every vessel that was used.  And it wasn't the swish a little water in and you're good method either. Father cleaned his fingers, making sure to do so over the chalice so any crumbs were caught.  Father wiped down the patent multiple times over the chalice as well.  He thoroughly purified the chalices and ciborium.  After Mass, Father came out and inspected the floor where everyone had stood distributing Communion to make sure there were no crumbs or spills.

It was also the feast of St. Francis Xavier (relics) and Father mentioned our Catholic Identity in connection with it.

Pictures:

View From the Back Pew!

Sorry the images are so dark,

they didn't turn the lights on.

Sanctuary Lamp

I really liked the angels holding it.

Nativity

The Wise Men are on the other side.

I know some people would be upset to see this in Church already,

but given that is a University, which will be mostly vacant by

Christmas, it is understandable.

On the wall above the doors.

"I am with you all days even to the consummation of the world."

Link:
St. John's Catholic Newman Center windows

St. Agatha - St. Louis

Happy New (Liturgical) Year!

For today's Mass, I thought I would do something special to celebrate the First Sunday in Advent.  I decided to go to the local Polish parish, St. Agatha (Hey, I'm a quarter Polish...).  I attended the 10 am Mass, which is entirely in Polish.

St. Agatha is a personal parish rather than a territorial parish.  I imagine when it was first established there were many homes in the neighborhood.  Now the parish is hemmed in by Anheuser Busch Brewery and Interstate 55.  There were only about 75 people at Mass, in a Church that holds most likely 500.

When you first walk into St. Agatha, you can smell incense.  It smells like a Catholic Church.  It looks like a Catholic Church.  The pews, the part you sit on, are very narrow.  The kneelers were the right height for me though so that more than makes up for the narrow pews that creaked every time I moved.

There was a choir accompanied by an organ in the choir loft.  I think the organ has a bell setting or the choir played bells because one song had bells, but it sounded more like a carillon (which Iowa State University has...totally awesome...especially playing say Jump by Van Halen...but I digress).

I wish I could tell you the normal details of the Mass like if Father adlibed or what Eucharistic Prayer was said or what was even sang.  I can't.  The whole Mass was in Polish.  Everything.  The only words I recognized were "Amen" and "Alleluia."  I know see the value of one liturgical language (Latin) for the Universal Church.  It must have been so comforting to immigrants who were in a strange land with a strange language to know that at least they understood what was going on in Mass.

I have a suspicion that the Polish liturgy, that is the liturgy approved by the Polish bishops, is different from the liturgy approved by English speaking bishops.  It seemed that the Introductory Rite today was much longer than it would be in an English speaking parish.  We didn't sing the Gloria or anything I could recognize as the Gloria.  During the Liturgy of the Eucharist, there was more bell-ringing than at the Consecration.  Father sang the Opening and Closing Prayers and the Preface to the Eucharistic Prayer.  The congregation sang the responses to the Prayers of the Faithful and the Our Father.

I was kind of surprised that the Advent Wreath wasn't blessed at the Mass.  That was the part I was looking forward to.  I was wondering if the candles would be purple and pink, or red like German wreaths (I'm still looking for why the Germans use red.)  The candles were purple and pink.  We didn't sing O Come O Come Emmanuel either.  I'm pretty confident I can recognize that melody regardless of language.

I was shocked! when at the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) the server came down and shut the gates in the altar/communion rail.  Communion at St. Agatha is old school, like at St. Francis de Sales.    Everyone, who chose to receive, knelt at the rail and received on the tongue.  I have to say, receiving in this manner is a different experience.  Additionally, at the end of Mass, about half the congregation stayed to pray.  It is such a different feeling not to have people rushing to get out of Church, as if an extra 5 minutes in the building might cause them to burst into flames or something.

Pictures:
(I don't have as many pictures as I would have liked...they turned the lights off 5 minutes after Mass and it was really dark in the Church.)

View from the Back Pew!

It's interesting people either sat in the front or in the way back,

not in the middle.

Cross on the floor, right in front of the altar gates.

I saw pictures of Sean Cardinal O'Malley consecrating a Church,

and there was a big sand cross in that Church right where this one is.

I wonder if that is why the cross is here.

Window in the Sanctuary

Noah after the flood.

I love rainbow stained glass windows.

Mary

The windows surrounding her are flowers and other symbols of Mary.

Mary's Altar

That's a rosary hanging in front.

And a Polish Flag.

This is the last window on St. Joseph's side.

 The top half is covered by the choir loft.

I think it is  St. Agatha and St. Barbara.

I'm thinking the saint on the right is St. Barbara because she is holding a chalice,

and she is the patron saint of brewers as St. Agatha is surrounded by breweries.

Their names are in the halos but it's a bad photo.

At the bottom is the name of the donators of the window.

