Roanoke, VA Catholics! Advice on parish?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Scottgun
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Scottgun

Guest
Just moved to the area (although I am somewhat familiar with it). To be blunt, I’m looking for a parish with liturgy that is more solemn and less kumbaya if you know what I mean. Our Lady of Nazereth is definately the latter. St. Andrew’s is kinda in the middle. I don’t know about St. Gerard’s or Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Salem and would like you your thoughts.

I also notice a Maronite church (St. Elias). Anyone know about that?

Thanks!

Scott
 
I will be blunt, they are all less then spectacular on solemnity, though I have had no direct experiance with St. Gerard’s , I am pretty sure its not what you would be looking for. St. Elias’ has guitars during Mass, but other then that , it is as solemn as you are going to get assuming the new pastor doesn’t change that. So yeah , I suggest St. Elias’ definetely.
 
Formosus said:
I will be blunt, they are all less then spectacular on solemnity, though I have had no direct experiance with St. Gerard’s , I am pretty sure its not what you would be looking for. St. Elias’ has guitars during Mass, but other then that , it is as solemn as you are going to get assuming the new pastor doesn’t change that. So yeah , I suggest St. Elias’ definetely.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the (name removed by moderator)ut!
 
St. Elias is a Maronite Rite Catholic parish. The consecration is chanted in Aramaic. I do not live in the area but had the priviledge of attending Sunday Mass there while on a business trip a number of years ago. Beautiful liturgy! The building looks sort of middle eastern as one should expect from a rite originating in Lebanon. This was a little confusing since at the time I had not heard of that particular rite in the Catholic church. However, any doubts about it being a catholic church instantly faded when I heard the congregation saying the rosary before Mass!
 
I would definitely recommend St. Elias as well. It is by far the most reverent Mass in the area. I attended there for 2 years from the time before I converted until I moved last year. I do know that just last month they got a new priest, so I don’t know anything about him, but I would still think it would be less “kumbya” than any of the other churches in the area.
 
I lived in the Roanoke area some years ago and at the time OLPH was way out in left field. It may have changed as I understand they have made some renovations which sound a bit more conservative then what they had previously.
I never attended the Maronite parish but I have heard good things about it from some who have. A number of people who were turned off by some of the more radical changes after VII sought refuge there.
I always liked to attend St. Andrew’s because at least it looked like a Catholic church but I have heard reports that they put a grand piano in the sanctuary.

The diocese of Richmond has had a new bishop for several years. Hopefully he has been able to make some much needed changes.
 
The renovations at OLPH are better then what they had,but that doesn’t really say a lot …

Yeah I love the way St. Andrew’s looks , such a beautiful church. Now if the choir would stop sining “Gather us in” and toss the bongos out, that would be a good start. Though after the recent parish comittee meeting I have doubts of it going a good direction.
 
The renovations at OLPH are better then what they had,but that doesn’t really say a lot …

Yeah I love the way St. Andrew’s looks , such a beautiful church. Now if the choir would stop sining “Gather us in” and toss the bongos out, that would be a good start. Though after the recent parish comittee meeting I have doubts of it going a good direction.
 
Went to the Maronite church today and I hit the liturgical jackpot in a manner speaking. One of the regulars described the new priest as more “liturgically fancy” than the former one. Chant! w00t! Incense! w00t! No guitars w00t! No EMHC’s w00t!

No I just gotta learn aramaic and how to follow along. 🙂
 
If we ever move back to the Roanoke area I will definitely go to St. Elias! 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top