ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CATHOLIC CHURCH 7601 N. Grandview Ave. Odessa, TX 79765
Feeling so sad and homesick on our first week here in Texas, we sought out the nearest catholic church, for Pete and I knew that it would be the best refuge for us. We were right, for there in the church, we met many warm and friendly people of different races. Filipinos, Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, to name a few.
To belong to a parish, one has to register first; which we did right away. A few days after our registration, we received a letter of welcome from the pastor (that's how the priest is called here), Rev. Mark Woodruff, through the Minister of Hospitality, Ms. Julie Andreopulos. Enclosed in that letter is a set of envelopes with our names and the dates of the Sundays of the year, printed on each one. Offerings are to be placed in those envelopes and dropped on the offertory plates, as one enters the church. Mass attendance is easily tracked, because of the date on the envelopes.
As was our practice at the Holy Spirit Chaplaincy in LIDE, Isabel, Leyte, we gravitated to a particular seat near the Blessed Sacrament. It was to be our (almost) permanent seat, as it's always vacant when we go there to hear the 7:30 a.m. Sunday mass.
Before the mass proper, people greet each other, shake hands, beso-beso, etc. The old version of the OUR FATHER,"and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation" is recited (everyone holding hands, too). At first, i found it difficult, as I was used to the new version (Philippine version?) of the OUR FATHER, " and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; do not bring us to the test". Only the priest hands out the sacred host to the faithful during holy communion; however, on either side, there is a couple of laymen, who hold a big chalice with wine for those who opt to partake of the wine after receiving communion. We have not tried it; anyway, it's optional.
Everyone is free to get a copy of the weekly newsletter, where announcements, plans, reminders, etc. are posted, so the mass really takes just an hour, because the pastor (priest) does not have to dwell on those, in the pulpit. Nobody leaves the church, until the pastor has gone out of the church door.
For my apostolate, I volunteered to work with the Cookbook Committee, in coming out with a parish cookbook, for fund raising. We edited all the prized recipes submitted by the parishioners themselves, all 510 of them. They are now in the printing press and will be out in November.
We have only been here for three months; but I can say that indeed - the church - ST.ELIZABETH ANN SETON - is our best refuge.
