So hopefully you saw my previous post on where we have been worshipping in the parish while we keep the renovations going. In the post I mentioned how do we worship which actually prompted me to write this second post to more adequately answer the how.
Normally St. Jane is a beautifully appointed church that should solicit from the masses a true sense of awe and beauty in providing a great worship space to give God all the glory and praise. It is not a very big church, holding about 300 folks comfortably and has held many more say at Christmas and Easter.
I believe I can speak for the clergy and the community when I say we offer very respectful liturgies and liturgies that are well done. The Mass is offered in the ordinary form every day of the week, even Saturday mornings and then four times on Sunday: the 4pm Saturday anticipated Mass, both 8 am and 10 am Sunday mornings and again at 6 pm on Sunday night, affectionately referred to as "last chance" Mass! Almost all of the ordinary form Masses will have a Deacon assisting the presider Priest and now we have a full contingent of altar servers for these Masses. We follow the rubrics as supposed to and only wish to offer right and proper worship to He who deserves so.
The music at the vigil and 8 am Mass is simple and beautiful, an organist and a cantor only. The music at the 10 am Mass is offered by a "family" choir. At the 6 pm Sunday Mass we have a group made up of youth and others that offer respectful praise and worship music accompanied by guitars and keyboards.
One of the really nice things you will find before most of these Masses is the laity led recitation of the Rosary. Before the 6pm Sunday night Mass we actually offer a time of Adoration, with the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the Altar and I offer Benediction right before mass begins.
Now we also have a beautiful celebration of the Mass in the extraordinary form at 12 noon; this is often referred to as the Latin Mass. Both of our Priests are well prepared to offer this incredibly beautiful liturgy. I have only been able to attend a few times and have never assisted as a Deacon, something I would love to do. I know that the music is exquisite, the prayers offered in Latin, the Homily in English and Communion is received by the faithful kneeling, on the tongue only and we make use of our beautifully installed Communion rail. One of the things that always impresses me is the number of young families, bigger families, that worship together and I am also always impressed by the hard work, dedication and precision of the altar servers.
In addition to all that I have shared above we have special liturgies for every Holy Day of Obligation, first Saturdays, and with the children and young people from our PSR (CCD). We also have a devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and Sacred Heart of Jesus every First Friday of the month including all day Adoration and 7 pm Benediction.
And there are many other opportunities that would best be served by consulting our bulletin or website. By the way, we also have a weekend Mass every Saturday afternoon at our mission church in Bush named St. Michaels, as well as a weekday mass every Wednesday at 6:30. St. Michaels also has First Friday adoration & Benediction in the late afternoon.
St. Janes is a very warm and inviting place to pray, attend Mass and offer worship to God. The incredibly beautiful stain glass windows, statues and stations of the Cross add to the worship experience.
Soon, the beautiful Church will be finished the restoration project and ready for the equally beautiful liturgies the people of Abita Springs have experienced for almost 100 years.
Pick some time in the future and come and worship with us!
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