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| 1695: Holy
Name of Jesus, Providence, Rhode Island, USA |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Adoro Te Devote.
The church:
Holy
Name of Jesus, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Denomination:
Roman Catholic, Diocese
of Providence.
The building:
An Italian Romanesque building situated on a sizeable campus
with a rectory and school. Renovations are currently under way.
A very thorough description of the church's interior can be
found on their website.
The church:
Holy Name is home to three distinct communities: the Latin Tridentine
devotees, the old parishioners of European stock, and a very
large Liberian Catholic population. They sponsor a food pantry,
youth group, men's group and a gospel choir. On Sundays they
celebrate a novus ordo mass, mass in the extraordinary
rite (Tridentine, 1962 missal), and an African community mass.
Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, followed by benediction,
is held each Wednesday.
The neighborhood:
Providence is the capital of Rhode Island and one of the first
cities established in the United States. Paradoxically, the
population of greater Providence exceeds that of Rhode Island
itself, as a portion of the metropolitan area extends into Massachusetts.
Providence was founded in 1636 by the noted colonial theologian
Roger Williams, exiled from Puritan Massachusetts for his advocacy
of religious tolerance, separation of church and state, and
fair dealings with Native Americans. At one time a major manufacturing
center, the city saw its fortunes decline during the Great Depression.
Today, the service industry, particularly education, health
care and finance, makes up a large portion of the city's economy.
Even so, poverty remains an entrenched problem, as it does in
most post-industrial New England cities. The church is located
in a depressed, crime-ridden area – a little bit rough, one
might say.
The cast:
The Revd Joseph D. Santos, parish administrator, was the celebrant.
The date & time:
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009, 11.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Tridentine High Mass.
How full was the building?
Three-quarters full.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
An older woman giving out hymnals wished us good morning and
asked if we needed the readings.
Was your pew comfortable?
More comfortable than not. We were there for more than two hours
and got a little sore near the end from all the kneeling.
How would you describe
the pre-service atmosphere?
Quiet and reverential.
What were the exact opening
words of the service?
The choir chanted the Vidi aquam: Vidi aquam
egredientem de templo, a latere dextro, alleluia ("I saw water coming forth from the temple, on the right
side, alleluia").
What books did the congregation
use during the service?
A hymn book and a sheet with the day's readings.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ.
Did anything distract you?
A man on the other end of the pew mumbled in what I think was
Latin throughout the service, beginning to end. Initially I
thought he was following the mass, but he wasn't – he was talking
to himself!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
Very reverential.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
6 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Father Santos included some extra devotional prayers
before beginning the homily. I'm always a fan of that.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
He spoke of how every Sunday is a celebration of the Lord's
resurrection.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The entrance procession, the choir, abundant incense – all
were very beautiful.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I wanted to sing along in the Vidi aquam but we had
been given only the English words, not the Latin. And the mumbling
guy at the end of the pew was very distracting.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
It was Easter Sunday so I was headed out with family. The priest
did wish everyone a happy Easter individually on the way out,
though.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
Not applicable.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – It is just too far away. If it were close, though,
I would be very happy to be a regular.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
One young man singing in the choir. His voice was earth-shattering. |
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| The Mystery Pilgrim |
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| One of our most seasoned reporters makes the Camino pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Read here. |
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