Links:

St. Agatha Parish Website (in Polish and English)

Photos from Rome of the West

Christ the King - University City

Today is the Feast of Christ the King and what better way to celebrate the last Sunday of the Catholic Liturgical Year then by going to Christ the King?  I had planned to go to Christ the King today in August, but two weeks ago, I found out the Archbishop was going to be at Mass.  I was hesitant to go, not because he's not a great guy (He's got 3! dogs.  How awesome is that?) but because the place would be a madhouse.  I decided to offer it up and go anyway.  I was correct in the madhouse aspect.  I got to church 15 minutes early and parking was an issue.  Normally, I've never had issues parking.  When I go in to church 10-15 minutes early, usually the choir and the musicians are the only people there.  It was half-full when I got there.  They expected so many people for Mass, they brought out folding chairs and made the choir sit in the choir loft (the horror).  According the the bulletin, Mass averages about 350 souls.  There was easily twice that.  Apparently, the way to get people to Mass, relatively on time and appropriately dressed is to have the Archbishop stop by.

The Church is of the same style as St. Michael and Sts. Mary and Joseph, narrow windows and exposed roof beams.  I think it is called Norman style.  The windows were patchwork like, simple colored panes.

The adult and children choirs sang together and I have to say the music was totally awesome.  I thought it was a good mix of older, more traditional hymns and contemporary music.  The choir was accompanied by a flute, a violin, a cello and a piano.  Lucky for me, there were programs so I could listen instead of scribbling furiously.

Music:
Before Mass:  A Jubilant Song, How Lovely Are the Messengers, For the Beauty of the Earth, One Faith One Hope One Love
Entrance:  Gather Us In
Gloria:  the one by Peter Jones, which has different refrains
Alleluia: Festival Alleluia (the one the Archdiocese had commissioned for when Pope John Paul II visited)
Preparation of the Gifts:  The Lord's My Shepherd
Mass Parts:  Community Mass
Lamb of God:  was in Latin! from Mass for John Carroll
Communion:  The Communion Antiphon: Ave Verum (wow) and Draw Near! and E'en So Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Recessional:  To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King (with Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat tacked on the end)

Because the Archbishop was there, in total there were 6 priests concelebrating the Mass:  the Archbishop, the Master of Ceremony, the Pastor, and 3 other priests.  I feel sorry for the Master of Ceremony, it must be so hard to be prayerful during Mass when you have to direct people and make sure everything is correct.

The Archbishop gave an awesome homily.  He basically spoke about what is kingdom and how Jesus had a different view of kingdom than Pilate.  The real power is openness to love unselfishly.  We live in an age of bumper sticker sayings.  Instead of listening, we are thinking about what we are going to say next.  There is a lack of civility.  He also mentioned Irish Alzheimer's, being mad at someone and not remembering why.  We should pray for that person instead and even apologize.

The Archbishop used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells at the Consecration.

I have to say it was a very nice Mass however, it just seemed really loud because there were so many people.  For instance, at one part, the congregation needed to turn a page, you could literally hear everyone turn the pages.

Pictures:

Bell Tower of Christ the King

I don't think I've seen a sculpture on a tower before.

View From Back Pew!

Lamb of God Window in the back

St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Catherine

(I'm almost positive one is St. Catherine of Siena as St. Catherine of Siena was merged into

Christ the King in 2002. )

St. Patrick

(A nod to St. Patrick parish which was merged into Christ the King)

Lilies Window

Yes I did some photoshop work.

I draw the line at setting up my tripod on the altar.

Star Window

Links:

Christ the King Parish Website

"Let the Holy Spirit have the last word." Archbishop Robert Carlson

UM-St. Louis- Catholic Newman Center

Yes, I already went to Mass this morning.  However, every year the Catholic Newman Center (CNC) at the University of Missouri - St. Louis has an annual Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner for students.  Since I happen to be a graduate student at UM-St. Louis, I make it a point to go to the Potluck and Mass afterwards.  Father B makes the best turkey.  It's great to see the Newman Center on campus, which is rather small, filled to the brim with students experiencing fellowship (and lots of tasty food!).

The author and Sister Clementia

A Sister of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George

The author and Father B, Director of the CNC

(Now, quit asking for pictures of me.)

The CNC at UM-St. Louis offers Mass for students, faculty and staff (and the occasional parishioner from nearby parishes, namely St. Ann) at 8 pm in the Provincial House Chapel.  (Believe it or not that is not the latest in the Archdiocese.  St. Louis University has a 10:30 pm Mass during semester.)  The Provincial House used to be the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity.  Now it is the Pierre Laclede Honors College and dorms for students.

Unlike other Masses, Masses at the CNC start with announcements and greeting your neighbor in the next pew.

The CNC currently has an awesome music director, who plans the music and sings and plays guitar for the Masses.  The music director does an awesome job of tying the readings, homily and music together.

