Snup's View From the Back Pew

Sunday, July 17, 2011

St. Alban Roe - Wildwood

This morning (7/16) I attended the 10:30 am Mass at St. Alban Roe in Wildwood. St. Alban Roe is a relatively new parish, founded in 1980 with the church being built in 1982. The church is fan-shaped with the windows displaying the Stations of the Cross. It's a typical modern suburban Catholic Church.

As there is no choir loft, the musicians and choir are located to the left of the Sanctuary. This morning's music was accompanied by a piano.
Music:
Entrance: Gather Us In
Offertory: Amazing Grace
Communion: To Be Your Bread
Communion Meditation: Grace Falling From On High
Closing: Send Down the Fire

Before Mass the lector gave an introduction that mentioned that we live in hope of God's Justice. Father read the short form of the Gospel. Father had a voice of a radio announcer. It was kind of cool.

The homily was given by a Redemptorist who was asking for money for the Society of the Propagation of the Faith, especially the Redemptorists activities associated with the Society. Father Redemptorist gave a brief history of the Order. The charism of the order is to serve the poor and most abandoned. Currently the Order is working in Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand. He then talked about the current work of the Redemptorists, specifically in Thailand, where they help young people and he told a story of 2 girls rescued from what he hinted was sexual slavery. Basically he asked us for money.

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

Pictures:

St. Alban Roe Church

St. Alban Roe

One of the Forty English Martyrs

Mary and the Child Jesus

Plaque in the Narthax

View From the Back Pew!

Light Fixture

Station VIII

St. Louis

St. Vincent de Paul

Link:

Website of St. Alban Roe

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Sacred Heart - Valley Park

Woot! There are 9 parishes dedicated to the Sacred Heart in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and as of this morning, I have visited them all. :)

This morning (7/10) I attended the 10:15 am Mass at Sacred Heart in Valley Park. I wanted to go the 12 pm which has more contemporary (guitars) but alas, I have a great deal of work to do for my job...

Sacred Heart was originally a church that was rectangular shaped. In the last renovation, the side walls were pushed out and the church now has wings so that the pews are fan-shaped around the altar. I was happy to see they kept the original stained glass windows and incorporated them into the actual nave of the church instead of hiding them somewhere. Mass was full this morning. I actually had to share my pew...

The music today was provided by the adult choir. (The choir schedule is in the bulletin...). There is a choir loft but the choir was off the left of the sanctuary in front. The choir was accompanied by a piano and a flute.
Gathering Hymn: Rain Down
Gloria: The Sing Glory to God one
Presentation of the Gifts: Seed Scattered and Sown
Mass Setting: Mass of Glory by Canedo and Hurd (the one that sounds loungy)
Communion: Unless a Grain of Wheat
Communion Meditation: Open My Eyes (no bridge)
Hymn of Sending Forth: Canticle of the Sun
The Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 145 instead of Psalm 65. This is an allowed substitution, but given how well the first three hymns lined up with the Gospel, it seemed odd to change the matching Psalm.

I think I've heard a homily by Father before. I believe he's like 84 and just keeps going and going and was a missionary. The homily started off with about how the parables have twists in them that surprise the listener. You don't actually sow seed the way Jesus describes. God wants the Word to go to as many places and people as possible if there is any chance it could bear fruit. What does that mean? We are invited to participate in the story and to put ourselves in the story and see where we fit in. We can be any of the seeds that were sown at various times in our lives. Father then had an AA story. No matter what your situation, God always has a chance if you just come to the Meeting, the Meeting being Mass. You need to get involved because you can't go to Heaven. Father ended his homily with "So Be It" and I wondered if Father liked Pump Up the Volume.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer II and there were bells. There was also handholding at the Our Father.

Pictures:

Sacred Heart - Valley Park

Sacred Heart of Jesus

View from the Back Pew

Close up of back of Sanctuary

Station VIII

Pelican

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

St. Rose Phillippine Duchesne

Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Mary and Child

Sacraments?

Angel with Scroll

St. Matthew

St. Mark

St. Luke

St. John

Holy Family

Ora Et Labora

St. Elizabeth

(Not sure which one)

St. Francis Xavier

St. Kateri Tekakwitha

(not sure if she is Blessed or Saint)

St. Maximilian

(A bishop that was martyred. I know nothing else)

St. Mary Margaret Aloque

St. Theresa the Little Flower

St. Vincent de Paul

Links:
Website of Sacred Heart
Pictures (and more) from Rome of the West

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Most Sacred Heart - Eureka

Good Afternoon! I hope every one is having a great July 4 weekend! I went and saw fireworks with a pal and I'm content.

This morning (July 3) I attended the 11 am Mass at Most Sacred Heart in Eureka. The Church was dedicated in 2001. It is very lovely. I was rather confused. There was traditional stained glass (instead of more symbolic stained glass)! There were statues and not just a token statue of Mary! There was a choir loft and the choir was in it (with an organ)!!! I thought it was very lovely inside.

The music was more traditional as well.
Processional: I Heard the Voice of Jesus
Offertory: Be Thou My Vision
Communion: Gift of Finest Wheat
Recessional: Holy God We Praise Thy Name

Father's homily started off with how priests move around a great deal and when he taught at high schools, Father moved around a great deal. At one particular parish, there was a live-in housekeeper, which was quickly becoming a thing of the past. This women fulfilled her duties with a vengeance. Then she got cancer. Because she lived in the rectory, she had nowhere else to go, and a rectory is no place to be sick. When Father went to visit her, there was a beehive of activity around her. She had always been good to others now it was payback time. She was compassionate and was able to accept the compassion of those around her. Then there was talk about a secret shrimp gumbo recipe. Father then connected this story to the Gospel. This Gospel reassures us. Who does not need Jesus to relieve them? (Probably a baseball team with decent relief pitchers....) Father then explained that a yoke was used to tie beasts of burden together to get them to walk in the same direction. Jesus wants us to tie or yoke to Him and to each other.

Father used Eucharistic Prayer III and there were bells. The altar girls wore nice shoes! The white things that go over the cassock were really long, like what seminarians wear long.

Pictures: