My First Church Year is over, but there are still 16 Catholic churches in Louisville that I haven't made it to yet:
Saint Augustine
Christ the King
Holy Family
Holy Name
Holy Trinity
Saint Ignatius Martyr
Incarnation
Saint John Vianney
Saint Luke
Saint Martin de Porres
Saint Michael
Most Blessed Sacrament
Saint Peter the Apostle
Saint Raphael
Saint Therese
Saint Thomas More
3 to Go
3 to Go
So I'm going to keep at it.
It's been an interesting journey, for sure. I've been to parts of Louisville I've never visited before. I've found several breathtakingly beautiful churches I'd never known about previously. And I've started to get a very good idea of exactly what I want out of a church. Not bad for a year's worth of investment, I'd say.
As I go into my second year, though, I can already see that my goals are going to be a bit different.
Goal 1 is to finish visiting all 57 Catholic churches in Louisville.
But it gets more intense from there.
Goal 2 is going to be to re-visit the churches that most appealed to me, with an eye toward choosing the church that I might want to belong to.
That's where it starts to get scary for me. Because Goal 3 is to enroll in an R.C.I.A. program at the church I decide is The One For Me. Now, of course attending an R.C.I.A. program doesn't commit you per se. But it is a huge step up.
I was baptized into the Lutheran church when I was a few days short of a month old. And I was confirmed...I'm not sure when, but I'm thinking around age eleven or twelve, which would have been my final year at Emmanuel Christian Day School. And though I continued to go to services as long as I had to, which might well have been all the way through my final year of high school (but certainly not after that), I haven't actually been a member of a church since then, so even the most generous estimate means that I've been church-less for 43 years. I went to services every now and then...especially with Jo Ann and the kids...but I never joined myself.
So, yeah, thinking about going through the R.C.I.A. process is a big deal for me.
So, yeah, thinking about going through the R.C.I.A. process is a big deal for me.
And who knows if I'll ever even get there?
So we'll leave it at that for now.
For one thing, I am far from stalwart in my commitment, and I have only a couple of people in my life who are the least bit interested in my quest for a church. From my family and most of my friends the best I get is apathy, and from many of them I get outright scorn and mockery. So much for the broad-mindedness of the liberal. And pursuing something without much support is always dicey for me. But we'll see how it goes.
Sigh.
Okay. Year Two begins. This is going to be an adventure, right?
January 1, 2019
St. James
Jacqueline wanted to go to church today, and she and Joe were with me, so it was off to St. James. I actually feel very comfortable there now, and there are even a few people who recognize me and acknowledge my existence, which is nice. In today's sermon, the priest made reference to Mary as The Theotokos, or God-Bearer. It's a term I'd heard before, but it hit me in a different way today. Yesterday I'd happened upon a segment of 60 Minutes wherein they visited Scotland's Island of Islay, where several eminent whiskeys are made. They showed how the whiskey was made, and how after the distilling process a clear fluid was produced, and then talked about how it was put into barrels to age, and how the barrels--which were previously used to store other kinds of alcohol, like wine --gave the whiskey flavor and color. No disrespect intended, but when the priest referred to Mary as The God-Bearer, I thought about Her as the barrel in which The Sacred Water...the true Aqua Vitae...was aged. It made sense to me. God becomes Man because of Mary's womb. The priest also made reference to Mary as Christ's first disciple, and talked about how at the Wedding Feast in Cana she clearly knew that Jesus was capable of miracle-making before anyone else, and even encouraged him to perform that first miracle ahead of his own schedule. I really like it when I hear a story with which I am over-familiar turned to expose a previously unseen facet.
So...St. James. You know, it is a beautiful (and old) church, and the music is always excellent--both the choir and the organ, which is played at every service I've attended for the past year. And today there was also a little flute and trumpet added in. They don't use incense, I'm sorry to say, but it is a lovely church, and I always enjoy going there.
January 6, 2019
St. Raphael
This was a modern style church...and probably the most garish example of the modern style that I've encountered.
It mimicked the three altars look of older churches, but minimized all three of them to almost ridiculous stature. The main altar was the worst of them: not only was the image of the crucified Jesus on a glitzy, sparkly backdrop, but look at the figure itself:
By depicting the figure as standing in front of--rather than hanging from--the cross, it struck me that it looked as if it had been sanitized...negating the suffering Christ and making the whole thing look rather casual. The body of Christ looks as if it were made of cheap plastic, too...almost featureless. Non-descript.
I thought that the same kind of sanitization had occurred with the stations of the cross that were hung around the sanctuary:
It looks like a Trina Robbins comic book panel--angular and false, devoid of humanity. I also find it interesting that nobody bothered to push the Christmas wreath decoration away from the standing figure here. This is one of the Stations of the Cross...but it's not worth paying that much attention to, is it?
The service itself was pretty lifeless as well. No one in the congregation sang, the music was piano only, and there didn't seem to be any life at all in the place. The sermon was primarily a report on the church's financial status. I realize that that's a necessary thing, but obviously that doesn't give a lot of opportunity for spiritual elevation...and it went on and on and on. The priest did make one comment that I thought was worthwhile: he made reference to our need to "enlarge our lives." I thought that was worth remembering. But the rest of it...no. 1 point for #6 on my list of preferences...pretty faint. I will definitely not be going back to this church.
Holy Family
I was hoping for a good experience to counter my St. Raphael morning, so I headed a few miles down the road to Holy Family. There were a couple of promising signs right at the start: I was greeted at the door, and when I walked inside I was just stunned by the front altar:
I didn't take pictures, but there were also very nice, bas relief style Stations of the Cross, and there were prayer alcoves on wither side of the church, one for Jesus and one for Mary. The rest of the church didn't seem old enough to contain those elements, so I suspect that they were brought in from a much older church at some point.
