My Best Experience in a Catholic Church

[Singinbeauty]

I was thinking about my days in the youth choir that I belonged to when I was in high school and a particular memory shot to the front. We went to Montana on a summer tour and while there we visited a catholic church ( :bigyikes: Protestants visiting a catholic church as a field trip!!! ) and sang ‘As The Deer’ in acappella there in the church. Oh it was beautiful. I have pictures of the church and the aucustics were breathtaking. This is probably the only time I have stepped into a catholic church (although I do plan to go one of these Sundays ) but it was a wonderful experience… I just wanted to share that with y’all.

 

[johnshelby]

well, it’s not my best experience, but my first experience
in a Catholic church was St. Ann’s in Pensacola, FL.
around 6 years ago…

they do a Christmas display every year, and i went to
see the lights… i decided to go into the chapel… i was totally
overcome with the Spirit…

that’s when i started ‘studying’ the Catholic church…

 

[RiverRock]

Yes, please, please, please go to Mass one of these days! You can also go on a Saturday night, then it won’t interfere with your regular church schedule. Go with as open of a mind as you can. Go with a Catholic friend if you can and try to follow along in the Missal. Let the Holy Spirit whisper to your heart and you may hear something you’ve never heard before. Notice the reverence to Jesus, the beauty of the building and the beautiful art (if the Church you end up going in has that!) Notice when the priest consecrates the hosts how he uses Jesus’ words “This is my body, etc.” I actually tear up at this point every Sunday. You can’t actually take communion at this point, but you can probably go up for a blessing if you want. You can sit and pray a spiritual communion with Jesus-and with everybody there. Hear the scripture readings (Yes, Actual Scripture-being read in Church!) Of course, Mary is there, but it’s all about her son. She’d tell you that herself. Feel the ancient church settle into your bones and the way it reaches back 2000 years. Since you are a singer, the chior could probably use you. Sing to the Glory of God. If you don’t know the motions and responses, don’t worry about it. Nobody will mind. When I started going to a Catholic church, I considered myself “Catholic”, but there were many incorrect notions I brought with me. One by one, they slipped away and the beauty and power of the ancient Church got me. I can never leave. Sorry, I’ll end my sermon now. If you go, please let us know how it went.

 

[Della]

Before I entered the Catholic Church I used to visit a German Catholic Church near work on my way home. It had a blue ceiling with stars and an ornate tabernacle (although I didn’t know what it was), lots of stained glass windows and realistic statues. I used to sit closest to the statue of Jesus (Sacred Heart as I later learned) and pray for a while.

One afternoon an older woman came up the aisle to the Jesus statue, lit a candle, and then in one fluid motion kissed the tips of her fingers and touched the outstretched hand of the statue while looking reverently up into its eyes. Then she quietly slipped into a pew to pray. That simple gesture made me realize that the woman didn’t think of the statue as a god, but as a way of drawing close to Jesus.

My anti-Catholic bias died then and there. It was many years before I even explored the teachings of the Church, but that one woman’s simple expression of piety started my feet on the road to Rome. I’ve thought of that parish and of that woman often and have given thanks to God that the parish left their church open to all, and for that one woman’s unconscious witness to her faith.

 

[mylo]

Singinbeauty:

I was thinking about my days in the youth choir that I belonged to when I was in high school and a particular memory shot to the front. We went to Montana on a summer tour and while there we visited a catholic church ( :bigyikes: Protestants visiting a catholic church as a field trip?!?!?! ) and sang ‘As The Deer’ in acappella there in the church.

waves from Montana

My best experience in a Catholic church was walking into one for the first time and knowing flat out, this is where God wants me to be.

 

[riverman]

I am a cradle Catholic and went to Catholic elementary school. My greatest moment in a Catholic Church was less than 1-year ago. I am 30 now. It is when my wife recieved the “Grand Slam!” She was baptized, recieved her first cummunion, Confirmed, and married me all in one day! We were married civilly for 10 years before but we needed to have it done for God. I will never forget that day! Neither will she! Thanks to God for such a great Church!

