Maddie Baltzer - Church Visit #2

Church Name: Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church

Church Address: 36 N Ellsworth Street, Naperville, IL 60540

Date attended: October 25, 2015

Church category: Significantly more liturgical than background

Description of service: 

I attended a Latin Mass (Tridentine) service in Naperville. Since Latin was spoken for the majority of the service, that was a big difference from the English services to which I'm accustomed. The building, Saints Peter and Paul Church, was absolutely beautiful, with arching ceilings, paintings, and huge stained glass windows. I am accustomed to attending church in gymnasiums, but it was a welcome change to attend mass in what felt like an art museum in comparison. There was a big range of ages in attendance, and the demographic was similar to my regular context. The service had a lot more ritual and incense than I'm used to, and the sermon (which was the only English spoken during the service) was brief. The sermon is commonly the "main event" in the churches I attend, and I actually really enjoyed the brevity of the sermon; it gave incentive for the Pastor to be concise, but didn't force him to simplify his idea. I sometimes struggle with sermons because I would rather have a conversation than listen to one person's point of view for 45 minutes. 

What did you find most interesting?

I found the tradition and ritual of the service to be very interesting. Especially because the service was in Latin, I found myself wondering how and when each piece of the service was developed. I felt more like I shared something with believers of the past. I also think feeling more connected to the history of the church helps foster a global perspective because it helps you feel that you share something with people who aren't in your immediate area. Because the sermon was so much shorter, there was more than an hour of singing, incense, and chanting I didn't understand. If I knew what was being said, I can imagine feeling even more like I was gaining a new understanding of God, seeing him through others' eyes. 

I also found the bulletin very interesting. A large chunk of the bulletin was dedicated to discussing forgiveness for the sin of abortion. Basically, it was a PSA to make sure everyone knew that priests can forgive the sin (something that was recently reaffirmed by Pope Francis), but you definitely have to confess the sin and fix the automatic excommunication associated with abortion. Coming from an evangelical background, it was odd to think about a priest or other church figure having any input or control over whether someone is forgiven.

What did you find most disorienting?

The lack of interaction between attendees was most strange for me: I didn't speak with anyone. Granted, I have a lot of control over this, but none of the other people spoke to people outside their group either. I am used to churches having people welcoming you at the door and time during the service to greet those around you. In contrast, Saints Peter and Paul Church didn't even have a foyer. There was really no conversation between people. There was the most interesting tension where it didn't feel like there was any corporate identity in the Catholic Mass even though we were actively recreating and participating in this Christian rite. I really enjoy the feeling of connecting to the history of Christianity, but I think we ought to equally recognize that we are joining it along with those around us. The community of followers now is a continuation of the past.

What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you?

The Tridentine Mass illuminated the role of community in my faith. Christians in my normal context tend to have very personal faith that doesn't obviously acknowledge the history that developed its theology. However, they are very involved in the lives of the members of the congregation, the church acts a huge family. The Catholic Mass I attended was so steeped in tradition that it was hard to ignore that it was the result of many years of Christians thought. There was a profound sense of connection in performing the same rites done hundreds of years ago. It helped me put words to the feeling that Christianity should connect you to a new family in Christ that is both current, past, and future.