Need a church while travelling for Christmas?

Vanity ^ | 12/22/05 | Huber

[Huber]

Are you travelling for Christmas to be with relatives and loved ones?

Do you feel uncomfortable that the old church in which you were raised has become apostate or heretical?

Do your relatives or loved ones relatively attend church at all?

Are you going to be in one of the culturally "elite" parts of the country (a.k.a. "blue states")for Christmas?

Do you seek a reverent liturgy?

Do you need a good church for Christmas while travelling?

Free Republic can help us solve this dilemma. Please use this thread to post recommendations and requests for FReeper recommended Christmas services throughout the country!

In our case, we will be in Northern Westchester/Southern Putnam County, NY for Christmas. Does anyone have a suggestion for a good theologically orthodox liturgical service in the area? Anglican, Catholic or Eastern Orthodox would all be fine.

[firerosemom]

http://stemarieparish.org/stemarie_nm_mass.htm

Come to Sainte Marie Parish if you're going to be in/around Manchester NH this Christmas!

http://stemarieparish.org/stemarie_nm_directions.htm

[NYer]

In our case, we will be in Northern Westchester/Southern Putnam County, NY for Christmas. Does anyone have a suggestion for a good theologically orthodox liturgical service in the area? Anglican, Catholic or Eastern Orthodox would all be fine.

Here's an opportunity to combine the beauty and reverence of all those communities into one Church! Many people are not aware that the Catholic Church is both Western and Eastern. As most of us realize, the Church began in the East. Our Lord lived and died and resurrected in the Holy Land. The Church spread from Jerusalem throughout the known world. As the Church spread, it encountered different cultures and adapted, retaining from each culture what was consistent with the Gospel. In the city of Alexandria, the Church became very Egyptian; in Antioch it remained very Jewish; in Rome it took on an Italian appearance and in Constantinople it took on the trappings of the Roman imperial court. All the churches which developed this way were Eastern, except Rome. Most Catholics in the United States have their roots in Western Europe where the Roman rite predominated. It has been said that the Eastern Catholic Churches are "the best kept secret in the Catholic Church."

If you watched the funeral of Pope John Paul II, you may recall that immediately following the Mass, a group of Eastern prelates gathered to incense the coffin of the late pontiff while chanting prayers for the dead in Greek.

These were all Eastern Catholic bishops and cardinals.

Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.

To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:

CATHOLIC RITES AND CHURCHES

The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).

To locate an Eastern Catholic Church in your community, follow the following link:

Eastern Catholic Churches in the U.S.

And yes, Huber, there is a Byzantine Catholic Church in Peekskill. You can learn more about that Church here.

Catholic Ping - Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[Huber]

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. The closest I found was an AMiA congregation in Fairfield, CT, an hour away.

[PAR35]

And if you're in the Seattle area, come on by St. Bartholomew's, Woodinville.

Bad link. Looks like a typo (omitted "o" in "Barthlomews".)

Try http://www.st-bartholomews.org/

[siunevada]

Do any readers of the thread have any favorites from this list in terms of particularly good preaching, choral music, chant, clergy or congregation?

I agree with Tax-chick about looking for on-line bulletins. You might get some clues about what to expect.

[The Phantom FReeper]

For Catholics traveling to the Raleigh area, I would suggest St. Jospeh's. It's a very small church, and not very flashy, but it stays true to traditional Catholic teaching, has a traditional Mass (that is, no guitar strumming), and our priest is wonderful. I drive 40 minutes each way on Sundays just to be there.

[eleni121]

Leaving for Grand Rapids Michigan shortly. Need a good conservative welcoming Xstian church.

[Salvation]

St. Edward Catholic Church, Salem-Keizer area, Oregon

Reconciliation (Confession) times listed too!

[siunevada]

Nearby towns include Carmel, Brewster, and Fishkill NY, and Danbury, CT.

If you're starting from Carmel, St. James the Apostle Catholic in Carmel doesn't have a bad looking website. At least there's no rainbow flags flying or 'eco-spirituality' group meetings listed. That's a start. And they have a mission at Lake Carmel, so they're growing.

[6323cd]

This is where I'll be going.

A blessed Advent and merry Christmas, everyone!

[siunevada]

You did yours, I guess I have to do mine. You used to be a neighbor in Auburn, you've probably visited my neck of the woods.

St. Patrick Catholic Church Grass Valley, CA

[AlaninSA]

I extend an open invite to anyone in the San Antonio area to attend St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church. We're a rather large Catholic parish, but we're open and welcoming -- and we'd be happy to have you stop by.

As an added bonus, you'll get the chance to hear the wonderful childrens choir (including my seven-year-old daughter) singing at the childrens Mass on Christmas Eve.

Mass on Christmas Eve is at 4, 6, 8 and 10 -- with Mass on Christmas Day at 9a and 11a (sorry, only two Mass times that day). We're conveniently located at US 281 (AKA San Pedro) and Thousand Oaks -- just minutes north of San Antonio International Airport (1602 Thousand Oaks Drive, San Antonio 78232).

http://www.stmarkevangelist.com

[God'sgrrl]

Solid teaching!

Space Coast/(Melbourne Palm Bay) Florida
Covenant Presbyterian PCA

Greensboro/Burlington North Carolina
the Master's Church

[buckeyesrule]

Well we've learned from some christian people that its just better (and easier) to spend time with family of Christmas Sunday rather than go to church. LOL!

[The King of Elflands Daughter]

Another resource is the Latin Liturgy Association's directory of Latin (mostly Novus Ordo) Masses in the US and Canada.

http://www.latinliturgy.com/latin_mass_dir.html

[TexanToTheCore]

Houston, Katy, Humble TX


www.second.org

[TexanToTheCore]

One of the nicest posts I have seen this year.

[sionnsar]

Sorry about that. I am barely functioning today; my wife came down with something viral early in the week and now I have it.

[firebrand]

If you're in NYC, hit Times Square Church for one of their five services per week: Tuesday at 7, Thursday at 7 (in the Annex), Sunday at 10, 3, and 6. It's at 51st and Broadway, in the beautiful old Mark Hellinger Theatre, and has a gospel choir the equal of any in Harlem, plus excellent sermons, singing, and prayer.

[Huber]

Yes, I came to the same conclusion. The closest I found was an AMiA congregation in Fairfield, CT, an hour away.