 

[RiverRock]

riverman:

I am a cradle Catholic and went to Catholic elementary school. My greatest moment in a Catholic Church was less than 1-year ago. I am 30 now. It is when my wife recieved the “Grand Slam!” She was baptized, recieved her first cummunion, Confirmed, and married me all in one day! We were married civilly for 10 years before but we needed to have it done for God. I will never forget that day! Neither will she! Thanks to God for such a great Church!

I was baptized, but not cradle. We were married civilly for 13 years and and came into the Church formally a year ago in November. Yes, it was a day I won’t forget. All those years waiting to be able to partake in the body of Christ. It was agony waiting. Congratulations!

 

[Serviam]

Three years ago,my Son-in-law recieved the Big Three:Baptism,Confirmation,and Holy Communion, but the one that tops all that happened when I was only 8 years old. The Pastor of our church made a life-long impression on me when he became quite ill one morning right after beginning Mass, yet he gave out communion at the communion rail to an entire church full of grade schoolers before going to the hospital. He was quite pale and in obvious pain yet considered the Eucharist more important than anything else.
I never forgot that Act of Faith!

 

[brotherhrolf]

In 1992, my parish, St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge, celebrated its 200th anniversary. We had a brand new organ “Providence” and a brand new choir loft (since they renovated the Cathedral way back in the 60s and, ahem, tore out the old one). There was an eccelesiatical “cast of thousands” so to speak. The Cardinal Archbishop of Lyon, France; The Archbishop of Salamanca, Spain, Archbishop Schulte of New Orleans, our beloved Bishop Stanley J. Ott (who was dieing of cancer at the time), retired NO Archbishop Hannan, and all the other Bishops of Louisiana plus Archbishop Borders of Baltimore who had served as a priest at the cathedral. Well, it was all overwhelming. Unfortunately the Mass was in English although the choir sang parts of Tomas Luis deVittoria’s “Missa: O Quam Gloriosam es Regnam”. Brass, tympani, etc. At the end of the Mass, the Cardinal Archbishop of Lyon gave the Apostolic Blessing in LATIN! (Dah, da, Daaaaahhhh!). No one expected this ----you know - Adjutorium Nostrum in Nomine Domini? Very few in the congregation, some of the priests (very sadly) and about 5 of us in the choir knew the response…I’m not bragging. I hadn’t heard that since I was a altar boy preVII. It electrified me. It really did. It made me realize just how much we have lost. Had it been 1962, everyone could have answered.

 

[puzzleannie]

we drive thru BR on our trips back and forth from Ohio to Texas specifically to visit the cathedral, hear your fine organ and share coffee and donuts with the street people after Mass. Some of my favorite moments have involved organ music, specifically at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit where I attended my first Easter vigil, I was in high school and the solemnity and “completeness” of this holiest day of holy days was borne upon me.

 

[Joysong]

:clapping: :dancing: —** Beautiful sharing, Everyone!**

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**A memorable moment for me happened one day when I was distributing the Eucharist on the altar to the congregation. Unexpectedly, the choir began the hymn, “Panis Angelicus” and it was so heavenly, and utterly beautiful, that I melted into tears which flooded my face. I was so moved inwardly that I could not say the words, “The Body of Christ” to the communicant, nor wipe my face because I was holding the chalice. So there I stood, tears flowing, wordless, and probably causing the person to wonder why I did not speak. **

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This is my very favorite hymn, (translated, Bread of Angels), and how appropriate to hear it when I was distributing Panis Angelicus to God’s people.

---

Carole

 

[Church_Militant]

johnshelby:

well, it’s not my best experience, but my first experience
in a Catholic church was St. Ann’s in Pensacola, FL.
around 6 years ago…

they do a Christmas display every year, and i went to
see the lights… i decided to go into the chapel… i was totally
overcome with the Spirit…

that’s when i started ‘studying’ the Catholic church…

That would be THIS St. Anne’s parish in Bellview. They (and all the Gulf Coast parishes) need your prayers as we seek to recover from all the hurricane damage. We don’t know if they will be able to hold that great Christmas tradition of theirs this year. A great many trees were damaged or destroyed.

It was always beautiful and uplifting…& I miss it terribly.
Pax vobiscum,