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| 1627: Sacred
Heart, Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
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Mystery Worshipper:
Paterfamilias.
The church:
Sacred
Heart, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Denomination:
Roman Catholic, Archdiocese
of Atlanta.
The building:
Smallish, French Romanesque structure dating from 1897. Statuary,
side altars, etc. are very traditional. in 1976, the building
was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The church:
The parish sponsors a host of outreach ministries: an AIDS ministry,
Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, a prison ministry, and
the St Vincent de Paul Society. It has a companion relationship
with a parish in Haiti, and works with campus ministries at
the Atlanta University Center (a consortium of historically
black institutions) and Georgia State.
The neighborhood:
In 1897 the parish took pains to site its new building "at
some distance from the business district." But today the
church sits squarely in downtown Atlanta, an area full of convention
hotels, rental car agencies, chain restaurants, and a significant
homeless population.
The cast:
The Revd Roy Lee, a supply priest, was the celebrant and homilist.
William E. Krape presided at the organ and led the choir.
The date & time:
September 28, 2008, 10.00am.
What was the name of the service?
Mass, 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
How full was the building?
At the start of the service, 80 percent full; by the time of
the sermon, 95 percent.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
An usher greeted us as we entered and handed us a leaflet with
the mass parts.
Was your pew comfortable?
Comfortable wooden pews, with the standard pull-down kneelers
underneath the pew in front (but see below).
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
A bit chattery. There were a number of children in the congregation, and, as the church is not large, the conversation from the ushers greeting worshippers filtered into the church.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good morning, and welcome to Sacred Heart Church."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
Worship, a combination hymnal and missal; and Breaking
Bread, a paperback hymnal. It is a bit unusual to see both
of these in an American Catholic church. Also, the leaflet with
mass parts. The mass setting was the work of Mr Krape, the organist,
who has composed several sacred pieces.
What musical instruments were played?
Organ only.
Did anything distract you?
Sacred Heart may well have the noisiest, creakiest pews in Christendom.
Whenever the congregation as a whole stood or sat, there was
such a ruckus!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
A formal liturgy, which seemed warm, though, in large part to
Father Lee's presiding style. He is a young African American
priest with an infectious enthusiasm. He seemed to be improvising
the collect, secret and post-communion prayer (and did so very
effectively). Also, at times, he altered his part of the dialogues
with the congregation – for example, "The Lord be with you, the Church".
The music was very much on the traditional side.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
10 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how
good was the preacher?
9 – Father Lee's rhythm and pitch were quite captivating,
although on occasion sentences seemed to run on and on – at
times, for us Midwesterners, it was hard to follow. He effectively
tied this week's gospel to the gospel heard the previous week,
and noted the gas shortages that Georgians were experiencing
that weekend. He also noted that he is required to make a retreat
each year, and that he alternates, one year spending it at a
monastic community, the other with the homeless where he does
not identify himself as a priest.
In a nutshell, what was
the sermon about?
He focused on the gospel (Matthew 21:28-32, the parable of the
two sons whose father asked them to work in the vineyard). We
need to find common ground. We need to avoid ego – that's
"e-g-o", "erasing
God out." How do we come together as a community
of faith? We must open ourselves to those who are different
and who are sinners. We need to see God in ways that we have
not seen him before.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Seeing such a diverse congregation – African-American,
Caucasian, Latino/a, Asian, and a group of 20 exchange students
from Germany – all entering actively in the parish's worship.
A retired minister and his wife from the Christian Church (Disciples
of Christ) visiting the parish were invited to bring the gifts
of bread and wine to the altar.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Well ... there were those pews. And I was surprised that the
congregational singing – in the South, nonetheless –
was not more vibrant (Mr Krape's mass setting is very attractive
and eminently singable). I thought it unusual that there was
no singing during communion, congregational or choral.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I sat in my pew to listen to the concluding organ postlude,
while Materfamilias snapped a photo of the beautiful sanctuary
area. An usher came up and asked if we would like to have our
picture taken in front of the altar. We accepted his kind offer.
We talked with him for a while about the gas shortage and the
cost of visiting his kids (who are spread out all over the continent)
and the bank bailout. Then Father Lee stopped to shake hands
and warn us, "Don't believe a word this man says!" (I gather
they are on different sides of some political issues.) Both
were quite friendly.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was none. Some of the congregation gathered on the sidewalk
in front of the church to talk after mass.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – We were in Atlanta for a convention, and it would be
hard for us to move there; we wouldn't know what to do without
120 inches of snow a year. But if we did, we would definitely
consider Sacred Heart. It has a vibrant liturgy, and seems to
have a real commitment to social outreach. I wish the congregational
singing were more enthusiastic.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, indeed.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The racket from those pews! And the delightful gentleman who took our picture. |
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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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