Walsh 1

Madeline Walsh
Professor Campbell
Mini-Ethnography
6 November 2014
The Catholic Church: St. Andrews Catholic Church
Part I: Observation
A Catholic Church is a community of people who share the same beliefs. We, the
Catholic Church, believe in one God and attend mass once a week every week. Masses
are offered Saturday night at 5:30pm and Sunday morning at 7:00am, 8:30am, and
10:30am. I attend St. Andrews Church; which is located in Apex, North Carolina. I
observed them on Sunday at 8:30am, which is normally when my family and I attend
mass at St. Andrews. I have been going to this Church since I moved to North Carolina in
2005, but I have been a Catholic since birth. I interviewed two Catholics who are a part
of the congregation. I see them at mass every week and exchange simple conversation
with them but I do not know them every well. They are much more involved in their
faith than I am. They attend mass every day of the week; this allowed me to see how they
think being catholic is a lifestyle not just a religion. I observed several members from St.
Andrews at a Habitat for Humanity volunteer session the same weekend and they seemed
very friendly and dedicated to their work.
Although much of religion is within each person, Catholics have a language and
mass layout that is common among all Churches. When I went to Italy two years ago I
saw the Easter mass said by the Pope and even though the mass was in Italian I was able

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to identify the parts of the mass. The universal layout and prayers make it easy for
Catholics to stay connected.
While observing the mass I realized that there are many sections of one mass. It is
divided into subsections. Every mass starts with the Introductory Rites: entrance
procession, greeting, Penitential Rite, Kyrie, Gloria, and the opening prayer. After is the
Liturgy of the Word: First reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Alleluia or
Gospel Acclamation, Gospel, Homily, Procession of Faith (either the Nicene Creed or
Apostles Creed) and then general intercessions. The Liturgy of the Eucharist:
presentation of the gifts/ preparation of the Alter, and the Eucharistic prayer. The
Common Rite is next which is the Lords prayer, sign of peace, breaking of the bread,
communion, and the communion song. The last part of the mass is the Concluding Rite:
the greeting, blessing, dismissal, recessional, and the closing song.
Along with a strong structure the clothing the Priest and alter servers wear are
very specific and conservative. The Priests gowns match the liturgical calendars colors
and the alter servers are dressed in white floor length gowns. In the pews the women and
men are dressed business casual and conservatively. The children are dressed nicely as
well no sweat pants or sweatshirts only nice shirts and slacks. The women are mainly
wearing dresses and skirts. Most men do not have a tie on but are wearing a sports coat.
The community is very friendly with each other. The mass has several parts that the
congregation is interactive with each other and all exchange the lords blessing to one
another.
The physical environment of St. Andrews is very pretty as well as intimidating in
my opinion. When you walk in you see a large crucifix in the middle of the Alter. There

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are three main sections of pews that surround the front of the Alter. Behind the side
sections are two smaller pew sections. The center pew is the largest and directly behind it
are the doors, which you enter and leave the church through. The ceiling has very
intricate woodwork and large wooden beams. All of the wooden beams are angled toward
the crucifix at the very front. The focal point of the church is the Alter where the crucifix
hangs above. The Alter has a large table in the center and behind it are four chairs, one
large chair that the priest sits in and three smaller chairs that the alter servers sit in. As the
mass processes the alter servers do exactly what their title says. They serve the alter and
assist the priest in preparing the alter. They hand him the Eucharist and wine and he
stands before the congregation and blesses it. The Eucharist is an essential part of the
mass. Non-Catholics are not allowed to receive the bread. The Eucharist is believed to be
the body of Christ and the wine is believed to be the blood of Christ. Before you can eat
the Eucharist you make the sign of the cross say amen and then immediately put it in
your mouth. Non-Catholics cross their arms and place their hands on their own shoulders
to show that they have not yet been baptized into the church.
Part 2 Research (Interpretations) and Interviews
Baptized Catholics communicate with God through prayer and church. Spoken
language is used through prayers and to interact within the mass service. The
congregation knows what to say because the mass parts are the same every week. The
priest says, May the lord be with you the congregation responds And with your spirit.
We have many prayers, for example The Our Father, The Hail Mary, and the Nicene
Creed. Most Catholics know these prayers by heart because they are repeated so often or
because they were taught and tested on them in Continuing Catholic Development. CCD.

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Young Catholic children are put in classes referred to as CCD These classes are for
young children to learn the basic doctrines of their faith. According to catholic resources
children are taught about the writings, readings, and history of our faith. Our universal
piece of written language is the Bible. No matter what language it is typed in they all
mean the same thing. That is why we are one holy, catholic, and apostolic church. These
are the four marks of the church declared in the Nicene Creed that we say at mass on
Sundays.
The purpose of being a Catholic from my interpretation is because you believe in
something greater in this world. All Catholics believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross
for our sins and will come again to save us. We gather as a community with the same
common belief. In my interview this women told me she is a parisher at St. Andrews
because not only is it a way of life but because its the only way for her to feel connected
with her loved ones that have passed away. She feels that the St. Andrews community
allows her to stay connected with them no matter how much time has passed. She also
mentioned how it feels good to be apart of something. When someone in your family
passes away your church community will prepare meals for your family and mentions
your families name in the intentions. It is nice to have such a large group of people their
to support you through a rough time. This womans husband passed away and she said
she will be forever grateful for all of the love and support the church gave her during that
incredibly hard time.
A common misconception about Catholics is that we are cliquey, that we dont
care about others, and that we are hypocrites. I can see how people interpret this from
watching our actions. If people were labeled with their religions it would make it obvious

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that St. Andrews isnt cliquey. Making meals and saying prayers are just some simple
actions that prove that St. Andrews follows their morals and values. We value taking care
of not just each other but everyone. Catholics dont only talk to other Catholics. We
believe in serving all of mankind no matter what. All humans are made in the image and
likeness of God therefore they deserve to be treated that way. St. Andrews volunteers at
the local food shelters in Raleigh and always donates large amounts of clothing to
clothing drives and resell it shops. We have fundraisers and free daycare centers for all
parents and children to utilize. You dont have to be Catholic to receive help from St.
Andrews.
My interpretation of St. Andrews in relation to the larger community is a
sanctuary. It is an escape from all the negativity in the world. I think it is a great place for
children to spend time because the volunteers are whole-heartedly devoted to the
betterment of the world. Most people are just looking for a paycheck and will cut corners
to make it happen. Money isnt what motivates this church. The people motivate each
other. They are held accountable for their actions and want to do their part to make St.
Andrews the best it can be. In relation to the rest of the world I think that is a very noble
cause.