My first visit to a convent & my first Latin Mass!

Pray for us St. Padre Pio!

 Exit and entry way.

What you see driving up.

Home of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Dallas.

Exterior of the chapel

Interior of the chapel

Sign posted on the chapel door. (Click to read).

Robert and I didn't know this, but every 1st Friday of the month for the next few months, there is an all night vigil held at the convent not too far from our house.  It starts at 4 p.m. and ends at 7 a.m. the next morning.  There are 3 Masses offered (8 p.m. 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.), plus rosaries prayed and confessions given.  People can stay for 10 minutes or 4 hours, it doesn't matter.

So, yesterday evening, we arrived there about 6:15 - 6:30 p.m. and sat in Adoration praying and listening to the nuns pray the rosary from where ever they were seated because the wall covering.  We wanted to go to confession but we couldn't find where it was taking place.  There wasn't a sign or anything anywhere.

About 7:30 p.m. we figured it was time to go.  Before we left I grabbed a flyer explaining more about these vigils.  It was at that time Robert saw a gentleman waiting in this outside area and asked him if that was where confessions were being held.  The gentleman said yes.  

Robert's eyes beamed...lol.  So he want to get in line and I went out with the camera and took pictures.

While Robert was in confession I read the flyer more closely and seen that the Masses being offered during this Vigil were performed in Latin.  I almost danced around the parking lot, lol.  We had been wanting to attend a Latin Mass but hadn't been able to make it out to the parish that offers them.

Robert wanted to stay too.

After he got out of confession, I went.  :)  

Then together we went to Mass.  

I was so excited to be able to be a part of what the Catholic Mass originally looked like.  Done in Latin, women and men modestly dressed, women's heads were covered, communion at the rail taken by mouth, not by hand, and just all around reverence for the house of GOD.  No gabbing & yapping before hand, texting on their cell phones, etc. people were actually praying / reading.  No female altar servers or Eucharistic ministers.

I understood a little of what was being said because I am currently learning the basic Catholic prayers in Latin (it's really an easy language to learn, much better then German, lol).  

It would have helped if we had a copy of the 1965 Roman Missal though to follow along better.  It's on my wish list.  :)

The homily (sermon) and Gospel reading were in English.  It was very good.  Yesterday was the Feast Day of St. Maria Goretti.  She was a very young girl (11 or so) who was stabbed 14 times by a hired farm hand's son because she wouldn't have sex with him / let him rape her.  She lived her life holy and pure as possible for GOD.  She forgave her attacker as did her mother.  It's a really sad but good piece of history to read on.

Receiving the body & blood of Christ, one row at a time went to the altar rails.  The priest prayed over each individual in Latin and gave us the Eucharist.

Afterwards more prayers were said, some in Latin, some in English and it was over.

I could have floated out the doors, lol.

I told hubster we must go back each month they do this.  He agreed.  :-D

We didn't see any nuns, although they were present at the Mass, they were hidden behind this wall thing (I can't think of the word to describe it).

Well, I just wanted to share that with ya'll!  :)

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Love,

Dawn