St. Charles Borromeo - St. Charles

The Feast of St. Charles Borromeo was Nov. 4, so to commemorate the Feast I headed to St. Charles Borromeo in St. Charles, for the 10 am Mass.

St. Charles Borromeo is the second oldest parish in the Archdiocese.  The church itself is an older more traditional design that has been recently renovated, which moved the tabernacle from the center off to the side.  It looks like they kept part of the old high altar to surround the tabernacle.  They kept the angels too.  They bow to the priest's chair.  There was a statue of St. Rose Philipine Duchesne and Our Lady of Guadalupe but I couldn't find St. Joseph.  There was a painting of St. Charles Borromeo.  None of the pictures came out well.  St. Charles Borromeo appears to be a vibrant parish and has a Spanish ministry as well.

The music was accompanied by the organ or a piano, both in the choir loft with the choir.
The music:
Opening: Gather Your People
Offertory:  This is My Song
Communion:  Shepherd Me O God and Lord You Have Come
Recessional:  I Am the Bread of Life (Uhm...isn't this a Communion Song?  Isn't the last song supposed to be about going out into the world or the Church Triumphant or Militant?)

I thought there was supposed to be a second collection for the retired religious this weekend.  It was all over the Review.  There wasn't one at this Mass.  I really wish the Archdiocese would get with the program and get like Paypal so people could donate online for the special collections as A.  I don't have a home parish really, B.  I don't have the special envelopes and C.  I don't have checks.

Although Father used Eucharistic Prayer 1 (and bells at the Consecration), he added words to the prayers outside the Canon.  He started off Mass asking us to take a moment, close our eyes and experience (bask?, reflect?) the Real Presence of Jesus.  Additionally, I know that Archbishop Carlson said that stewardship begins with prayer, but I don't think he meant that we were supposed to insert a stewardship prayer into the Mass after the Intentions.  I would think it would be better either after Communion or after the final Blessing, or oh I don't know...not in the Mass?

I thought the homily was going to put me into insulin shock.  Seriously.  The first half of the homily was about how holy and awesome the St. Charles Borromeo family is and how supportive they all are.  The banners in front of church are the names of the St. Charles Borromeo Saints who are in Heaven.  (uhm....uhm...uhm....forgive me for asking, but, if the people who died are all in Heaven, why do we celebrate All Souls?  Uhm that might be too difficult of a question given how uncelebrated All Souls is.  Why do we have Mass Intentions for the dead if they are in Heaven??  Isn't it like uhm oh I dunno, unneeded then?)  Father did ask what we would do without Jesus Christ and Faith and then asked the same thing what would we do without our St. Charles Borromeo family?  It changes everything.  Father kept mentioning how supportive everyone was.  He talked about a parishoner with liver problems who needed a transplant.  The parish got together and had Mass for him. (Right, proper, laudable) The man received the Anointing of the Sick (excellent) and the people at Mass laid hands on him (uhh...germs!!!). Now he doesn't need a liver transplant (blink.  blink.  blink.  Please tell me he isn't implying what I think he is implying).  The Lord is working through us (Some a little bit more than others apparently...).  We are called to be holy ones and saints (but but you just said we were!)  Each of our homes is a domestic Church where we form our young people and strengthen them.  Father then quoted how Pope Benedict said that Holy Communion makes us a Holy Community ( I'm going to guess that was taken out of context).  The Resurrection is more than life goes on.  We are totally changed.  We totally become one with God.  Totally.  (radical dude) Facing death is not giving up on life but looking towards being one with God.  St. Charles Borromeo teaches us to renew and reform ourselves and then the world.  How can we reach out to others?

Since I'm already snarking...have you ever noticed that the parishes that are big into the people doing the hands outstretched and hand holding at the Our Father are also the parishes that tend not to bow during the Incarnate Phrase in the Creed?

Pictures:

Replica of the first St. Charles Borromeo

It's right behind Main Street, sort of in the middle, by Stitches.

Inside of Replica

St. Charles Borromeo

The city of St. Charles MO is named after him.

They have erected a statue.

It's at the corner in front of the old courthouse, 2nd and something.

St. Charles Borromeo

Doorway

Keys in the window

Epiphany blessing from 2009 still visible

View From the Back Pew!

Notice how the angels are bowing towards the priest's chair and not, say, 

the tabernacle off to the left.

The banners are embroidered (hand) with the names of those who have died.

They were very nicely done.

VIII:  Jesus Meets the Women

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

The Last Supper

Agony in the Garden

Jesus is Mocked

Scourging at the Pillar

Jesus Meets His Mother

Crucifixion

Resurrection

Ascension

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Annunciation

Visitation?

Nativity

Presentation in the Temple

Jesus in the Temple

 

Assumption

Mary, Queen of Heaven

 

St. Mary Margaret Aloque

I'm not sure.

It looks like an old priest giving Communion to a solider and someone else.