Unfortunately, it was downhill from there. It started with one of the priests coming up and talking with an obviously malfunctioning microphone. He even said, "I'm not sure if you can hear me. We were having problems with this microphone last night." You would think that with (at minimum) a twelve hour layover somebody could have corrected this. It wasn't just a minor annoyance, by the way. It was like listening to Darth Vader on a not-quite-tuned-in radio station. At the very least he could have turned the thing off and used the vocal chords God gave him.
I don't want to beat a dead horse, so I'll just say that this turned out to be the most lifeless, joyless church I've ever been inside. It was so dispiriting that I actually thought, "I should just give up on this whole stupid project." I'm glad to say that that feeling has already begun to fade away, but you can certainly bet that I won't ever return to this place. 1
Geeze, this was not a good Sunday.
January 13, 2019
St. James
Jo Ann is in Africa for three weeks, so it's going to be St. James for awhile. Which is more than okay. I like this church quite a bit, actually. And it is pretty. Could you some incense, though.
January 20, 2019
St. James
I don't know if it looks like it from this out the front door of St. James picture, but it was a VERY nasty drive through the ice and snow and unplowed roads this morning. I have to admit that I'd have probably stayed home this morning...which would have been my first Sunday church miss in 13 months...if not for Jacqueline, who sings in the St. James choir. But we made it, and it was good. Had a guest priest...Father John, whose regular beat is St. William--the only church I walked out of and do not plan to revisit. (Which had nothing to do with Father John, btw. Short version: I was harassed by a parishioner because I was "sitting in his seat.") I liked Father John a lot. The fact that he knew and greeted Joe didn't hurt, but he also gave a good sermon on the whole water into wine thing.
Good times.
January 26, 2019
St. Agnes
Jacqueline told me that it was St. Agnes's birthday last week, so we had to go to see her today for that. I looked it up and...her feast day is January 21st. My girl knows her stuff.
I've been here before, but it really hit me this time how beautiful this church is. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing...even though there was no organ music and no choir and no incense...until the sermon. It was a real grinder. The kind that makes you feel like never going to church again. A shame, as the priest seemed well-intentioned and earnest, but he was just so unrelenting, long-winded, and unenthusiastic...with a little condemnation thrown in on the side.
January 27, 2019
St. James
February 3, 2019
Most Blessed Sacrament
Saint Ignatius Martyr Church
Another two church Sunday...and once again a real study in contrasts. Most Blessed Sacrament was in a pretty grim neighborhood, but inside it was amazingly beautiful (though less than 100 years old). I think you can tell that even though my picture isn't great:
The centerpiece over the altar has a large crucifix with a marble background, and there are small altars to the right and left featuring statues of Jesus and the holy family which also have that dark marble background. I was ready to be impressed. But it was downhill from there. The priest had an Indian accent that was so thick that I couldn't understand him most of the time...and I am guessing that I wasn't alone in this, since he used a projector and screen during his sermon. The screen was packed into a long box that sat in front of the altar, and when he was ready for the sermon he hit a button and the screen rose up out of the box. I'm not sure how that happened. And then he wheeled a little cart with a projector on it over and had at it. He also used a laser pointer. When he finished the sermon, he played a little video about St. Blaise, and said that he was the patron saint of throats. Good to know. There was an organ (yeah!) but, unfortunately, the organist was either stunningly old or a novice, as there were many, many wrong notes, and every song was played (I kid thee not) at half speed. There was also a small choir...three or four people (they were seated in back and up in the choir loft, so I just caught a few glimpses), and they were out of key quite regularly, too. And the congregation did not sing at all. It was a stunningly terrible service.
I think I'd have to call this an absolute 0 on my preferences scale...so, needless to say, I shan't be returning. I think I need to make a gif of shaking the dust from my sandals.
Most Blessed Sacrament was also almost completely white. I saw two black people sitting behind me, but I'm pretty sure that was it. So the first big contrast with Saint Ignatius Martyr Church was the diversity factor. Saint Ignatius was at least 60% Black...and there were at least three other races represented (Mexican, Japanese, and White). And I was greeted warmly by a couple of people when I entered. It was also pretty intimate, so I didn't feel comfortable taking any pictures, but it was kind of pretty in a scaled down way. It reminded me of St. Williams, but without the personal harassment angle. The music was Blacked up, which I liked, but which meant that (1) I had a hard time singing along with it, since the melodies were all changed at least a bit, and (2) it was all piano. With some drum. One disconcerting thing: even though the congregation was majority Black, the depictions of Christ on the walls were White, both of the priests were white, the person leading the singing was white, and one of the two readers was white. I never caught a glimpse of the piano player, but there was a little choir, and most of them were White, too. The sermon was pretty good. It started with both priests putting on cowboy hats and facing off against each other (with a little piano thrum for effect) and went to a "Get out of Dodge" line which had the elder priest walk out of the church. A different tone, for sure. And from there it went into some good directions. Not really my cup of tea, but I think it worked for most of the people in the congregation.
So...at least it was friendly and alive, right? So 6, 7, 8, and 9 on my personal preference scale, for a grand total of 4 . Which means that I won't be going back...but I kind of enjoyed myself, at least.
Jacqueline told me that it was St. Agnes's birthday last week, so we had to go to see her today for that. I looked it up and...her feast day is January 21st. My girl knows her stuff.
