Religious visit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Religious visit - Essay Example For a class assignment, I visited St. Margaret’s Church at 1565 East Washington highway, Monticello Fl, 32344 (U.S. 90 east). This is a Catholic Church with the Parish consisting of Catholics living in the vicinity of the Washington highway. The purpose of the visit was to attend a Catholic Mass and experience the spiritual emotions of the congregation. Since Sunday services in Churches are usually filled to capacity, I thought it better to visit on a Saturday when only very devoted Catholics would be attending the daily Mass. The day was bright and sunny when I started from home and arrived at the church at 10.45 am. The first thing that struck me was the simplicity of its construction and the austere beauty of the church. It is a stone building, with a slanting gabled roof. The entrance was through an oval shaped, large mahogany door which seemed to welcome worshippers and added to the beauty of the Church. The inside of the church was quite simple, with pews for accommodating 250 or little more parishioners for one service. The people in the church were mostly middle class working people, with some pensioners also in attendance. There were an equal number of men and women. It was a mixed lot with Caucasians, Asians, and some Black worshippers. As this was a Saturday, most of the pews were empty and there were only some 35 worshippers present at this morning’s mass. ... The church premises included a vestry which was attached to the church and houses for the pastor and other lay persons who tended to the affairs of the church. There were 2 classrooms for Sunday classes for the younger children, and another classroom where boys and girls prepared for their first communion and later for their confirmation. There is a community hall with the church, where Parishioners meet to discuss the affairs of the church and to plan the various church programs, especially special worship programs such as Christmas, New Year, Easter and to celebrate the feast of St. Margaret (Brom). The organ was an old pipe organ which played during psalms and hymns. The choir comprised of some youngsters and some middle aged people who had been participating in the choir since they were young. Other outstanding features included a basketball court where young parishioners played in the evening and on holidays. Some trees surrounded the church, which provided welcome shade to pari shioners who liked to chat after services before heading for home. The lawn was green and well maintained. Most events and celebrations, such as wedding receptions, family picnics etc were held in the lawn. On Sundays, children played in the lawn while their elders attended Mass in the Church. I thought it better to arrive a few minutes before the service started. I was warmly greeted by Pastor Rev. Viet Tan Huynh, who is the parish priest. He asked if I was a recent member, and when I explained that I was here for just this one service, and why I was here. The church was adequately lit, and the pews were clean and gleaming. Everything was in perfect order. Pastor Rev. Viet Tan Huynh started the mass with