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 that 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 apart
of the congregation. I see them at mass every week and exchange simple conversation
with them but I do not know them very well. They are much more involved in their faith
then 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.
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. Each mass normally
takes about an hour and a half. That is just long enough that the young children are
getting very restless towards the end.
St. Andrews has a very young congregation. They have a special room in the back
that has one wall of glass windows that face towards the alter. The purpose of this room
is for families to go and sit with their children so that they do not disturb the older
families worship time. When I went to mass this room was so full that children were
sitting outside with the rest of the congregation. Most of the families that go to St.
Andrews send their children to St. Mary Magdalene for schooling. It is a private Catholic
school, which I attended until eighth grade. It is a pre-k through eighth grade school and
since the school doesnt have a church of its own, most students and their families attend
St. Andrews on Sundays. I would say between fourty and fifty families come from St.
Mary Magdalene every week. All of the members of the congregation are invited to a
breakfast after mass each Sunday. Members of the congregation help set it up and donate
food. Its normal breakfast foods like: bagels, muffins, toast, donuts, coffee, and orange
juice. The children seem to enjoy the breakfast more then mass. I think most parents
bride their children with the breakfast.

The congregation is primarily white, including the priest. The priest is 66 years
old. He is a very sweet man with stark white hair and a very raspy voice. The alter servers
are between the ages of 12-16. They rotate alter servers every mass. During my mass I
observed, the three alter servers were all boys and looked to all be about 15 years old.
The Priest and alter servers wear very specific and conservative clothing. 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 manly 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
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 prays, 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 CCD. 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 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 member 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 there
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. I think because Apex is such a small community that it allows the
mass to be more personable. It is a large congregation of several hundred people but each
mass still feels intimate and like the priest is really talking to you. Several people
volunteer to assist the priest in handing out the Eucharist and most of the time I know the
people that are giving it to me. That makes going to mass special for me. I feel very much
a part of community and know that if I need help there is always going to be someone
there. I dont think all Catholic Churches are this closely knit. Apex is a very small town
and not all Churches are small towns, or have a school community that all comes to the
same Church.
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
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 imagine
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-toclothing 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.