Grams and Grandad spent the weekend in Houston with Nick and Marie. We were there to celebrate with them as Marie received the sacrament of confirmation.
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| Marie being anointed, the priest moved right in front of her just as I snapped the photo |
The confirmation took place on Sunday evening at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Although we've been practicing Catholics for our entire married life, this was a unique experience. Our Lady of Lourdes is actually Giáo Xứ Đức Mẹ Lộ Đức which is a Vietnamese parish of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. The church hosted confirmation for several parishes last Sunday, which also was Pentecost Sunday. I think there were close to a hundred adults who were confirmed that night. Most Catholics are confirmed as teenagers, but often, for one reason or another, while they are baptized as babies and receive communion around eight years old, they never get around to confirmation. Such was the case with Marie.
I want to tell you a little bit about the church. The building is only about a year old and is really, really beautiful. This is the second new church I've been to in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and they are really exceptionally beautiful in the traditional sense. So many modern churches look like retail establishments. These buildings are much more traditional and I'm sure much more expensive. But, kudos to their architect. They really are gorgeous. This church has mass in the Vietnamese language with one mass in English on Sunday.
As you can see, the church is beautiful. But, the church is not the building. The church is the people and this church has some wonderful people. You could tell they were proud to be hosting this event and they were proud of their church. As we arrived that evening, I was intrigued to see several ladies in traditional Vietnamese clothing. As it turned out, those dresses were lay minister's vestments. The Eucharistic Ministers wore white and gold and the Hospitality Ministers wore bright pink.
I snapped these photos with no flash because they were taken during the mass. I thought the traditional dress was a beautiful addition to a very special celebration. Eucharistic Ministers at our church and at most churches dress exactly like the photo below. Serviceable and neat, but much less beautiful.
I have to say that I was very disappointed in the behavior of quite a few of the people who attended this mass. Before the service began, an announcement was made requesting that everyone refrain from flash photography and from moving forward to take photos during the service. There would be ample time afterward to pose for pictures and the Vicar General, who was bestowing the sacrament, would be happy to pose for photographs after mass. Over and over during the very long service, people with cameras got up and walked in front of everyone to snap a photograph. Some even had their friends stop in front of the altar and pose for pictures during the mass. It was very disrespectful of others who were straining to see their own loved ones as they were anointed.
Marie chose Christopher as her saint's name. Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travelers. Marie is definitely a traveler herself. Next week Marie will start her new assignment with Exxon in Norway. Here is the newly confirmed Marie with her husband and sponsor Nick. Congratulations Marie, we are very proud of you!
I thought you might also like to see that today I have a new blogging assistant. Her Highness is asleep on the sofa right next to me. Yesterday we drove home from Houston to Corpus Christi. Then we met Katy in Three Rivers last night and I came back to San Antonio with her to spend the week taking care of Her Highness. Grandad will come up for the weekend. Our Little Princess has gone with her Daddy and big sister Mady to visit family and friends in Louisiana.
As you can see, we're both working very hard. Nice work if you can get it.
