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by Jim Holman.
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ST. DOMINIC SAVIO

A Fairly Dignified Liturgy

By Charles A. Coulombe

St. Dominic Savio, 9720 Foster Road (at Bellflower Boulevard) in Bellflower, is a rather typical example of the many churches built in the archdiocese during the "age of expansion" in the 1950s and '60s under Cardinal McIntyre. Despite alterations to the sanctuary (removal of altar rail, etc.), the tabernacle remains central; large statues of Our Lady, the Sacred Heart, and St. Joseph continue to lend a Catholic air to a truly devotional, if architecturally undistinguished, structure.

However, by the time you read this, this church will have been replaced by a much larger building. When I attended the 11 a.m. Mass for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (September 29, 2002), I was able to look through the windows into the then-unfinished new church. Granting that it was not yet completed, what I saw reminded me very much of the interior of the cardinal' s new cathedral.

Nevertheless, the soon-to-be-turned-into-an-auditorium church was filling for one of its last Masses. The small, but dedicated, mostly Filipino choir gathered by what had been the left side altar; in deference to the feast of St. Philip de Jesus (the native of the Philippines martyred by the Japanese in the 16th century), his statue was set up to the right. The congregation, a mix of younger Hispanics and Filipinos and older Anglos, loosely filled the pews. Those preparing for the Mass, or even passing the tabernacle casually, routinely bowed to it.

The strains of "Table of Plenty," with its jaunty assurance that at that table "saints and sinners are friends," accompanied the procession. A crucifer/altar boy in red cassock and surplice preceded a lector bearing the lectionary, who was followed by the celebrant, Father Leo Baysinger. As the sanctuary party took their places, the altar boy quickly stowed the crucifix in the sacristy. The priest opened the Mass and told us to call to mind our sins. The choir then sang, "Lord have Mercy." The Gloria was multilingual, to a tune unfamiliar to me.

An older Anglo man in dark suit read the first lesson, Ezekiel 28:25-28. He was succeeded by a Filipina lectoress reading Philippians 2:1-11, who was in turn followed by the celebrant reading the account of the two sons sent out into the vineyard, from St. Matthew 21:28-32. As might be expected, much of Father Baysinger's sermon centered on the new church building; in keeping with the message of the Gospel reading, he called for tolerance and love. He also pointed out that those who want to hear the Mass only in English have small minds. We recited the Creed.

The offertory hymn, "Bread of Life," like most of the rest of the music, was a treasure from the golden age of Catholic hymnody, the 1970s. In keeping with the cardinal's liturgical ideas, the altar was prepared during the singing of this hymn, with cloths arranged, vessels brought, and missal mounted upon the altar. The collection was taken up in straw baskets, passed row to row, and Eucharistic Prayer II was used. The Our Father was sung by the congregation in the familiar quasi-plainchant melody, but the Agnus Dei was sung in Spanish. A small army of eucharistic ministers appeared to distribute communion, which most (though far from all) received in the hand. In recessing, the sanctuary party departed through the right hand doorway, rather than returning down the length of the nave. Befitting the fairly dignified nature of the proceedings, there was no applause.

In deference, perhaps, to the parish fiesta outside, there were no coffee and doughnuts.

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