I've been here before, but it really hit me this time how beautiful this church is. I was feeling pretty good about the whole thing...even though there was no organ music and no choir and no incense...until the sermon. It was a real grinder. The kind that makes you feel like never going to church again. A shame, as the priest seemed well-intentioned and earnest, but he was just so unrelenting, long-winded, and unenthusiastic...with a little condemnation thrown in on the side.
January 27, 2019
St. James
February 3, 2019
Most Blessed Sacrament
Saint Ignatius Martyr Church
Another two church Sunday...and once again a real study in contrasts. Most Blessed Sacrament was in a pretty grim neighborhood, but inside it was amazingly beautiful (though less than 100 years old). I think you can tell that even though my picture isn't great:
The centerpiece over the altar has a large crucifix with a marble background, and there are small altars to the right and left featuring statues of Jesus and the holy family which also have that dark marble background. I was ready to be impressed. But it was downhill from there. The priest had an Indian accent that was so thick that I couldn't understand him most of the time...and I am guessing that I wasn't alone in this, since he used a projector and screen during his sermon. The screen was packed into a long box that sat in front of the altar, and when he was ready for the sermon he hit a button and the screen rose up out of the box. I'm not sure how that happened. And then he wheeled a little cart with a projector on it over and had at it. He also used a laser pointer. When he finished the sermon, he played a little video about St. Blaise, and said that he was the patron saint of throats. Good to know. There was an organ (yeah!) but, unfortunately, the organist was either stunningly old or a novice, as there were many, many wrong notes, and every song was played (I kid thee not) at half speed. There was also a small choir...three or four people (they were seated in back and up in the choir loft, so I just caught a few glimpses), and they were out of key quite regularly, too. And the congregation did not sing at all. It was a stunningly terrible service.
I think I'd have to call this an absolute 0 on my preferences scale...so, needless to say, I shan't be returning. I think I need to make a gif of shaking the dust from my sandals.
Most Blessed Sacrament was also almost completely white. I saw two black people sitting behind me, but I'm pretty sure that was it. So the first big contrast with Saint Ignatius Martyr Church was the diversity factor. Saint Ignatius was at least 60% Black...and there were at least three other races represented (Mexican, Japanese, and White). And I was greeted warmly by a couple of people when I entered. It was also pretty intimate, so I didn't feel comfortable taking any pictures, but it was kind of pretty in a scaled down way. It reminded me of St. Williams, but without the personal harassment angle. The music was Blacked up, which I liked, but which meant that (1) I had a hard time singing along with it, since the melodies were all changed at least a bit, and (2) it was all piano. With some drum. One disconcerting thing: even though the congregation was majority Black, the depictions of Christ on the walls were White, both of the priests were white, the person leading the singing was white, and one of the two readers was white. I never caught a glimpse of the piano player, but there was a little choir, and most of them were White, too. The sermon was pretty good. It started with both priests putting on cowboy hats and facing off against each other (with a little piano thrum for effect) and went to a "Get out of Dodge" line which had the elder priest walk out of the church. A different tone, for sure. And from there it went into some good directions. Not really my cup of tea, but I think it worked for most of the people in the congregation.
So...at least it was friendly and alive, right? So 6, 7, 8, and 9 on my personal preference scale, for a grand total of 4 . Which means that I won't be going back...but I kind of enjoyed myself, at least.
February 10, 2019
St. James
February 17, 2019
Holy Trinity
Kind of funny that it took me so long to get around to visiting Holy Trinity, as it is one of the Catholic Churches closest to home. But I didn't even know it existed until a little while ago.
It was a nice church. I really liked the fact that when you walked into the building, there was a really long entryway...like a building or two's worth (literally). It gave you a sense of approaching something set apart from the world, which is the way I see churches. And inside the church was pretty impressive as well.
Modern, but nice. Except for the ceiling. It was so low that it made me feel like I was underground. There was a nice baptismal font near the entrance to the church...
...and I was lucky enough to see it get used. Twice. I really like seeing kids baptized. For one thing, because I don't get to see babies very often. For another thing, I think people are at their best in that kind of situation.
As for the rest of it...well. There was an organ which was used on a song or two, but alas, it was more Wurlitzer than Cathedral. And the congregation was pretty lifeless. Not much singing. I wasn't greeted by anyone. The sermon was okay...well-intentioned...but one of the focal points was on how happy the poor are...and there were quite a few Lexuses in the parking lot, knowhatimsayin?
It was a nice church. I really liked the fact that when you walked into the building, there was a really long entryway...like a building or two's worth (literally). It gave you a sense of approaching something set apart from the world, which is the way I see churches. And inside the church was pretty impressive as well.
Modern, but nice. Except for the ceiling. It was so low that it made me feel like I was underground. There was a nice baptismal font near the entrance to the church...
...and I was lucky enough to see it get used. Twice. I really like seeing kids baptized. For one thing, because I don't get to see babies very often. For another thing, I think people are at their best in that kind of situation.
As for the rest of it...well. There was an organ which was used on a song or two, but alas, it was more Wurlitzer than Cathedral. And the congregation was pretty lifeless. Not much singing. I wasn't greeted by anyone. The sermon was okay...well-intentioned...but one of the focal points was on how happy the poor are...and there were quite a few Lexuses in the parking lot, knowhatimsayin?
So not my cup of tea, just a token (6) for 1 point on my preference scale.
HOWEVER...when the lady in front of me turned around for the sign of peace, it was Patty W., for whom I used to work. So that was nice. We greeted, then hung around and chatted for a bit after church. This is only the third time I've run into someone I know in my church journeys.
