Yvette L. Renwicks
University of Phoenix
Outline 1. Introduction 2. Background on Our Lady of Constellation 3. Interview questions;
How did you come to this religion?
Has your family been practicing this religion?
How long have you been practicing this religion?
What are your major practices of worship?
What are the basic beliefs of this religion?
What are your holidays?
What is the meaning behind these holidays?
What do you like about this religion?
Would you recommend these practices to another person?
Why?
What have you gotten out of your practices? 4. Comparison to the Baptist religion 5. Conclusion
INTRODUCTION The religion that I have chosen is the Catholic religion. The Roman Catholics have attained an empire and influenced many other religions, while maintaining a history of overtaking many nations. Presently, this religion is the largest organized religion in the world. “As both its critics and its champions would probably agree, Roman Catholicism has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. There are more Roman Catholics in the world than there are believers of any other religious tradition--not merely more Roman Catholics than all other Christians combined, but more Roman Catholics than all Muslims or Buddhists or Hindus. The papacy is the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world. To millions the pope is the infallible interpreter of divine revelation and the Vicar of Christ; to others he is the fulfillment of the biblical prophecies about the coming of the Antichrist.” History-world.com
THE CHURCH SERVICE ~ OUR LADY OF CONSTELLATION
I visited Our Lady of Constellation, located at 7051 Tulip Street in Philadelphia, PA. OLC has played a significant role in the community for many years, and has maintained a rich history in our area. The mission of the church states that they are a “parish of the young and the elderly, married and single, healthy and broken. We welcome all to come together to give thanks and praise God. Through the celebration of the Eucharist and other sacraments and devotions of the Church, we seek to become a Christian Community who educate people in the Gospel and reach out to others.” (Our Lady of Constellation Mission Statement)
“Our Lady of Consolation Church was founded in 1917 to serve the Italian immigrant families that were moving into the Tacony area at that time. The first Church was located on the corner of Edmund & Wellington Streets, where it remained until 1928. In 1928, the Church and School were jointly located on the corner of Edmund Street and Princeton Avenue. The Giovanelli family donated the land to the Parish and the cornerstone for the 3rd Church building was laid in 1956 at the present location on Tulip Street. While the Church was primarily intended to serve the religious needs of the Italian community in Tacony, it soon became an integral institution of the Tacony community as a whole. The Church runs an annual spaghetti supper, which was begun in 1935 and continues to this day. The Church also hosted countless festivals, processions and carnivals. One of those festivals, the Feast of the Saints, has been an annual tradition for over 30 years. On a designated Sunday, the parish gathers for a procession in the parish streets. Parishioners carry the patron saints of the various provinces of Italy, from which many of the ancestors of the present parishioners came.” (olctacony.org)
The service was very formal and quite different from what I am used to. I was surprised to note that the Priest’s message was very much like a sermon that I would hear at my church. Our services involve more music, but the people welcomed me with open arms when I informed them of my duties for this paper. There was afforded a flexibility in the schedule to assure the church is open for parishioners at varied times of the day.
Membership to this parish is