Where Two or Three Are Gathered: 65 :: Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

Today I worshiped at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Charlotte's University Area.

By virtue of that sentences words, some questions do arise - since I don't know what to do during a Catholic Mass, and I am not permitted to take communion in a Catholic Church... in what way did I worship? Additionally, why do I even bother attending a Catholic Mass when I don't know the steps involved in one? They are admittedly fair and great questions.

I went to this Mass because the church's website said that this would be a Latin Mass. I thought that a Latin Mass would be an interesting thing to add into this spiritual journey.

Alas, not a word of Latin was spoken.

I don't know why, either. It reinforces the idea that many church websites are not an accurate depiction of what happens in that church.

When I got to the church, I parked near the back of their property. There is a school there.

I made my way into Saint Thomas Aquinas and was struck by the beauty of what I saw. This is an expansive church with an elaborately carved wood altar in the front of the church.

Here are some of the pictures that capture the beauty in the place:

Again, since there was no Latin at this Latin Mass, I considered that it may have been the case that the term "Latin Mass" may refer to a format or style these days. As I did further research, I discovered that it is indeed supposed to mean that Latin is spoken.

Most of the women in this church were wearing a mantilla, the headcover that traditional Catholic women wear.

As is always the case with a Catholic Mass, the Priest and the congregants are following known steps in an invisible script that they have all memorized. It's not a script that I know.

I did take note of the fact that the Scripture section was read by a woman from the congregation. The second was done by the Priest.

I did notice that there was a nun afoot in the church. I believe she was from Viet Nam, one of the countries in South East Asia with a meaningful percentage of Catholics, due to its history as a French colony.

Catholics actually comprise 7% of the Vietnamese population.

She took several roles during and after the Mass, including doing some level of clean up where she took items into a back room that was bathed in purple light.