Church Observation Paper

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People all over the world attend many different rituals, whether it be a public speech or a religious service. As a new intern at the Foundation for Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Harmony, I was required to collect information in order to have a better understanding for different ritual practices in the United States. A ritual tells us important information regarding the people who attend the ritual and what they believe in. The Anthropology textbook claims “rituals are formal—stylized, repetitive, and stereotyped” (Kottak 402). Even though I’ve never attended Catholic Church, I attended Mass at The Catholic Church of Saint Monica in Duluth, GA on Sunday, April 3rd at 10:30 a.m. and it lasted for ninety minutes. I did actively participate in the ritual of receiving Communion, where you receive the gifts of bread and wine.
As I approached St. Monica’s, I noticed many statues of saints leading up to the entrance. When I walked inside the building, I noticed there was a spacious room, which is called the Narthex. Typically, the Narthex is the architectural entrance or lobby of the …show more content…

The Narthex and smaller rooms, where Sunday school and the nurseries are held, are more of a public space. The Sanctuary is a more private space, but not as private as the Confessional. The Confessional is a small booth, where you are one-on-one with the priest to confess your sins and ask for forgiveness, which I was informed on by Jessica. You can choose whether you want to have a screen between you and the priest or have nothing at all. Jessica further explained to me that many people don’t feel comfortable being face-to-face with the priest of the church and others would prefer to have a screen in between them. Ultimately, it is the person’s preference and the significance behind Confession is to be granted forgiveness for your everyday sins

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