EJ Barracoso - Church Visit #1
St. Michael Catholic Church

310 S Wheaton Ave, Wheaton, IL 60187

Date Attended: Saturday, April 2nd

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

Liturgically, I noticed similar aspects of the worship service compared to my time at Church of the Resurrection. Readings of Scripture from the Old and New Testament, communal prayers and recitations of the Apostles’ Creed, and the unique wardrobe of the church leadership who sit in a raised, separate area were all familiar characteristics of the Catholic service.

Though Church of the Resurrection is Anglican, Rez takes a much more charismatic approach to their life as a church. This is conveyed in more ways than one, but I noticed this contrastingly in the different expressions of worship through music when compared to St. Michael’s. Rez’s praise team includes a full set of drums, acoustic and electric guitars, a baby grand piano, and multiple sets of microphones. I typically sit towards the back of the sanctuary where the soundboards are located, faithfully attended to by a team of individuals who dial in the volume for the service. At St. Michael’s, the church did not have as numbered of a worship team; instead, they had one microphone and someone who led the congregation in hymns, responsorial psalms, and other readings of Scripture. Most of the music was played through a large collection of organs situated in the front of the building next to the priest.

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

Though there was only one instance in the service, the singing of the Agnus Dei in Latin stood out immediately as an aspect of Roman Catholic theology, proclaiming the death of Jesus Christ and His taking away of the sins of the world. From my upbringing in the Catholic Church, I understood the Agnus Dei to be part of the movements of the typical Mass; yet, it was never highlighted to me the intentionality of including the Agnus Dei in the Mass week after week. As I’ve learned over the past few years, the reverence for Christ’s death on the Cross in the Catholic Church is comparable to Eastern Orthodoxy’s admiration of the Resurrection of the Lord. Architecturally as well, the figure of Christ crucified in St. Michael’s and the Catholic churches I grew up in contrast with the emphasized Risen Lord depicted in Orthodox churches. This certainly is nothing to say against any other aspect of salvation, but it does seem that the Catholic Church finds salvific freedom in Christ’s death on the Cross more than in the other events that took place on the first Easter.

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

Architecturally, the sanctuary itself is a witness to the Gospel story for the congregation. The afternoon light illuminated stain glass windows that depicted scenes of Christ’s life such as his ascension and baptism. The dome arced over the sanctuary and was painted and lighted in a pleasant manner and was surrounded by major icons in Scripture (doves, tongues of fire, church symbols, more windows, etc.). Lastly, a large reconstruction of Christ on the Cross is mounted above the altar, emphasizing the death of Christ for the church.

Contrast this with the church I attend on the northern side of the tracks, Church of the Rez meets at a retired nail and screw factory where one of the large rooms serves as a sanctuary. In the sanctuary, the walls and windows are blank and without artwork. At the front of the sanctuary, there stands a cross and the altar with the Anglican vestiges. But apart from this, there is hardly any visual stimulation towards the message of salvation within the sanctuary.