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Contents © 2003
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

ST. DOMINIC'S, SAN FRANCISCO

A Super Bowl Alternative

"St. Dominic's Catholic Church -- a Dominican Parish," reads the front of the bulletin for the church on Bush Street in San Francisco. English Gothic in style -- flying buttresses, Gothic arches, relief sculpture portraying religious scenes, a marble high altar depicting the twelve Apostles, stone columns, statues, shrines (most notably that of St. Jude Thaddeus, www.stjude-shrine.org) -- the church can attract even non-Catholics to pay a visit. The parish's website quotes an anonymous Dominican who describes the parish church, saying, "truly it is a sermon in stone."

Fearing the deplorable parking situation in San Francisco, I arrived a half-hour early. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and with so few people in attendance, a Dominican priest invited me to sing evening prayers with the novices (wearing full habit) in the sanctuary. After the reverently sung office, Father explained to me that St. Dominic's has different kinds of Masses for different people. For example, it has a quiet, contemplative candlelight Mass on Sunday evenings, and a lively "contemporary Mass," which I was about to attend. I had attended this young adult Mass once before. Its drum set and cosmic chimes (like the kind one hears on radio stations that play sentimental love songs) were most memorable. This Sunday, the football game seemed to have temporarily stolen away some of the musicians.

Just before Mass a woman informed us Father Francis was our celebrant. We were then asked to stand, as was their custom, to greet the people around us. I introduced myself to people named Dennis, Jennifer, and Helen. The guitarist began to gently strum the processional song, "In Breaking Bread," which the song sheet labeled "anthem." Containing a healthy number of male and female voices, the choir ended its bouncy chorus with the words: "We are sign, we are wonder. We are sower, we are seed. We are harvest, we are hunger. We are question, we are creed." The music team's instruments included a guitar, a flute, a tambourine, and a bass, which gave the music a sort of down-home country flavor. In processed a crowd of young adults led by a blonde Barbie Doll of a woman wearing long dark pants and a not-so-loose fitting shirt, bearing the crucifix. Some of the procession sat themselves on the right, and some on the left side of the pews within the sanctuary. Some disappeared off to the side. Some were readers, some functioned as altar servers, the rest were Eucharistic ministers. All were dressed in street clothes.

After a short prayer, which Father said with great emotion, we recited the confession of sins. There was no Kyrie. After a strummed guitar intro, the choir sang the Gloria in unison. From the main pulpit, the lector read from the Old Testament about Jonah and the Ninevites. The psalm response began with a soft, jazzy flute introduction. "To you, O Lord, I lift my soul" was sung in four-part harmony, men and women alternating verses.

The lively Alleluia went, "Hallay, Hallay, Hallay. Lu-oo-yah." The verse was sung by a female soloist, who stood too far from the microphone. Father read from the Gospel of Mark where Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John to be Apostles.

After the gospel, Father noted the low attendance due to the Super Bowl, but observed that we could do more for the Raiders here. (As events proved, it was hardly enough.) He began his sermon by saying, "Jesus has a nasty way of demanding more of us than mere believing." He doubted the apostles wanted to be fishers of men any more than we do. Inviting others to faith is "scary business" and talking about Jesus can be "frightening." One, said Father, must be "so convinced of the Gospel, that you simply have to announce it. It's a lot like love. You simply have to share it. Love is kept alive by giving it away, not just to one person, but to many."

We were then treated to a sermon read by Dominican sister Patricia Farrel, the parish's grammar school principal. Her theme was how Jonah, Simon Peter, and all of us, are reluctant to follow Christ. In spite of Jonah's reluctance, God did not choose someone else to preach to the Ninevites, because God was concerned with Jonah's salvation as well -- his and the Ninevites' salvation were all bound up together. In fact, the salvation of each of us is bound up with people living in all parts of the world, such as Baghdad and Korea, said Sister Patricia. In a world where people "throw around labels like 'the axis of evil,'" they at St. Dominic's do not call others names. It is challenging to teach such "counter cultural values," but she claimed that they at St. Dominic's are "making a world of difference."

Father Francis thanked Sr. Patricia and called forward those who were preparing for entrance into the Catholic Church. Father said a prayer over them and they departed out the side of the Church. There were about five of them (not bad for Super Bowl Sunday).

During the Prayer of the Faithful, the signal for the congregation to say, "Lord Hear our Prayer," was simply a long pause followed by "we pray" -- except once when the lectoress added a little variation by saying, "for this we pray to you, O Lord." We prayed for our leaders, the common good, the archdiocese of San Francisco, and the teachers. For the offertory, the choir sang in unison, "I, the Lord am with you."

Father used the Eucharistic prayer for Masses of Reconciliation, which begins, "Father from the beginning of time you have always done what is good for man so that we may be holy as you are holy." The priest reverently chanted the minor elevation in a tune that was unfamiliar to me. The Amen was sung, and all raised their hands for the Our Father.

Though it had musical accompaniment, the Our Father melody consisted mostly of a single note like that of a psalm tone. Brief a capella moments highlighted certain words. Even though we greeted each other at the beginning of Mass, we were again called to acknowledge each other with a sign of peace. Again I shook hands with Dennis, Jennifer and Helen.

For communion we sang, "Christ Be Our Light." There were about twelve eucharistic ministers giving out communion -- three in the front center aisle alone. After communion, the priest announced there would be a solemn Mass on the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas at which there would be a Gregorian chant schola. Also, the pastor would be at the front door distributing an article defending Pope Pius XII against charges of anti-Semitism. Scott Moyer, the leader of St. Dominic's "Adult Faith Formation" announced that his group would host a three-part discussion (February 5, 12, 19) about the differences between liberal and conservative Catholicism.

Father informed us the Oakland Raiders were losing, but no one seemed upset. The recessional began with the a capella singing of the refrain for "I am the Light of the World." It picked up steam with an energetic guitar rhythm, then came the flailing tamborines, then the inevitable clapping.

After exiting the Church, I greeted the pastor, from whom I purchased the defense of Pius XII.

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