Genny Austin-Church Visit #2

Church attended: St. Michael Catholic Church

Church Address: 310 S. Wheaton Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date Attended: April 16, 2016

Describe the worship service you attended. How was it similar to or different from your regular context?

I attended a 5pm Saturday mass, and as I walked into the large sanctuary that was about 7/8^ths filled, I felt somewhat at home in the quiet, liturgical, contemplative space. We sang the processional hymn as an acolyte carried in the cross, followed by the priest. Though it took me a minute and a bit of glancing around to find my place in the red service book, I quickly was able to follow along and join in the singing, praying, and Scripture reading that was taking place. It felt a bit fast-paced, though the beautiful liturgy and chanting often slowed us down and allowed for times of reflection and prayer—something I really loved about the Catholic mass. One aspect that was very different from my usual context was the lack of congregational participation in the singing. Everyone seemingly knew the prayers and recited them together. However, when it was time for a hymn or sung section of worship, very few people turned to the hymns and joined in. I wondered why this was; I wondered if the mass, at least for some people, was not something they saw as a deeply participatory encounter with Christ, but was rather an event they felt they merely witnessed. Though I of course do not know the answer to this question, I still am curious about why families, teenagers, and elder couples decided not to participate in certain ways. There was a cantor (a woman who led the singing sections), which reminded me of the many services I’ve attended in synagogues with Jewish friends back home. It certainly helped to have a musical leader, and I wondered if most Catholic churches have a cantor, or if any have choirs.

What aspects of Roman Catholic Theology did you notice expressed in the service?

Aside from a few priestly bows at the altar, several quiet priestly prayers at the Eucharistic table, and some vernacular differences in the liturgy, I was amazed at how similar the service was to services I’ve been attending all my life at my Episcopal church. I suppose I hadn’t realized just how much the Church of England had retained from the Catholic services and prayer books. There was no Marian devotion at all in the mass. The Catholic focus on reverence was very present, particularly in the moments of silence, bowing, and crossing that took place. During the Eucharist, the priest said several prayers quietly, which emphasized his significant role in offering the sacrifice on behalf of the entire congregation. In terms of ‘original priestly teaching,’ there was not very much—the homily was very short, and certainly was far from the climax of the service (which makes sense as Catholic theology is very much centered on the Eucharist). The use of images to enhance worship was very present, with artwork and stained glass lining the walls of the sanctuary; there were iconography depictions of the stations of the cross, on the side where I sat, which were beautiful and certainly drew me into deeper contemplation of and reverence for Christ.

On a different note, it was also fun to see a young girl serving as an acolyte with two young boys up at the altar—something that made me happy and curious at the same time. She was assisting at the Eucharist and helping with the service—these are things I did from the age of 11-18 at my church back home. I wonder what the significance of her helping was, and whether it is fairly normal for girls to serve as acolytes.

What aspects of Scripture or Theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

As I mentioned above, I was really drawn into the sacred space of the sanctuary by the art on the walls, the gorgeous stained-glass windows, and the enormous crucifix that hung behind the altar. The idea that we are creative beings made to imagine our Savior and glorify Him through art felt profound to me in a new way as I sat and took in the visuals around me. Its size and centrality made the crucifix a bit startling at first, but I found that seeing a body on the cross elevated my worship and reminded me that as we worship Almighty God through hymns of praise and prayers of confession and the Eucharistic sacrament, we are also worshiping our God who lived a completely human life. He has assumed full humanity that he might redeem humanity fully. Though I normally attend a church with stained-glass windows and some reverence for art, my experience worshiping in St. Michael refreshed my respect for images that can powerfully elevate worship of our Savior.