HOWEVER...when the lady in front of me turned around for the sign of peace, it was Patty W., for whom I used to work. So that was nice. We greeted, then hung around and chatted for a bit after church. This is only the third time I've run into someone I know in my church journeys.
February 24, 2019
Holy Name
I almost talked myself into giving church a pass this morning...which would have been the first miss miss in 14 months. With good reason: this time yesterday I was waiting to be released from the cardiac floor of Baptist East Hospital, and I was feeling a little weary and overwhelmed. (Long story, not to be told here.) But I decided to have a go for it, and made the moderately long (17 minutes) trip to the Just Slightly North of the North End of the South End of Louisville. I got there really early...like almost an hour, so I had a little time to look around outside, then I went up the front steps to try the door. It was locked. I moved to the second door, and just as I reached for it I heard it unlock, and there was a nice woman (Counselo) who welcomed me into the church, talked to me for a few minutes, and then got busy. One of the advantages of being so early is that not only did I get to really have a look at the church...which I feel a bit shy about doing when there are other worshippers...but I also got to take pictures a little more carefully, so they came out a bit clearer than is my usual won't. And this was a really beautiful church, for sure. Counselo told me that it was founded in the mid-1800s, and that they had been in the current building for about 100 years. And you could tell. It was a beauty from the outside--
--and even more so on the inside (wait for it). But directly across the street from the church this is what you find:
Which is at least a little bit discomfiting.
Here are some of the highlights of the inside of the church:
I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but the back wall of the altar is in part a huge marble edifice...probably twenty feet high, maybe more. And though it wasn't used in the service (alas), in the back of the church was a beautiful organ:
Something else I loved...and which I have only seen in one other church to date (St. Joseph's)...was that they had angels at the ends of the first pews when you entered the church:
I also had a bit of a laugh when I used the restroom when I saw this:
Yowza. Things you didn't think you had to tell people.
As for the rest of the visit...I was greeted by Counselo and by the assistant priest (who made his way through the church before the service, greeting everyone warmly), but that was it. Very cold church. And other than the music minister and the aforesaid assistant priest, there was literally NO ONE singing throughout the entire service. (Well, I gave it my best shot, as that's one of my rules, but I was unfamiliar with some of the songs and couldn't seem to find my way.) I am pretty sure that I've run into the main priest--who did the sermon--elsewhere, and he was okay. He gave a nice little sermon about how we try to be ideal Christians, but as human beings we fail, and it's the fact that we keep on trying that makes us worthy of salvation. Oddly enough he made reference to the story of the Thief on the Cross as being one of his favorite stories, because to him it meant that it was never too late to ramp it up. I kind of hate that story...pretty much for the same reason. I suppose I'm missing the point, but it just seems unfair, y'know? (I never liked that late worker in the vineyard story, either.)
So on my personal preference scale...yes to 1, 2, 6...that's it, I'm sorry to say. 3
March 3, 2019
Incarnation
Decided today would be the day for this planned double header:
* 8 Incarnation 21 minutes southwest 9 and 11 am Sunday 9 minute drive to
* 9 St. Peter the Apostle 27 minutes southwest 8 am or 11:30 am Sunday
Almost had to break my rule about entering church late this morning, though. Got off to a slightly late start due to waiting for the kids's mom to arrive and since I had chosen a church pretty much as far from my house as it gets. But it still looked good on paper, so I thought I'd give it a try. When I pulled into the parking lot for Incarnation, there were still two minutes showing before mass time. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong door to go into, and there standing in front of me were all of the people assembled to proceed into the church. I really thought about turning around and going back to my car, but decided that that was silly, and besides, the church service hadn't actually begun, had it? So I waited until the procession went in, and then found a seat in a back pew. It was a moderately pretty little church, although in the newer style. Not very adorned, just a simple stone backdrop up front with a crucified Jesus hanging on it...
...some Stations of the Cross which were pretty flat against the walls, and I think that was about it. I'm not 100% sure, but it looked like the candles on the altar were actually electric. I found that strangely disconcerting. Not only was there no organ in the church area, but I don't even think there was room for one. I guess that indicates something about when the church was built. The piano player was actually quite good, though. He played very soulfully, and had a big sound. There was no choir, but the congregation did sing a little bit. They also seemed pretty friendly. The sign of the peace, for instance, went on for quite a long time. When I say friendly, though, I do not mean friendly to me. I did get two signs of peace, one from a little kid who was sitting in front of me and one from an old man who was sitting next to me. But that was it. In fact, that was the limit of my interaction with other human beings during the service. The sermon was pretty good. It was also delivered by a man who I could understand easily, which is always a plus. Not a church I will ever go back to, and only a 2 on my personal preferences skill, but not a bad experience. Just a mundane one.
And then it was off to St. Peter the Apostle, which was only nine minutes down the road. Unfortunately, I misread the schedule, so instead of the service starting at 10:30, which would have been a pretty perfect fit, it actually started at 11:30.
I thought pretty hard about going through with it once I hit the parking lot and realized what time the service began, but convenience wipes the resolute butt of boredom, as the poet said, so I decided to sit in my car, perhaps finish reading Love's Labour's Lost, which I did not manage to finish by last night's deadline...and perhaps dictate some notes for my Loosing My Religion Part Deux blog post. I did check to see if there were any other churches in the area with a 10:30 or even an 11 mass, but there really wasn't anything that wasn't a fur piece off. I did consider Christ the King pretty seriously, but not only was it fairly far from St. Peter, but I'm also still feeling pretty intimidated about going there. I have had nothing but good experiences in the predominantly black churches I've been in, but I have to admit that is still difficult to be the white guy. Even when it's not a bad thing, it is still a hard thing. Imagine how hard it is to be a black person when you are in virtually all white gatherings so many times. In fact, at Incarnation, there were only two black people in the congregation.
