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Local News
Sept. 21, 2006
Hungering for spiritual nourishment
Catholics find strength in daily Mass
By Ambria Hammel
The Catholic Sun
Many students, young adults, families and other individuals make going to Mass more than a weekend activity.
They say celebrating the Eucharist each day gives them strength to tackle challenges that come their way.
“It’s the best way to start the day,” said Margie Scrip, shortly before the 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Jerome Parish. “After all, who is it that we have to be thankful for?”
Scrip began attending Mass daily 12 years ago to grow in her spiritual life. She prays for the grace and strength needed to be a child of God.
“Most of the people come to consecrate the day,” said Fr. Andres Arango, noting the worshippers often head to work after the final blessing. He knows each one by name and offers them a hug or handshake as they “go in peace to love and serve the Lord.”
“The contact is very personal between the priest and the community and among the community,” Fr. Arango said of daily Mass.
The early risers are often middle-aged or retired, but he noticed young adults often commit themselves to daily Mass during Lent.
Fr. Arango estimated 50 people attend the 6:30 a.m. Mass and 40 come at 8:30 a.m.
The attendance swells to 400 on Wednesdays when St. Jerome Elementary School students come. They participate in every aspect of the liturgy and sometimes act out the reading.
Other Catholic school students also attend at least one Mass together during the week. Athletes often take in the liturgy as a team on game day.
At the All Saints Catholic Newman Center in Tempe, students fit in Mass between classes. The campus ministry celebrates the Eucharist daily at 11:40 a.m. at Arizona State University during the school year.
“Since we’re serving the university community, we try to make it as convenient as possible,” said Dominican Father James Thompson, associate director of the Newman Center. Attendance ranges from 10 to 12 and goes up to 35 for the 5 p.m. daily Mass.
Outreach coordinator Megan Phannenstill set a goal to increase daily Mass attendance during the school year. Her first challenge is students’ perception of the liturgy’s length.
“They think Mass, they think hour-long,” she said. “It’s not very long: 20 to 30 minutes.”
Phannenstill snapped her fingers showing how quickly Fr. Fred Lucci, the center’s director and ASU alum, gets through the liturgy.
Weekday Masses are shorter because they don’t have a second reading, don’t have a collection and usually forego musical backing.
The first Christians modeled such behavior when they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and prayers.
“Day by Day,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church describes, the early Church was committed to “attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts.”
Yet the habit didn’t stick with lay people.
According to Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM, director of the diocesan Office of Worship, the laity didn’t feel worthy of daily Mass and communion. That changed when Pope Pius X encouraged both acts in 1910.
“The Eucharist is part of healing,” Sr. Downey said. “It’s the strengthening. It’s what nourishes the soul.”
Garrett Heet agreed. He became a Catholic two years ago and tries to attend Mass on his way to work each day.
“I feel a lot stronger,” he said after a weekday liturgy at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. “I feel like God surrounds me when I go, especially when I start the day off with Mass.”
Heet noticed his conversations with God after are holier than when he is unable to attend Mass daily.
“There’s a sense of peace and in inner strengthening to be able to face the different challenges of the day,” explained Sr. Downey of the benefits to participating in the liturgy during the week.
Fr. Jim Wall said a lot of the worshippers praying daily at St. Thomas the Apostle are young adults. He estimated 150 people attend the 8:30 a.m. Mass and up to 200 show up at 5:30 p.m.
Amy Maschue brings her young family to the parish for a celebration of the liturgy three to four times per week. She met her husband, already a daily Mass attendant, at church. Now they come with three children in tow ranging in age from 1 to 4 years old.
“The graces we receive from going are helping us keep our family God-centered,” Maschue said.
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