Ship of Fools: Catholic Outreach Ash Wednesday Service, Glendale Community College, Glendale, Arizon

The Mystery Worshipper

Ship of Fools: Catholic Outreach Ash Wednesday Service, Glendale Community College, Glendale, Arizona, USA

Perfect Patty, Mean Mike and Sad Sally liven up a very well done Ash Wednesday service.

Read the full Mystery Worshipper report here

The5thMary

Ugh! Applause! Many ages ago, when I was a child attending a service at St. James Catholic Church (in a city and state which I will not name), some parishioners applauded after some musical performance during Mass. I remember that my mother and sisters looked appalled and I remember feeling that something was very wrong when people clapped in church. I have never liked it. It makes me feel as though singing hymns and playing musical instruments in accompaniment is akin to being at a sporting event. I'm glad I wasn't at this service, Miss Amanda! I'm afraid I would have taken the priest aside and read him the riot act. I confess that applause and people talking loudly during church are two of my pet peeves...

Gamma Gamaliel

Catholic Outreach sounds a bit of a misnomer if they didn't actually do any. Sounds as if they didn't attempt to engage with any visitors, if visitors there were.

Nevertheless, it's impressive that they created a sense of decorum and an appropriately Lenten quality in a public space lacking any intrinsic atmosphere.

Bishops Finger

'Catholic Outreach' ISTM (with all due respect) is a bit of an oxymoron, given the RCC's attitude to those without its walls......YMMV, of course.

But what was the applause actually for? I agree with The5thMary that this is often inappropriate, in a church/service/worship context, except, perhaps, as a show of appreciation after (say) the organ postlude after Evensong.....

Gamma Gamaliel

I've never found the RCC's attitude towards me as being anything other than positive, even though I'm outside its walls. Post Vatican II they seem pretty inclusive for all the closed-communion stuff.

Or maybe that's what you mean? Because everyone's heading in the same direction did they but know it, then there's no point in outreach?

Bishops Finger

Hmm. Not sure. ISWYM, but the RCC would probably (officially) disagree.

For now, at any rate - but, as the tide of faith recedes further, who knows?

However, as you imply, grass-roots RCC pastoral stuff is often pretty positive, and I have personally found that to be so.

Amanda B Reckondwyth

I do find it odd that they call themselves Catholic Outreach rather than Newman Club. Other religious-based organizations on campus include Christian Challenge (actually an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (don't know anything about them but I assume the name speaks for itself) and Young Life (which seems to be primarily a social organization -- they meet in the Student Union, order pizza in, and sit around playing games and chatting).

Climacus

I'm not sure Mystery Worshipper reports can be classified as preferred Holy Saturday reading, but as I eat my lunch I am enjoying catching up on them. I do think Miss Amanda should publish a pamphlet (tome?) on appropriate church clothing and decorum, and teach it to all first year theological students and those wanting to help out.

The sermon sounds wonderful, as did the service. I needed to search 'unda maris', being non-musical; it is a perfume as well as an organ stop. And how nice to see some of your comments from 2018 acted upon.

Was there a particular reaction from the server when you handed over the card?

Amanda B Reckondwyth

Climacus wrote: »

I needed to search 'unda maris', being non-musical; it is a perfume as well as an organ stop. And how nice to see some of your comments from 2018 acted upon.

Literally "wave of the sea," it is a flute stop that has a soft, wavering, somewhat hissy sound, very gentle, suggestive of rushing water to some with vivid imaginations. Actually, the more I think about it, the keyboardist may simply have been using a string stop, being that it was a digital instrument. It sounded lovely, though.

Was there a particular reaction from the server when you handed over the card?

He looked interested and more than a little surprised. I've been looking for him in the Student Union since then, as I've been wanting to ask him if he read the report, but I haven't seen him.

Climacus

Thank you for both -- and what a wonderfully evocative organ stop name.

Bishops Finger

That Miss Amanda - such FUN she 'as! Such LARKS!

Bishops Finger

Seriously, Miss Amanda's Guide To The Correct Mode Of Dress For Servants Of The Sanctuary would not go amiss (IYSWIM).

Our Place has recently recruited two young lads (aged 8 and 12) as acolytes/servers. They are doing Very Well, and have no problem at all in turning up (a) in good time, and (b) in black slacks/trousers/footwear.

There is therefore no question of them making some sort of personal sartorial statement by wearing pink trainers, or whatever.


Madam Sacristan is Very Pleased. So too, no doubt, are Our Lord, and His Blessed Mother......

Amanda B Reckondwyth

Doubtless. Miss Amanda shall set her smelling salts aside for the time being.

Amanda B Reckondwyth

Just wanted to say, I finally spotted the acolyte in the Student Union today. It turns out he was president of Catholic Outreach but will be moving on to a four-year school in the fall semester. A delightful young man -- he told me he serves at the cathedral. We chatted about the mission of Ship of Fools and Mystery Worship, and the finer points of the Latin Tridentine Rite and where it is celebrated well today. I filled him in on an upcoming project of mine where I will "do" a rather historic church. I also encouraged him to revisit Ship of Fools.