Getting orientated

This summer Ryan came to Washington so he could get out of Hanover for a while and also take the one extra class he needs so he can graduate next June (this is what happens when one drops too many classes). Consequently, he found an interesting evening film history class at the Catholic University of America during their second summer session, and he actually managed to pass it! Now, before he leaves D.C. next Thursday, he wanted to head over to the campus to take some pictures of the basilica and to pick up a couple of souvenirs from the campus bookstore. Ryan, Robert, and I Metroed up to Brookland yesterday to CUA.

We went first to the basilica. The basilica is this enormous Byzantine-Romanesque style church built around the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. They say it's the largest Catholic church in the country, and it really is a big barn of a place. The towering ceilings are filled with mosaic-covered domes and, in traditional basilica fashion, there are gorgeous, small chapels all along the side aisles, as well as in the undercroft (where they also have a cafeteria and two book stores, one of which has a huge collection of sacred music CDs).

It just so happened that we got to the basilica about the time people were starting to gather for a late afternoon Mass. I took a look at the sanctuary and saw that they were preparing for a crowd, so I asked security what was going on. It turned out to be the freshman orientation Mass for all the new incoming CUA students. Now, Ryan showed up in D.C. mid-summer for his class and he missed all the orientation meetings and parties, so I thought it would be fun for us all to go to Mass. Robert is an Episcopalian, so he's used to Mass (and this was his first opportunity to eat Catholic Jesus!), and Ryan the recovering Baptist has been going with me to Catholic and Episcopal services this summer and seems to like Episcopalianism, so this was a good experience for him, as well. Fortunately, we were there early enough to get a seat in the crossing, because fifteen minutes after I took the picture above, it was standing room only. By the way, when I snapped this photo, I was standing at the back of the transcept with most of the nave behind me.

The president of CUA served as celebrant (and who nodded off during the homily), and the campus chaplain was homilist (he announced in his sermon that he wished the network would cancel Laguna Beach and he thought all the freshmen should friend one another on Facebook). The hymns were Abbot's Leigh ("God is here! As we are his people") for the processional and Ellacombe ("Go make of all disciples") for the recessional. Maudlin contemporary Catholic hymns were used for the offertory ("We are a pilgrim people") and during communion ("Those who were in the dark" and "Now in this banquet"), but the congregation didn't really sing along for them (what's new?). Mass setting was Haugen's Mass of Creation sung too slowly, with no Kyrie or Gloria and with a plainsong Agnus Dei. The organ sounded nice during the prelude and hymns, but as big as that thing is and as live as the acoustic in the building is, it's hard not to sound good. I should go meet their organist someday—he always plays very well.

We cut out right after communion, since they were going to have some kind of blessing liturgy for the new freshmen, and that gave us about a thirty minute headstart in the bookstore before it was invaded with students. I was disappointed that didn't want us to bless him! LOL

The picture below is during the pre-consecration ablutions.


Looks like they're expecting company.