The Wedding at Cana

I think this is St. Charles Borromeo giving Communion to

St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Links:
St. Charles Borromeo Website
Pictures from Rome of the West

Mass for All Souls

Good Evening!

I cut class to spring some poor soul from Purgatory!  I went to St. Joseph Cemetery in Imperial, where a Mass was held at 6:30 pm for the Feast of All Souls.

There is no permanent altar in this cemetery so Father brought a table along with all of the necessary items for Mass.

The readings were supposed to be from Wisdom, a Letter from Paul and the Gospel of John.  Instead, we didn't have a second reading.  The first reading was from Isaiah (chapter 25) about God wiping our tears and the Gospel was the Good Friday/Easter reading from Mark I think.  The Responsorial Psalm was 42:  My Soul Thirsts.  It appears that the reading, Psalm and Gospel are valid options for Funeral Masses.  I'm not sure why the 2nd reading was skipped.

Father gave a brief homily about how he really liked the passage from Isaiah.  The big message was that Jesus doesn't expect us to do anything He didn't do.  Jesus became fully human and died.  Somehow that's supposed to comfort me.  Then there was some stuff about hope.

Father wore white/gold vestments and used Eucharistic Prayer II.

We did sing the first verse of Amazing Grace at the end.

It was a very lovely and thoughtful Mass at the cemetery.  The parishoners were all very nice and friendly.  They even put candles on the tombstones.   But I think I preferred the Mass from last year at St. Francis de Sales.  It seemed more funeral like.  But then again, when you dig up a fake coffin....

Pictures:

Entrance to Cemetery

For All the Souls

For the Unborn

There were names on the bottom but I erased them to be sensitive.

Altar for tonight

Oratory of Ss Gregory & Augustine

Hello All!

This morning I managed to get up, beat traffic and make it to a low Mass at The Oratory of Ss. Gregory and Augustine, which is on the grounds of St. Louis Priory/St. Anselm and administered by the Benedictine Monks.   This was a Latin Mass.  I think it was a dialogue Mass with the congregation taking the part of the server.  I liked this a little better than just the silent Mass because having to respond helps me to focus.

Although the Oratory is in the basement of St. Anselm's Parish Center, it was still nicely done.  There was a statue of Mary (take note empty permanent churches!), Stations of the Cross and a nicely done High Altar.  Oh! and a huge old school Confessional in the back!

This time, I found a booklet Missal to follow along in.  It helped a little bit, but every time I looked up to see what was going on at the altar, I quickly became lost.  The other problem is except for the Kyrie, Agnus Dei, and the Et Cum Spiritu, I didn't know how to pronounce, let alone read the Latin text.  Which I suppose is understandable, it only being the 2nd time I've been to Latin Mass.

There was no singing or chanting, which I understand is common to the Low Mass.  There were Leonine Prayers after Mass.  We prayed the Hail Mary, Salve Regina and the Prayer to St. Michael.  Thankfully they were all in English.

Because it was a Feast Day, Father gave a short sermon.  He talked about he noticed the parallelism in the Epistle and the Gospel.  Today is a celebration of Mystery.  All Saints and All Souls are essentially the same feast but emphasize different aspects.  Today, we celebrate those that are immediately bound for Heaven and ask them to pray for us.  Tomorrow we pray for those that will eventually get to Heaven.    Father's sermon focused on Paragraph 1022 from the Catechism.  At Death, there are only two choices:  Salvation or Damnation.  We are a Christian People, we have hope, so damnation is hard to imagine and hard to dwell on.  Even worse, we have a hard time understanding that we could merit damnation.   In medieval times, every church had a Rood (the Crucifix with Mary and St. John) and the Doom (the Last Judgement)  prominently displayed (like in the center, behind the altar) to remind the people of the Last Things.

Pictures:

Stained Glass Window

Mary

View From the Back Pew!

The VIII Station

Links:
Oratory of Ss Gregory and Augustine

Feast of All Saints

Since it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, I thought I'd just post anyway.  As I write this I'm trying to decide if I really really want to go to a 7 am Mass (no...not particularly), a 7:30 am EF Mass and fight traffic (7 am looking better) or an 8 am Mass with school kids.  I'd also like to know why practically every parish around me or where I go to school/work in the Archdiocese has an 8 am weekday Mass.  Seriously folks.

So here's the Litany of Saints instead :)  (I wonder if there is a saint for people who don't like to get up early...I should Ask Sister Mary Martha)

All Souls - Overland

Happy Halloween!

This morning I attended the 10:30 Mass at All Souls in Overland.  Although the Church was built in the early 1950s, it has a feel of a church built earlier.

The parish has a good mix of families and people of different ages.

Mass was accompanied by the organ and the choir in the choir loft.
Music:
Gathering Song:  Table of Plenty
Presentation of Gifts:  Loving & Forgiving
Communion:  You Are Mine
Communion Meditation:  Uhm...something about Mary maybe?
Closing:  All Creatures of Our God & King
Mass Setting:  Community Mass

Father used the full Penitential Rite.  He also spoke all the secret prayers, like at the Washing of Hands, aloud.  For the Eucharistic Prayer, Father used Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs IV:  Jesus the Compassion of God.  and there were bells.