Anyway. Finished all the notes for today you see above. Finished reading Love's Labour's Lost. Still went into the church 30 minutes early. Surprisingly, though, the place was aflutter and abuzz. There was a long walk in...big entrance hallway with lots of little rooms shooting off to the sides, and when I got to the narthex it was actually crowded. Many of the people chatting there were speaking in Spanish, but it still seemed like a predominantly white church...though I did notice that they do an earlier mass in Spanish.
The church itself was pretty impressive. It was big, full of light...
...and had some nice "old touches"...like this...
...and this...
.
March 10, 2019
St. James
March 17, 2019
Saint Luke
2. The design of the front of the church was cool, with the window in the shape of the cross and then a large crucifix in the cross part:
But other than that, this was a really unpleasant place to be for fifty minutes. The congregation looked really unhappy, and they exemplified this by refusing to sing at all. Seriously, I forgot to pick up a hymnal on my way in, so I was looking around while the singing was going on, and I can attest to the fact that not a single person not in the choir sang any of the hymns. And the choir was led by a woman who seemed well-intentioned, but who hit a lot of wrong notes. And it seemed like everyone was in a rush to get this chore over with. The service lasted 50 minutes, 5 of which were the sermon. Not a good place, my friends.
March 24, 2019
Saint Martin de Porres
March 30, 2019
Saint Therese
Here are some of the highlights of the inside of the church:
I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but the back wall of the altar is in part a huge marble edifice...probably twenty feet high, maybe more. And though it wasn't used in the service (alas), in the back of the church was a beautiful organ:
Something else I loved...and which I have only seen in one other church to date (St. Joseph's)...was that they had angels at the ends of the first pews when you entered the church:
As you can see, they've taken some hits over the years, but still, I loved seeing them. It made me wish Jacqueline had been along for the ride.
One last thing. Every Catholic church I've been in has displayed the stations of the cross is one way or another, but the more modern churches tend to have bas relief or even flatter figures, and the figures tend to be stylized. Which is fine...but it's not my favorite depiction. Holy Name had some of the most beautiful Stations that I've ever seen:
I also had a bit of a laugh when I used the restroom when I saw this:
Yowza. Things you didn't think you had to tell people.
As for the rest of the visit...I was greeted by Counselo and by the assistant priest (who made his way through the church before the service, greeting everyone warmly), but that was it. Very cold church. And other than the music minister and the aforesaid assistant priest, there was literally NO ONE singing throughout the entire service. (Well, I gave it my best shot, as that's one of my rules, but I was unfamiliar with some of the songs and couldn't seem to find my way.) I am pretty sure that I've run into the main priest--who did the sermon--elsewhere, and he was okay. He gave a nice little sermon about how we try to be ideal Christians, but as human beings we fail, and it's the fact that we keep on trying that makes us worthy of salvation. Oddly enough he made reference to the story of the Thief on the Cross as being one of his favorite stories, because to him it meant that it was never too late to ramp it up. I kind of hate that story...pretty much for the same reason. I suppose I'm missing the point, but it just seems unfair, y'know? (I never liked that late worker in the vineyard story, either.)
So on my personal preference scale...yes to 1, 2, 6...that's it, I'm sorry to say. 3
March 3, 2019
Incarnation
Decided today would be the day for this planned double header:
* 8 Incarnation 21 minutes southwest 9 and 11 am Sunday 9 minute drive to
* 9 St. Peter the Apostle 27 minutes southwest 8 am or 11:30 am Sunday
Almost had to break my rule about entering church late this morning, though. Got off to a slightly late start due to waiting for the kids's mom to arrive and since I had chosen a church pretty much as far from my house as it gets. But it still looked good on paper, so I thought I'd give it a try. When I pulled into the parking lot for Incarnation, there were still two minutes showing before mass time. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong door to go into, and there standing in front of me were all of the people assembled to proceed into the church. I really thought about turning around and going back to my car, but decided that that was silly, and besides, the church service hadn't actually begun, had it? So I waited until the procession went in, and then found a seat in a back pew. It was a moderately pretty little church, although in the newer style. Not very adorned, just a simple stone backdrop up front with a crucified Jesus hanging on it...
...some Stations of the Cross which were pretty flat against the walls, and I think that was about it. I'm not 100% sure, but it looked like the candles on the altar were actually electric. I found that strangely disconcerting. Not only was there no organ in the church area, but I don't even think there was room for one. I guess that indicates something about when the church was built. The piano player was actually quite good, though. He played very soulfully, and had a big sound. There was no choir, but the congregation did sing a little bit. They also seemed pretty friendly. The sign of the peace, for instance, went on for quite a long time. When I say friendly, though, I do not mean friendly to me. I did get two signs of peace, one from a little kid who was sitting in front of me and one from an old man who was sitting next to me. But that was it. In fact, that was the limit of my interaction with other human beings during the service. The sermon was pretty good. It was also delivered by a man who I could understand easily, which is always a plus. Not a church I will ever go back to, and only a 2 on my personal preferences skill, but not a bad experience. Just a mundane one.
And then it was off to St. Peter the Apostle, which was only nine minutes down the road. Unfortunately, I misread the schedule, so instead of the service starting at 10:30, which would have been a pretty perfect fit, it actually started at 11:30.