The music tonight:

Opening:  Come, Worship the Lord
Offertory:  You Alone
Communion:  Sweet Redeemer
Closing:  Soon and Very Soon

The Responsorial Psalm was substituted for Keep Me Safe O God, which is Psalm 16.  I think the emphasis is different from what the Lectionary suggests, which has the refrain, "You Are My Inheritance O Lord"

At the beginning of Mass, after the greeting, Father B gives a Gospel question, something to think about while the readings are heard.  Tonight's Gospel Question was "What Are You doing on December 21, 2012?"  It's usually a big clue as to what the homily was about.  Father talked about how everyone is starting to freak out about the end of the world.  He points out that in Mark's Gospel, Jesus isn't all bent out of shape about the end of the world, so why should he be bent out of shape?  As Father reflected on the readings, three words popped out at him:  anticipation, awareness and trust.  Father went on to talk about how the readings today were in the apocalyptic style.  From Greek, it means to take away the veil. The readings aren't so much about the end of the world, but more about the end of the old order and the beginning of a new order.  Which I guess, if you are really entrenched in that old order, could seem like the end of the world.  The fullness of the God's kingdom is in our midst and we should be doing things instead of worrying.  (As a total aside, I really enjoy Father B's homilies.  They always seem so relevant to my life.)

The Prayers of the Faithful are done slightly differently at the CNC Masses.  Father says them (instead of a reader) and at the end, there is an opportunity to for students to add their own intentions.

Father tends to sing many of the Mass parts in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, such as the Preface, which is cool, especially since he sings well.  I think the Eucharistic Prayer was Eucharistic Prayer III but it could have been Eucharistic Prayer II.  After Communion, Father gives a closing prayer/reflection that is really cool and relevant.

The best part?  After mass there is food and fellowship!

The CNC is an awesome college Mass and had I not found the CNC (and Father B) when I needed it back in the day, I don't know if I would have come home to the Catholic Church.

Pictures:

View from the Back Pew

(Actually, there are pews further back, but Father discourages us from

sitting there...)

Because this is also used as an auditorium and lecture hall,

everything must be movable and portable.

Normally, the chapel is so dark at night you can't see the windows.

Tonight, there was enough light to make Jesus glow.

The Daughters of Charity are in the process of removing the windows.

Links:

The Catholic Newman Center at UM-St. Louis Website

Photos of the Chapel from Rome of the West

Photos of the Newman Center from Rome of the West

Disclaimer:

In case it wasn't clear, when I'm not Church hopping around the Archdiocese, this is the "parish" I call home.  I owe them a debt of gratitude for helping me stay Catholic :)

Update:  I forgot to mention the truly awesome campus minister, Liz, who does a great job of planning and running activities.  And keeping us rowdier students inline.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Crestwood, MO

The feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary (also known as St. Elizabeth of Thuringia) is on November 17, so today I visited St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Crestwood for the 10:30 am Mass.

I was a little nervous about the interior of the Church, given that the exterior is different, with a giant steel structure that looks like either spider legs, alien legs or the claw from Toy Story.  The Church is very modern, I'm guessing built in the late 1950s.  However, the interior was very nice. It was simple and plain, but not ugly.  Mass was relatively well attended (~75% full) with a mix of various ages, including children.

Before Mass, the parish watched the Faith for the Future Seminary Campaign video.

As there was no choir loft, the choir was in the front on the right side.  The choir was accompanied by either a piano or an organ depending on the song.  The choir prayed together before Mass.

The music:
Opening:  Seek Ye First
Offertory:  We Remember
Communion:  We Will Rise Again and For the Fruits of His Creation
Closing:  Sent Forth By God's Blessing

The Responsorial Psalm was again substituted this week with Center of My Life.  The "approved" Psalm was Psalm 16: 5, 8, 9-10, 11.  The versus for Center of My Life are based on Psalm 16: 1-2, 7-11, which if you ask me, is close enough for jazz.

Father's homily was probably one of the best I've heard yet.  I was a little nervous because he started talking about the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati"  Father mentioned that the Sunday radio programs featured ministers who preached about the end times.  Basically, we don't know what and when the end times are.  All we can control is what we do today and tomorrow; our choices essentially.  The object of Christian Life is to get up and do it a little better each day.  The homily then progressed to discuss the Mass and how it was central to our lives.  Without the Eucharist, there is no meaning to everything else.  This is because Mass is a transhistorical event, it is the beginning and end of Christian Life.    The Eucharist is the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, it is a Eschatological event.  Essentially, Mass is and should be the center of our lives as Christians.

Father said Mass incredibly reverently.  Father seems to be attempting to bring more reverence into the parish Masses.  The Confiteor was said.  Father has also set a crucifix on the altar, to simulate ad orientem worship.  Additionally, Father used Eucharistic Prayer I with accompanying gestures and bows.   The chalice was kept covered and Father cleaned up all the cups the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion used.



Pictures:

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

The claw, the claw is my Master.  (From Toy Story)

Little Prayer Garden

Sacred Heart of Jesus Statue

Rustic Cross

St. Elizabeth of Hungary

View from the Back Pew!

Note:  The screen was there for the seminary campaign video.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Window

I wonder why they don't have her in the window?

All of the windows are in this style..full of symbols.

St. Dominic Window

Fish Ambo

Saint Mosaic on right side of Sanctuary

Saint mosaic on left side of Sanctuary

Links:

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Website