John Torppey- Church Visit 2

Church name: Holy Angels Parish
Church address: 180 S Russell Ave, Aurora, IL 60506
Date attended:  Sunday April 17, 8:00 a.m.

The Latin Mass is much different from anything I have ever experienced. Walking in to a church service in which the Priest is not even facing me serves to provide a huge disconnect. Looking around, though, I was slightly surprised to note that in the congregation there was no more disconnect than the typical service I usually attend. I guess I figured that more people would be more indifferent with the Priest turned away from them. Aside from that, the bulletin was tough to keep up with. I couldn't find my place in the bulletin through the entire service, so I was left to just sit and listen and be lost. I have never been so lost in a church service as this one. Internally, though, the church looks like a typical Catholic church.

The Roman Catholic theology I noticed in the church was obviously the importance of the Latin language. In an age where Latin no longer serves many purposes, the Catholic tradition still holds fast to the language, as many churches still offer Latin mass. I was surprised that the congregation was far from empty, so clearly many Catholics believe in the importance and the sanctity of a church service in Latin. The Eucharist was another Catholic theological aspect I noticed, as there was communion in this service, as usual. Iconic images of Christ and other Biblical figures was another element of Catholic theology that was clearly evident in this church. There were many wood carvings of Jesus throughout the church, along with many stained glass windows depicting characters such as Matthew, Adam & Eve, and others. Finally, Holy Angels Parish expressed theological convictions of holy water, as I saw people dipping their fingers in the holy water as they exited the service.

At the Tridentine mass, the service itself did not illuminate many things for me theologically. I could not understand anything the Priest was saying, so there was little to pull from the words of the Priest. However, I did realize the importance of language and communication in a church context. This service illuminated the necessity of understanding in order to be spiritually strengthened. I am reminded of a church service I attended once where the pastor encouraged everyone in the service to speak in tongues, but with no translating. It didn't feel right to me, and I didn't get anything out of it. Perhaps other people can, but personally I am unable to feel closer to God through words that I do not understand. I got a little taste of what missions work could be like in foreign countries with language barriers. I appreciate and respect missionaries a little bit more now, because without fluency in a language, evangelizing would be an extremely tall task.