Kylie Marble - Church Visit #1

Kylie Marble - Church Visit #1

Church name: St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Church address: 36 N Ellsworth, Naperville, IL

Date attended: February 8th, 2015

Church category: High church

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

It was called a Tridentine service, meaning that is was mostly in Latin. I went with my friend Sarah Spencer, who is in the class with me. Neither of us had been to a Catholic mass before. I knew some of what to expect because my mom had grown up Catholic, but I made sure to watch the congregation carefully and follow what they were doing. Normally I attend Jericho Road Church, which is located in the gym of an elementary school. Even the building of St. Peter and Paul was incredibly different from JRC. It was also very serious and formal... I tried to smile at people a few times, but quickly learned that wasn't normal. Because of the building size and formality of the service, I felt very distant from the rest of the congregation. I'm used to "passing the peace" and hugging those around me, as well as sharing praying together as a church for individuals in the congregation.

What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

I enjoyed the beginning and end of the mass, where the leaders walked down the aisle, sprinkling water on the congregation. I also appreciated how we kneeled so often, as well as the emphasis on being cleansed from sin. Everyone in attendance paid such respect for the service and the sacraments. If someone had to get up in the middle, they stood and walked to the outside of their pew, bowed, then went out. And when they returned they went through the same process. The Latin was fascinating to hear, though it did not hold much significance to me since I don't understand it. I wondered why people went to the Latin mass regularly if they couldn't understand what was being said. However, there was something very special about the traditions in and of themselves. I'm used to attending non-denominational low-churches, and we are lacking in the way of tradition. Attending mass felt like an honor because I was able to enter in to a long-standing way of doing church. 

What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

The most disorienting thing, by far, was the fact that the service was in Latin. Sarah and I were struggling to figure out what was happening. I wanted to understand what was being said, what it meant, why it was important. It almost felt as though we had entered into a different culture, having to be hyper-aware of the social norms and traditions. We tried to follow along in the booklet they provided, but I don't believe that they followed it entirely. Sometimes they had pictures and explanations along the side, accompanying the text, but even with those we couldn't  make complete sense of anything.

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

From the texts they provided, I noticed an oft-occurring theme of being cleansed from sin. There was one statement that said something along the lines of, "At this time, we all accuse ourselves of sin". I thought that was an interesting way of framing it. Of course, we are all guilty of sin, but how often do we accuse ourselves of it? More often that not, we try and justify our wrongdoings, wriggling around to break free from any guilt. But what I liked about the mass was that there was an emphasis on sin and the need for Jesus' death and resurrection to cleanse us. There was also a deep respect for the eucharist, which was refreshing. Sarah and I did not participate in communion because we didn't know if we were allowed to. Regardless, we watched the process and found the respect and formality to be refreshing.