Father just got back from a three week cruise and started the homily talking about how he had dinner with Methodists.  Apparently they don't truck with Halloween, especially on a Sunday, cause Halloween is demonic.  Father went on to talk about how he wanted to wish us wisdom and holiness for our Halloween.  We need to get over fear, which is a disintegration of order.  We should only be afraid of separation from God.  Father touched on the First Reading from Wisdom how it is all in God's Hands and we have nothing to fear.  The Second Reading from St. Paul has St. Paul telling people not to let anything frighten you.  Then we moved on to the Gospel.  Zacchaeus was not afraid of normal stuff, he was afraid of separation from God.  Zacchaeus was lost and dead to the community.  Zacchaeus is kept away from Jesus by the mob.  Jesus obliterates all fear and transforms us.  It's all about God's love.  We must respond to God's love and not be in fear.  We need to recognize what separates us from God.  Then give Glory to God and change.  God destroys fear.

The homily was okay I guess.  It just seemed like a lost opportunity to discuss/talk about what the Catholic Church teaches about any topic associated with Halloween like: death, ghosts, spirits, Hell, etc.

I'm still looking for Mass in a Cemetery on Tuesday, All Souls.  Let me know!!! in the comments. :)  or viewbackpew@gmail.com

Pictures:

All Souls

Mary and Baby Jesus

Dedicated to the Priests and Religious who 

Served at the parish

Baptismal Font

View From the Back Pew!

Mary, Refuge of Sinners?

Not exactly sure what Her title is here.

Windows

St. Joseph

Mosaic of Sacred Heart of Jesus

Mary

Detail on Communion Rail

Not sure what is being symbolized here.

Random Nun in the Corner

Ascension of Jesus

Emblems/Seals on the Choir Loft

VIII.  Jesus Consoles the Women

After Mass Post Hymn

Links:
Information about All Souls
Pictures from Rome of the West

St. Martin of Tours

Hello All.  It's been a rough day.  My sister's ferret was put to sleep this morning so I had a change of Mass plans.  I had planned to go to St. Jude but because I was at the vet's office, I had to find a Mass much closer to my house.  Thank goodness for the Archdiocese Website that let's you search by time and location for a Mass :)

I ended up going to St. Martin of Tours as it was the farthest parish I could make it to Mass on time by.  St. Martin of Tours is in Lemay and is a modern church and resembles Holy Redeemer, Holy Name and St. Ann.  The windows represent the 15 Mysteries of the Rosary.

Today was also World Mission Sunday!

The music this morning was accompanied by an electric piano.
The Music:
Opening:  God Has Chosen Me
Offertory:  Hail Mary:  Gentle Woman
Communion:  Change Our Hearts
Recessional:  Sent Forth By God's Blessing
Mass Setting:  Mass of Creation (but the Great Amen was just said)

The sound system at St. Martin of Tours is horrid.  I sat in the back row and couldn't really understand the readings or the Gospel and only heard about a third of Father's homily.  Father was speaking so fast I misunderstood nearly the whole point of the homily.  Father started off talking about the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and how one of the meditations focused on degrees of humility.  The first degree I didn't hear.  The second degree was praying for humility and the third degree was praying for God's Protection.  (I'm still trying to figure out what he said and what I heard.)  Father then said that God is just and that it was good to be poor in Spirit.  In the Gospel, the Pharisee left God out.  It was all about the Pharisee and not about God.  Then Father started talking about Republicans and how they were sinners and needed God's Mercy.  So I'm alll confused at this point.  Father then went on to the Beatitudes and how Paul was a Pharisee but it is different cause Paul is conceited but thinks God is Good and Great.  We should all pray for spiritual poorness.  So after Mass I ask my social network what Republicans had to do with today's Gospel.  Fr. Leo asked me if Father said Republicans or publicans.  And I'm like what does a British Bartender have to do with the Gospel?  I have since discovered that a publican is also a Jewish tax collector.  The homily now makes sense.  (Thanks Fr. Leo!)

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells at the Consecration.  Father motored through Mass.  It was over in 50 minutes.

Pictures:

St. Martin of Tours

View From the Back Pew

The Eighth Station

St. Martin of Tours

St. Jude

Relic of Pope St. Pius X

 St. Charles Borromeo

Attack Goose!!!!

HONK! HONK! HONK!!!

Apparently St. Martin didn't want to become a bishop.

He hid and a goose honked where he was hiding and he was discovered!

Baptismal Font and St. Joseph

The Annunciation

Pentecost

Close Up of Altar

The Window in the back show the Luminous Mysteries

Transfiguration Window

(close-up)

Links:
Website of St. Martin of Tours
Pictures from Rome of the West

PS!  If anyone knows of a Mass being held in a cemetery on Nov 2 for All Souls drop me a line!