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| 2159: Old Mission
San Juan Bautista, California, USA |
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Photo:
Robert A. Estremo
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Mystery
Worshipper: Rhipidion the Sacred
Fan.
The church:
Old
Mission San Juan Bautista, California, USA.
Denomination:
Roman Catholic,
Diocese
of Monterey.
The building:
The Mission was founded in 1797 by Padre Fermin de Lasuen, successor
to the legendary Padre Junipero Serra who had established dozens
of missions in Spain's New World colony of California. At first
not much more than a simple adobe church, a granary, barracks,
a monastery, and some adobe houses, the mission was expanded
in 1803 when the cornerstone for the present church was laid.
The compound was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1906, and
restoration work did not begin until 1976. Students from the
University of California, Monterey Bay, carry on a continuing
project of restoration and preservation. The service I attended
was held in the Guadalupe Chapel, the mission's original sanctuary.
The chapel is a plain, dimly lit rectangular room with exposed
wood beams and a "cat door" through which cats may
enter freely to keep the chapel mice-free.
The church:
Although Mexico secularized all the California missions after
winning its independence from Spain, the mission church continued
to function as a parish church, and services have been held
here without interruption ever since. After California became
part of the United States, the missions were returned to the
Church by President Abraham Lincoln in one of his last official
acts before his assassination. I found the very fact that there
is still an active faith community on site rather special. As
well as services in both English and Spanish, there is also
a traditional Latin mass celebrated.
The neighborhood:
The tiny city of San Juan Bautista is located in west central
California about 15 miles inland from Monterey Bay. It sits
squarely on top of the San Andreas Fault, a geological feature
responsible for many of California's major earthquakes. The
city boasts the last remaining original Spanish plaza left in
California; the plaza appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's classic
movie Vertigo. The city's official bird is the chicken.
Chickens are free to roam the streets, and there is an official
chicken festival each year in which chicken is served. (That
just seems wrong!)
The cast:
The Revd James Henry, pastoral administrator.
The date & time:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011, 12.00 noon.
What was the name of the service?
Mass.
How full was the building?
20 people, making the chapel three-quarters full.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
There was no greeter on duty. I took a seat near the door, and
the lady sitting next to me asked if I was cold.
Was your pew comfortable?
Good sized wooden chair, very comfortable. The seats were arranged
in a half circle around the altar, giving a feeling of community
with others during worship.
How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Quiet greetings among friends.
What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit."
What books did the congregation use during the
service?
None.
What musical instruments were played?
There was no music.
Did anything distract you?
There were about 150 school children on field trips running
and shouting outside the chapel doors. Reminder to self: Do
not visit a California mission during the school year.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
A simple spoken mass. I am not Roman Catholic, and so I was
not included when it came time to approach the Holy Table.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
5 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8 – Father Henry's style was informal, which fit the small
chapel gathering. He did seem to use notes, which surprised
me, as his message was simple and direct.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
Between now and Easter we are going to hear a lot of scripture
read, but hearing again and again that Jesus is long suffering
and of great goodness is a good thing that we should take to
heart.
Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The feeling of being a part of the community, which came from
the arrangement of the chairs and the simple spoken service.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
When I realized that there was to be no collection, I was not
sure what to do with my Mystery Worshiper card. I could not
very well just hand it to the priest as I left. I later mailed
it to the church office.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Everyone made a quick exit, including me, as I had to meet someone
for lunch. I did exchange a smile with several people on the
way out.
How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was none, but lunch was nice. And no, I did not order
chicken.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
5 – This was really a hard one to answer. As an Episcopalian,
I felt very much moved by the service, but I would have wanted
to receive communion.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes, I felt very close to God that day.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The strong feeling of shared community, and wishing that I could
have been included at the table. |
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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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| London churches |
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| Read reports from 70 London churches, visited by a small army of Mystery Worshippers on one single Sunday. Read here. |
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