Around October of 1998, somebody in my parish decided that, before every Sunday Mass, we should introduce ourselves by name to someone we didn't know. Since I am hopelessly shy, I simply could not bring myself to do this, and I figured that it wouldn't last more than a few weeks, so I decided to attend Sunday Mass elsewhere until they got tired of it. They didn't get tired of it until 2006 or 2007, sad to say. By then, I had a firmly entrenched habit of attending Mass at a different parish each week, and I have found it to be a very interesting experience. I have learned quite a bit about the great diversity that can be found in the Catholic Church today. I have now visited close to 900 different parishes for Sunday Mass, and probably another 100 to 150 for daily Mass as I have travelled across the United States.
I offer special thanks at this time to a gentleman named Kevin Koster, who was a member of the Catholic Online forum in the late 1990's. I actually swiped the idea for this series from his brief "Oh, Give Me a Home" series of the summer of 1998. I've just continued it and embellished it somewhat. Of course, for several years in the 1980's, I also went to a different barber shop each time I needed a haircut, so the concept was not totally unknown to me. In addition, I used to travel to different places with my father to visit horse race tracks and have been to more than my share of those. Now, the same concept is applied to Catholic parishes around my diocese and in neighboring dioceses.
I offer an important tip for the reader: I take God very seriously. I take the Church very seriously. I take the Mass and the sacraments very seriously. I take myself not at all seriously. Consider your tour guide on this journey as comic relief.
"Actually, the entire series should be captured and recorded as a rare, first-person snapshot of real-life Catholic worship in the US at century's end. It is exactly the sort of historical observation that is most ephemeral and yet most revealing. And, for inveterate 'church-hoppers' like me, it's also endlessly fascinating (although sometimes morbidly so-- I admire your courage more than that of a restaurant critic, sir!)."
Note: Many of the terms used in this series may be unfamiliar to the casual reader. An excellent glossary of liturgical and other Catholic terms was once provided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops but has since been removed and is no longer available as far as I can tell.
Oh, yes-- if you're a single Catholic lady and you find this fascinating, or if you know of a single Catholic lady who might find this fascinating, I'm still available, which sometimes seems like one of the greatest scandals in the Catholic Church today. I look for possible candidates everywhere I go, but I see no one anywhere, which is sad.
We're currently in the process of remastering each of these articles from the original files posted twenty years ago, so some articles may display differently than others until we have completed this painstaking, detailed task. We'll also be removing the broken links to the New American Bible on the USCCB web site. Updating them doesn't make sense as they'll likely only break again the next time another group of twenty-year olds redesigns the USCCB web site. Just keep a printed copy of the Bible by your side and you'll be fine.
Week 379, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 378, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 377, Epiphany
Week 376, Mary, Mother of God
Week 375, Christmas
Week 374, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 373, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 372 Bonus, Immaculate Conception
Week 372, Second Sunday of Advent
Week 371, First Sunday of Advent
Week 370, Solemnity of Christ the King
Week 369, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 368, Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 367 Bonus, All Saints' Day
Week 367, Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 366, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 365, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 364, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 363, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 362, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 361, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 360, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 359, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 358, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 357, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 356, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 355, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 354, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 353, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 352, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 351, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 350, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 348, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 347, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 346, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 345, Corpus Christi
Week 344, Trinity Sunday
Week 340, Fifth Sunday of Easter
Week 339, Fourth Sunday of Easter
Week 338, Third Sunday of Easter
Week 337, Divine Mercy Sunday
Week 336, Easter Sunday
Week 335, Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
Week 334, Fifth Sunday of Lent
Week 333, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Week 332, Third Sunday of Lent
Week 331, Second Sunday of Lent
Week 330, First Sunday of Lent
Week 329, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 328, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 327, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 326, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 325, Baptism of the Lord
Week 324, Epiphany
Week 323, Holy Family
Week 322 Bonus, Christmas (Mass at Midnight)
Week 322, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 321, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 320, Second Sunday of Advent
Week 319, First Sunday of Advent
Week 318, Solemnity of Christ the King
Week 317, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 316, Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 315, Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 314, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 313, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 312, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 311, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 310, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 309, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 308, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 307, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 306, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 305, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 304, Assumption
Week 301, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 300, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 299, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 298, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 297, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 296, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 295, Corpus Christi
Week 294, Trinity Sunday
Week 293, Pentecost Sunday
Week 292, Seventh Sunday of Easter
Week 291 Bonus, Ascension