I thought pretty hard about going through with it once I hit the parking lot and realized what time the service began, but convenience wipes the resolute butt of boredom, as the poet said, so I decided to sit in my car, perhaps finish reading Love's Labour's Lost, which I did not manage to finish by last night's deadline...and perhaps dictate some notes for my Loosing My Religion Part Deux blog post. I did check to see if there were any other churches in the area with a 10:30 or even an 11 mass, but there really wasn't anything that wasn't a fur piece off. I did consider Christ the King pretty seriously, but not only was it fairly far from St. Peter, but I'm also still feeling pretty intimidated about going there. I have had nothing but good experiences in the predominantly black churches I've been in, but I have to admit that is still difficult to be the white guy. Even when it's not a bad thing, it is still a hard thing. Imagine how hard it is to be a black person when you are in virtually all white gatherings so many times. In fact, at Incarnation, there were only two black people in the congregation.
Anyway. Finished all the notes for today you see above. Finished reading Love's Labour's Lost. Still went into the church 30 minutes early. Surprisingly, though, the place was aflutter and abuzz. There was a long walk in...big entrance hallway with lots of little rooms shooting off to the sides, and when I got to the narthex it was actually crowded. Many of the people chatting there were speaking in Spanish, but it still seemed like a predominantly white church...though I did notice that they do an earlier mass in Spanish.
The church itself was pretty impressive. It was big, full of light...
...and had some nice "old touches"...like this...
...and this...
.
But that was where it ended for me. Short version: one greeting, hardly any congregational singing, piano, one old man with a high voice leading songs, and an accusation sermon...from a very old guy who spent several minutes decrying the lack of manners and aforethought exhibited on social media, and I'm pretty sure that he wasn't really inhabiting that territory, so it came off as pretty thin.
I also couldn't help but notice a young kid sitting down the pew from me. He looked like a high schooler, seemed like a nice kid. But he never sang, never recited to community prayers, never participated except to stand, kneel, and go up for communion. Ironically, at one point during the sermon he got onto his phone and checked something for a minute or two. It made me wonder what this church was doing to reach kids like him. Good kids who are willing to go along with the bullshit for whatever reason...but who are not involved, and who are not touched by what is going on around them.
So, yeah, this was a 2 for me...no, just a 11, really. Because I could understand the sermon. That's about the lowest praise you can give, isn't it? Sad, sad.
March 10, 2019
St. James
March 17, 2019
Saint Luke
The Good
1. There was a nice little alcove at the back of the church with several statues and prayer stations:
But other than that, this was a really unpleasant place to be for fifty minutes. The congregation looked really unhappy, and they exemplified this by refusing to sing at all. Seriously, I forgot to pick up a hymnal on my way in, so I was looking around while the singing was going on, and I can attest to the fact that not a single person not in the choir sang any of the hymns. And the choir was led by a woman who seemed well-intentioned, but who hit a lot of wrong notes. And it seemed like everyone was in a rush to get this chore over with. The service lasted 50 minutes, 5 of which were the sermon. Not a good place, my friends.
March 24, 2019
Saint Martin de Porres
There were two white guys in the congregation at St. Martin de Porres this morning: me and one one the priests. But I have never felt less like an outsider. I was greeted at least four times on my way in, and even had a little conversation with one nice lady. During the sign of peace there were about a dozen people who sought me out. And after they asked visitors to stand (I was the only one), a little girl brought me a Greetings Baggie:
Well...THAT's never happened before. And something else that has only happened one other time happened: after the service, a woman told me that she hoped that I would come back. Also, after I (hesitantly) stood up to be greeted, the guy at the lecturn said that he hoped that if I didn't have a parish, I would come back to St. Martin.
And the service? Well, it was a tad bit long...90 minutes...but that was okay. What made it long was the extra singing. Which was piano / piano organ, but that fit with the music, which was gospel-y. And the choir was pretty small, but very impressive. They even did the "A-men, A-men, A-men, A-men, A-men" song that Sydney Poitier taught the German nuns in Lilies of the Field, which made me happy. (I have tried to get Jacqueline to incorporate that song into our night prayers many times, but she won't have any of that.) Also, the sermon was up there amongst the best that I've heard. It was centered around the idea of who Mary Magdalene was...with emphasis on the fact that she was NOT a prostitute as many people --including every New Testament Movie directer--believe. And then it extended out into other directions, with respect to putting your faith into action. But it was an intelligent sermon.
And what a beautiful old church. The building wasn't quite 100 years old--I think the cornerstone said 1927--but (1) close enough and (2)
A real beauty. So on my Personal Preference scale...no organ and no incense, but everything else I'm looking for was here, so 7.
March 30, 2019
Saint Therese
This church only has mass 4:00 Saturday and then daily masses (which don't really count, right?), so it was hard to get there given my schedule. But today I had the chance and went for it.
It was quite a beauty. In fact, the exterior--
--looks downright old world. What you can't tell from this official picture, though, is that several panes in those second story windows are broken out. (It was raining today, so I didn't get my own pictures of the exterior.) Which is a shame. It was also quite the beauty on the inside. When I got there there were already quite a few people in the sanctuary, so I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures, but I did do a couple of quick videos...of the beautiful ceiling:
...and of the front of the church:
It was a really old congregation...and despite the encouragement of the lead singer person, most of them didn't sing at all. The priest was a familiar face, though: the guy I loved from St. Elizabeth of Hungary and Our Lady of Sorrows. Also, I saw an old friend from Ballard, but didn't have a chance to chat it up with her.
All in all...pretty church, good service which included organ music, but no life in the congregation. And no incense. 5 for me.
