Originally, I had planned to visit St. Cletus in St. Charles to meet up with an internet buddy, but there was snow this morning and he told me it wasn't a good idea. Roads north were not great, but roads south were great. Additionally, side streets are iffy. So I had to find a church that had a later Mass and was on a main road. I settled on St. Simon.
St. Simon is located in south St. Louis County, across from a fire station. I attended the 11 am Mass on December 27, 2009.
The current church at St. Simon was built in 2001 and consecrated in 2002. It is a modern church and is an octagon shape. I totally loved it. This was a clean, classic modern style that looked like a Catholic Church!
Mass was rather full given the weather with hardly any people coming late. There were lots of families!
Everyone was really friendly before Mass and spoke to me :)
There wasn't a choir but rather a group of musicians and a cantor. There was a bass, guitar, flute and violin.
The Music:
Opening: O Come All Ye Faithful
Offertory: What Child Is This
Communion: Emmanuel and Silent Night (with one verse in Spanish)
Recessional: Joy to the World
The Gloria was the Give Glory to God in the Highest Gloria. The Responsorial Psalm for the day was supposed to be Psalm 84: Blessed Are They Who Dwell in the Your House, O Lord. Instead Psalm 98: All the Ends of the Earth Have Seen the Power of God, was used, which is okay according to the Today's Missal.
The homily focused on the family and how parents have a responsibility to insert children into the wider community and help them develop spiritually. Parents' should always love their children even when they are difficult as children who are secure in their parents' love develop a sense of self. The homily then turned to finding our true selves, like Jesus did while in the Temple.
The intentions were family themed. Father sang the Preface and used Eucharistic Prayer III. There were bells at the Consecration. Additionally, the Our Father was sung! The Lamb of God was odd. It started off with "Peace I give You, Peace I leave you" verse and then went into the regular Lamb of God.
After Mass, the musicians broke into Feliz Navidad. I have to say, the conversations and leaving were so loud, the music didn't really cover it up.
What was interesting was that on the wall on the side was a document (in Latin and in English) testifying that the Stations of the Cross were installed by a Franciscan. Here's one article discussing the practice. Here is another article that discusses that if a Franciscan installs the Stations of the Cross in a Church, there is an indulgence when one prays the Stations of the Cross.
Pictures:
Outdoor Nativity Scene
View from the Back Pew!
Baptism of Jesus Window
Jesus with Children Window
Ascension of Jesus
Creche
Cross Window, Sacred Oils, Easter Candle and the Baptismal Fountain
Close-up of the altar
Silver St. Simon
I think on the original Church
Installed in 1984
Link:
St. Simon the Apostle Website
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