Week 291, Sixth Sunday of Easter
Week 290, Fifth Sunday of Easter
Week 289, Fourth Sunday of Easter
Week 288, Third Sunday of Easter
Week 287, Divine Mercy Sunday
Week 286, Easter Sunday
Week 284, Fifth Sunday of Lent
Week 283, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Week 282, Third Sunday of Lent
Week 280, First Sunday of Lent
Week 279, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 278, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 277, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 276, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 275, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 274, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 273, Baptism of the Lord
Week 272, Epiphany
Week 271, Holy Family
Week 270, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 269, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 268, Second Sunday of Advent
Week 267, First Sunday of Advent
Week 266, Solemnity of Christ the King
Week 265, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 264, Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
Week 263, All Souls' Day
Week 262, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 261, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 260, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 259, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 258, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 257, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 256, Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Week 255, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 254, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 253, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 252, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 251, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 250, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 249, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 248, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 247, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 246, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 132, Third Sunday of Easter
Week 116, Epiphany
Week 115, Holy Family
Week 114, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 113, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 111, First Sunday of Advent
Week 106, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 105, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 104, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 103, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 102, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 101, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 100, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 99, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 98, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 97, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 96, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 95, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 94, Transfiguration
Week 94 Bonus, 5 PM Vigil, Transfiguration
Week 93, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 92, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 91, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 90, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 89, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 88, Corpus Christi
Week 87, Trinity Sunday
Week 86, Pentecost Sunday
Week 85, Seventh Sunday of Easter
Week 84, Sixth Sunday of Easter
Week 83, Fifth Sunday of Easter
Week 82, Fourth Sunday of Easter
Week 81, Third Sunday of Easter
Week 80, Divine Mercy Sunday
Week 79, Easter Sunday
Week 78, Passion Sunday
Week 77, Fifth Sunday of Lent
Week 76, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Week 75, Third Sunday of Lent
Week 74, Second Sunday of Lent
Week 73, First Sunday of Lent
Week 72, Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 71, Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 70, Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 69, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 68, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 67, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 66, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 65, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 64, Baptism of the Lord
Week 63, Epiphany
Week 62, Holy Family
Week 61, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 60, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 59 Bonus, Immaculate Conception
Week 59, Second Sunday of Advent
Week 58, First Sunday of Advent
Week 57, Solemnity of Christ the King
Week 56, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 55, Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 54, Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 53, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 52, Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 51, Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 50, Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 49, Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 48, Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 47, Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 46, Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 45, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 44, Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 43, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Week 42, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 41, Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 40, Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 39 Bonus, Life Teen Mass
Week 39, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 38, Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 37, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 36, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 35, Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 34, Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 33, Corpus Christi
Week 32, Trinity Sunday
Week 31, Pentecost Sunday
Week 30, Seventh Sunday of Easter
Week 29, Sixth Sunday of Easter
Week 28, Fifth Sunday of Easter
Week 27, Fourth Sunday of Easter
Week 26, Third Sunday of Easter
Week 25, Second Sunday of Easter
Week 24, Easter Sunday
Week 23, Passion Sunday
Week 22, Fifth Sunday of Lent
Week 21, Fourth Sunday of Lent
Week 20, Third Sunday of Lent
Week 19, Second Sunday of Lent
Week 18, First Sunday of Lent
Week 17, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 16, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 15, Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 14, Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 13, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 12, Baptism of the Lord
Week 11, Epiphany
Week 10, Holy Family
Week 9, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Week 8, Third Sunday of Advent
Week 7, Second Sunday of Advent
Week 6, First Sunday of Advent
Week 5, Tridentine Mass
Week 4, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 3, Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Week 2,All Saints' Day
Week 1, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Day One
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Seven
Download the entire WIDOS series in a ZIP file (1 MB)
Comments about this series of
articles
A plea
Just say "no" to scripts!
Updates to this page are generally posted whenever I get around to it.