Carrie Bai - Church Visit #2

Church Name: St. Mary of Perpetual Help Parish

Church Address: 1039 W. 32nd Street, Chicago IL 60608

Date attended: October 25^th, 2015

Church Category: Tridentine Mass

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

I attended the 8:30am Tridentine High Mass service in Latin. The outside of the church has a huge magnificent dome shaped building. The inside is even more stunning, with many statues and icons. There was a high alter made of beautiful marble, and there was a marble aisle walkway leading up along the pews to it. The majority of the service was liturgy and prayer, all of which was in Latin. Not knowing Latin myself, I struggled through this, and there was no translation in the bulletin. The worship consisted of an extension of liturgy, being chanted in a melodic tune, also in Latin. I was relieved to hear the priest give the sermon in English; he talked about marriage in Ephesians 5, which I was somewhat surprised at because it seemed like a contemporary sermon as opposed to the traditional liturgy and prayer. Overall though the atmosphere was very different, as people seemed fairly solemn and to themselves, while my usual church has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere where everyone acts as family.

How did the worship service illuminate for you the history and contours of global Christianity?

I enjoyed seeing how the traditions of the early church had not been lost throughout the years, but instead, they were still very present today in this service. As much as I enjoy the casual atmosphere of my usual church, there is something beautiful and fundamental about the solemn reverence shown in this Tridentine mass. The different traditions of liturgy, reciting creeds, and the importance of different body/hand positions (we for different prayers would kneel, sit, or stand) were all demonstrated here, and this showed how although society has changed so much throughout generations, the church still remains. It’s amazing to me that this church and its congregation was able to hold a service in Latin, a dead language. It really shows the importance of holding onto the roots of Christianity, despite where in the world and when in the span of time the church exists. The preservation of these traditions within the modern context is impressive, and a great model to others.

How did the worship service illuminate for you your personal identity as a Christian?

I feel as if I am so comfortable in my own charismatic, modern nondenominational church, that I often forget the importance of tradition and liturgy. At first, I was uncomfortable with the solemnness of the service, as it seemed almost depressing. But by the end, I felt a great respect and peace for it, as everyone seemed to be reverencing God through this. I also highly appreciated the importance of retaining the Latin language. I, being an ancient languages major, see great value in knowing Greek and Hebrew to read the Bible in its original language, but I have neglected the importance of Latin in its place in the early church. This service has made me reflect on the things I value in (particularly in a church) as a Christian, and I hope that in the future I can appreciate more the history of the church and how it is to be preserved still in the present.