March 31, 2019
Saint Michael
And even more unfortunately, it wasn't filled with anything that I wanted or needed. There were some nice aspects to the service. For instance, the entrance hall actually opened out onto the altar / sanctuary area. I made a detour so that I could come in from the side, but I saw that many of the regulars just tromped right on through. Kind of weird, but kind of nice in a way, too. Also nice, the priest came out before the service and asked if anybody had a birthday coming up this week. One kid did, and the whole congregation sang happy birthday to her. Also, during the sermon the priest alluded to the fact that the stained glass windows which ran around the top of the church were patterned after the colors of the rainbow in order to represent the covenant with God. I'm not big on the rainbow story, but I do like symbolic architecture. And lastly, the music was a bit thin...you guessed it, piano...but it was accompanied by a clarinet, which really bodied up the sound. On the negative side, there were no hymnals, just little booklets handed out at the door. It just seems so disposable, you know? And wasteful, quite honestly. So I don't like that approach. I was greeted three times, which isn't bad, but two of those were from the two kids who were handing out the little booklets, and the other was just a guy who was passing as I went in, and I didn't get the feeling that he meant anything friendly by it. For the sign of peace I got two...from the people immediately in front of me. All in all, pretty cold. And nobody sang. I only sang a little bit myself, but because I didn't pick up one of the little bulletins, and by the time I realized I needed one it was too late. So...not a church for me. Sure was a church for a lot of people, though...must have been at least a couple of hundred in the congregation, which made it somewhere just past one half full. 1
And then I drove across town to--
Saint Thomas More
--which is, by the way, My Last South End Church. Unless I re-visit one, and so far as I can remember without looking at my notes, there is no chance of that happening. Almost every South End Church that I have visited has been (1) modern, (2) relatively void of ornament, (3) lacking in enthusiasm, especially in terms of people not singing, and (4) unfriendly. And that isn't what I am looking for, for sure.
But Thomas More was an interesting place on some counts. For one thing, it had a very diverse congregation. I went from a building full of white people to a much smaller church with people from four different races...possibly more, as I don't have a keen eye for discerning all of the nuances of race.
Also, there was some warmth in the people. Not towards me, but definitely in terms of how they interacted with each other.
March 31, 2019
Saint Michael
What a big church. Unfortunately, big like a basketball arena...which it really resembled. I mean, check out this ceiling:
And even more unfortunately, it wasn't filled with anything that I wanted or needed. There were some nice aspects to the service. For instance, the entrance hall actually opened out onto the altar / sanctuary area. I made a detour so that I could come in from the side, but I saw that many of the regulars just tromped right on through. Kind of weird, but kind of nice in a way, too. Also nice, the priest came out before the service and asked if anybody had a birthday coming up this week. One kid did, and the whole congregation sang happy birthday to her. Also, during the sermon the priest alluded to the fact that the stained glass windows which ran around the top of the church were patterned after the colors of the rainbow in order to represent the covenant with God. I'm not big on the rainbow story, but I do like symbolic architecture. And lastly, the music was a bit thin...you guessed it, piano...but it was accompanied by a clarinet, which really bodied up the sound. On the negative side, there were no hymnals, just little booklets handed out at the door. It just seems so disposable, you know? And wasteful, quite honestly. So I don't like that approach. I was greeted three times, which isn't bad, but two of those were from the two kids who were handing out the little booklets, and the other was just a guy who was passing as I went in, and I didn't get the feeling that he meant anything friendly by it. For the sign of peace I got two...from the people immediately in front of me. All in all, pretty cold. And nobody sang. I only sang a little bit myself, but because I didn't pick up one of the little bulletins, and by the time I realized I needed one it was too late. So...not a church for me. Sure was a church for a lot of people, though...must have been at least a couple of hundred in the congregation, which made it somewhere just past one half full. 1
Saint Thomas More
--which is, by the way, My Last South End Church. Unless I re-visit one, and so far as I can remember without looking at my notes, there is no chance of that happening. Almost every South End Church that I have visited has been (1) modern, (2) relatively void of ornament, (3) lacking in enthusiasm, especially in terms of people not singing, and (4) unfriendly. And that isn't what I am looking for, for sure.
But Thomas More was an interesting place on some counts. For one thing, it had a very diverse congregation. I went from a building full of white people to a much smaller church with people from four different races...possibly more, as I don't have a keen eye for discerning all of the nuances of race.
Also, there was some warmth in the people. Not towards me, but definitely in terms of how they interacted with each other.
I wonder if this building was something else before it was a church. It just didn't seem church-like. Just a big rectangular building...kind of more like a warehouse. And so little light.
April 6, 2019
I just drove to...and past...St John Vianney Catholic Church. For the second time.
This time felt different, though. The first time felt like a failure. Like the thought of entering a church I'd never even seen before, and then being amongst a congregation that was almost completely of a different race (Vietnamese), was too much for me. I just didn't have the wherewithal to do it. But this time it felt like the end. Like maybe I wouldn't even bother going to a mass tomorrow morning, either.
I haven't missed going to a church service in 64 weeks. But driving home from St. John Vianney today all I could think was, Why bother?
I'm sure that part of this is just the usual: depression is a constant companion, and there are times when it becomes so huge that I can't even see around it. I would never commit suicide because of what it would do to my children, but there are times when I can't see much of anything else. And this is one of those times, for sure.
But it's more than that, too. I'm almost at the end of my attempt to visit every Archdiocese of Louisville church in Jefferson County (only lacking the aforementioned St. John, St. Augustine, and Christ the King)...and I do a whole lot better with being on the journey than arriving at the destination. (Is that normal? I don't know. I just read a line in The Merchant of Venice wherein Gratiano says (to Salarino), "All things that are, / Are with more spirit chased then enjoy'd." So I guess Shake-speare's with me, at least.) And I hate to say it, because I think that at my age I should be self-sufficient, but the truth is that the fact that nobody in my circle of family and friends gives one gram of shit about my attempt to find a church is really weighing on me. And I think that really hit me full force today.
