"And also with . . . your spirit"

Week One Hundred and Nineteen - St. John the Evangelist (West Chester)
 

11:30 Sunday morning mass, St. John the Evangelist.  I didn't expect to end up at St. John this week.  Quite frankly, I didn't expect to end up at any church remaining on The List, but an errand in West Chester and a purchase return at Tri-County Mall created the perfect opportunity for a visit. 

My first glimpse of St. John's church confused me.  Not only did the strip mall colors and design throw me, so did the size.  From the outside, St. John looked surprisingly small.  What gives?  Aren't we in West Chester - the land of plenty?  Yyyyyes, we are! Not to fear - the fog immediately lifted as I entered the church.  Passing through the welcoming space, I found - wait for it - a coliseum.  Shocking, I know.  Rows and rows of pews, arranged in a complete circle, gradually slope downward towards the altar.  The ceiling soars to a point centered above the altar, creating a worship space in the shape of, for lack of a better description, an upside-down cut diamond.  If nothing else, it's a spacious church.  

Beyond the vast expanse of space, however, there isn't much to see at St. John.  A few squares of monochromatic stained glass seem to have been added as an afterthought.  Several relief sculptures on the walls are somewhat interesting, only because they are so large and so . . . unusual.  Kneelers were non-existent.  A huge pipe organ can't be missed but, unfortunately, wasn't put to use at this mass.  In recognition of the first week of advent, a series of purple banners hung from a ring suspended high above the altar.    

Not a great photo this week. I'd like to blame a gray morning of persistent rain, but it was more likely due to the fact that my daughter and I arrived with minutes to spare - just like everyone else. We may not have gotten the perfect shot, but we did get a seat, which, in West Chester, is saying something.  This particular mass was packed, with many of those in attendance flooding through the doors at the very last minute.  The size of the church and the large number in attendance created the standard suburban mass experience, one that was cold and detached.  I definitely felt more like a spectator than a participant.  Others around me must have resigned themselves to the same fate as very few joined in the singing.  The congregation seemed so removed from the mass that many sat with their arms stretched out over the back of their pew.  It was as if they were just kickin' back, watching the mass from the comfort of their living room sofa.  Others were clearly just putting in their time.  The woman in front of me was lounging in her seat just as I described but was also tapping her nails on the back of the pew for the duration of the priest's homily, her casual demeanor betrayed by an underlying impatience that was both visible and audible - but mostly annoying. 

Ironically, almost everyone did follow along with the little red booklets distributed at the doors as this was the first week for the implementation of "The New Roman Missal."  Let's just say, in the words of the celebrating priest, "It's gonna take a while."  Most of the congregation's spoken responses came over loud and clear - with a majority falling back into old habits.  It was a bit awkward.  I have to be honest; in spite of my own conscious efforts to keep up, I too let one or two old-school "And also with you" responses slip out.  

 

I just read that Covington's bishop has decreed that parishioners should not hold hands during the praying of the Our Father.  I'm not a hand-holder to start with, but I'm sure this is going to have a number of folks all riled up.  Old habits die hard, and I'm pretty sure this one won't go down without a fight.

ATTENDANCE:  Comfortably full

DURATION:  One hour