Well, that stank

I slept through the morning Masses offered at St. Paul's today - I think it had something to do with getting up at four to watch the papal inauguration and then going back to sleep - and so I had to go to the 6:15 at CTK. The Bishop was the celebrant.

It was just awful - they had these weird crouton things for Hosts; I am pretty sure it was leavened bread. It was wheaten, however, so I'm going to assume it was valid matter. Really strange - I drank some of the Precious Blood, which was definitely red wine, just in case ... The parish priest didn't concelebrate. He sat in the pews in his collar, and when the time came to distribute Communion, he didn't join His Excellency; he went up and received from one of the EMHCs.

Incidentally, I saw this parish on Public Access television last year; I remember thinking what an ugly building it was. I walked in this evening, and lo and behold! I recognized it almost immediately! No windows! The tabernacle was stuck in a "chapel" sort of thing in the rear; we sat with our backs to it. The pews and kneelers were very comfortable, I'll give them that. Almost too comfortable, lol!

The music was also terrible. Guitars, guitars, guitars. There was also this weird anti-Benedict sentiment. The Bishop's homily was all about how, even though it might be hard, we have to "heroically" accept the new Holy Father, whom he referred to derisively as "this German theologian." Very ... Not good. Bad. And here I thought our Bishop was one of the good guys! Maybe he was just playing to the University crowd. The general intentions included a prayer for "anyone in the Catholic community who is worried or anxious." About what? It was said in the context of prayers for the Pope ... Ah. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

Sigh ... I am very spoiled at St. Paul's.