So I guess we'll see how tomorrow feels.
April 7, 2019
For the first time since January 7, 2018, I didn't go to church this morning. I just didn't have it in me. I was talking to Pat about this, and she actually cared...but I don't think she really got what I was feeling. Which isn't surprising, as I'm not sure that I get what I'm feeling. I know part of it is just feeling intimidated and shy, for sure. But I've felt that lots of times with respect to visiting these strange churches, and that has never brought me to a complete halt before. (Though there have been a half-dozen times when I drove to a church and didn't go in.) I know that a big part of it is knowing that this whole journey doesn't mean anything to most of my friends and all of my family, and that has been bothering me a lot of late. I just want somebody to be interested, you know? But as the day wore on, I wondered if another factor was also at play. This quest has been a really significant part of my life for 1.25 years...and now it's almost over. Maybe part of me just doesn't want it to be over? Like the Desmond character in Lost who saved one Dickens novel so he'd never be finished with Dickens. Something about that feels at least a little bit true. But it'll be a moot point for a couple of weeks, as I'll be taking the kids to St. James next week. And then I guess we'll see what happens.
April 14, 2019
St. James
Palm Sunday.
April 21, 2019
Easter Sunday.
I'd planned on going to St. Martin of Tours, since that was one of my favorite churches and I thought that they would really do it up for Easter...but I just couldn't make it out the door. A vast and unrelenting sadness has descended upon me, and I can only get out from under it when the kids are around. And they're not around right now.
So.
April 28, 2019
No church.
May 5, 2019
No church.
April 6, 2019
I just drove to...and past...St John Vianney Catholic Church. For the second time.
This time felt different, though. The first time felt like a failure. Like the thought of entering a church I'd never even seen before, and then being amongst a congregation that was almost completely of a different race (Vietnamese), was too much for me. I just didn't have the wherewithal to do it. But this time it felt like the end. Like maybe I wouldn't even bother going to a mass tomorrow morning, either.
I haven't missed going to a church service in 64 weeks. But driving home from St. John Vianney today all I could think was, Why bother?
I'm sure that part of this is just the usual: depression is a constant companion, and there are times when it becomes so huge that I can't even see around it. I would never commit suicide because of what it would do to my children, but there are times when I can't see much of anything else. And this is one of those times, for sure.
But it's more than that, too. I'm almost at the end of my attempt to visit every Archdiocese of Louisville church in Jefferson County (only lacking the aforementioned St. John, St. Augustine, and Christ the King)...and I do a whole lot better with being on the journey than arriving at the destination. (Is that normal? I don't know. I just read a line in The Merchant of Venice wherein Gratiano says (to Salarino), "All things that are, / Are with more spirit chased then enjoy'd." So I guess Shake-speare's with me, at least.) And I hate to say it, because I think that at my age I should be self-sufficient, but the truth is that the fact that nobody in my circle of family and friends gives one gram of shit about my attempt to find a church is really weighing on me. And I think that really hit me full force today.
So I guess we'll see how tomorrow feels.
April 7, 2019
For the first time since January 7, 2018, I didn't go to church this morning. I just didn't have it in me. I was talking to Pat about this, and she actually cared...but I don't think she really got what I was feeling. Which isn't surprising, as I'm not sure that I get what I'm feeling. I know part of it is just feeling intimidated and shy, for sure. But I've felt that lots of times with respect to visiting these strange churches, and that has never brought me to a complete halt before. (Though there have been a half-dozen times when I drove to a church and didn't go in.) I know that a big part of it is knowing that this whole journey doesn't mean anything to most of my friends and all of my family, and that has been bothering me a lot of late. I just want somebody to be interested, you know? But as the day wore on, I wondered if another factor was also at play. This quest has been a really significant part of my life for 1.25 years...and now it's almost over. Maybe part of me just doesn't want it to be over? Like the Desmond character in Lost who saved one Dickens novel so he'd never be finished with Dickens. Something about that feels at least a little bit true. But it'll be a moot point for a couple of weeks, as I'll be taking the kids to St. James next week. And then I guess we'll see what happens.
April 14, 2019
St. James
Palm Sunday.
April 21, 2019
Easter Sunday.
I'd planned on going to St. Martin of Tours, since that was one of my favorite churches and I thought that they would really do it up for Easter...but I just couldn't make it out the door. A vast and unrelenting sadness has descended upon me, and I can only get out from under it when the kids are around. And they're not around right now.
So.
April 28, 2019
No church.
May 5, 2019
No church.
St. Martin de Porres 7
St. Therese 5
St. Ignatius Marytr 4
St. Therese 5
St. Ignatius Marytr 4
Holy Name 3
St. Thomas More 3
St. Thomas More 3
Incarnation 2
St. Michael 1
St. Michael 1
St. Raphael 1
Holy Family 1
Holy Trinity 1
St. Peter the Apostle 1
St. Luke 1
St. Luke 1
Most Blessed Sacrament 0
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1/6 (2) 1/1 1/26
1/13
1/20
1/27
2/3 (2)
2/10
2/17
2/24
3/3 (2)
3/10
3/17
3/24 3/30
3/31 (2)
4/14
January = 7 services
February = 5 services
March = 8 services
1/13
1/20
1/27
2/3 (2)
2/10
2/17
2/24
3/3 (2)
3/10
3/17
3/24 3/30
3/31 (2)
4/14
January = 7 services
February = 5 services
March = 8 services
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