Jamie Stark
Ornate and traditional, with a focus on glorifying Christ, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church offers English, Spanish and even Latin speakers opportunities for worship and community. Inside this weathered stone church, built in 1857 and located just off State Street, a series of elaborate statues, shrines and stained-glass windows portraying Jesus and his followers indicate the Catholic parish's established presence in Madison.
Over one short Sunday morning, though, the scene inside the sanctuary was transformed so much from service to service that I nearly forgot I was in the same church.
At 7 a.m., the Holy Redeemer holds a Tridentine Mass, a highly traditional service with Latin prayers modeled after those practiced before Vatican II in 1962. Though I missed this service last Sunday, I did attend both the standard 9 a.m. Mass in English and the 11:30 a.m. Spanish-language Mass.
Before entering the English-language Mass, I expected to find the service attended by a sparse sampling of the white-haired crowd, particularly given all of the controversies the Catholic Church has faced in recent years. I was pleasantly surprised by the number present, around 100 by a rough estimate. At times, the crying and screaming from little kids was distracting, but as always, it was reassuring to hear from the new generation of potential parishioners. During the sermon, I realized the community at the church was geared more toward Madison natives and less toward UW students, despite its proximity to campus.
The service itself was very traditional, although that's from my Lutheran "Catholic Lite" perspective. As my Catholic grandpa has said, he likes Lutheran churches because "you don't have to kneel so much."
Walking into the Spanish Mass an hour and a half later, I hardly recognized the sanctuary. The earlier service suddenly seemed like a nursing home in comparison, as the church was now filled with young families and kids. The main pews were so crowded that many late visitors worshiped in the upstairs balcony, where earlier that morning a small choir had been singing.
The music was much more contemporary, with a guitar included in most songs. Even the processional cross, carried from the front doors of the church to the altar at the beginning of the services, was strikingly different. For the earlier service, it was a traditional, metal crucifix. For the Spanish-language service, the crucifix was painted with bright, celebratory colors and an image of a darker-skinned Jesus.
The priest who led the Spanish sermon was clearly not a native speaker, as my basic Spanish alerted me. Despite his gringo accent -- not that I can do better -- he spoke eloquently and effortlessly and was kind enough to repeat page numbers in English.
As Mass ended, everyone slowly crowded out the front door. The priest was surrounded by a cheerful throng of parishioners, like a popular politician, shaking hands and blessing kids on the head. Just outside, a quartet of musicians played Latin-tinged music on the Johnson Street sidewalk. People lingered to listen, as two men handed out invites to a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event on Halloween, hosted by the local debate over Bishop Morlino. I'm sure I'm not alone in pondering some of the Church's choices, given how many "recovering Catholics" I know on campus.
It was an eye-opening experience to see so many faithful focusing on the faith, as too many of my perceptions have been shaped by media coverage. But for any Catholics out there, or others who are simply interested in the Church, you're missing out if you don't attend Holy Redeemer sometime soon, particularly the Spanish Mass.
To say the least, it is energizing.
Jamie Stark is a student at UW-Madison majoring in journalism and political science. He is a member of Luther Memorial Church and writes about the diverse religious community in Madison.
