Denomination: Roman Catholic
Guardian Angels is home to people from more than 30 countries or regions of the world. They each bring different gifts to share and they help in building the faith community.
Even for those born in Canada and raised as 'cradle Catholics' before the second Vatican council, it sometimes seems a very different church from the one we remember as children.
Memories remain of Latin Mass and limbo, scapular medals and St. Christopher, plenary indulgences and Gregorian chant, high and low masses.
Now we hear Mass in English, with occasional visiting priests saying Mass in the language of a community, whether Tagalog or Portuguese, French or Spanish. The Indonesian community celebrates a Mass in Indonesian once a month at Guardian Angels Parish. First Nations people offer new ways of expressing faith at diocesan celebrations.
Emphasis on externals may change, liturgical styles may change, but the faithful at daily Mass know that some things never change. The Mass is the same, the Eucharist is the same, the substance of the faith is the same. There is comfort and joy in liturgy, in praying the same prayers that are being said by Catholics around the world each day. It is still the same universal church founded ont he rock of Peter.
Even for those born in Canada and raised as 'cradle Catholics' before the second Vatican council, it sometimes seems a very different church from the one we remember as children.
Memories remain of Latin Mass and limbo, scapular medals and St. Christopher, plenary indulgences and Gregorian chant, high and low masses.
Now we hear Mass in English, with occasional visiting priests saying Mass in the language of a community, whether Tagalog or Portuguese, French or Spanish. The Indonesian community celebrates a Mass in Indonesian once a month at Guardian Angels Parish. First Nations people offer new ways of expressing faith at diocesan celebrations.
Emphasis on externals may change, liturgical styles may change, but the faithful at daily Mass know that some things never change. The Mass is the same, the Eucharist is the same, the substance of the faith is the same. There is comfort and joy in liturgy, in praying the same prayers that are being said by Catholics around the world each day. It is still the same universal church founded ont he rock of Peter.
