Sacred Heart - Brianne

A friend said to me the week before our Mass Chaos visit to Sacred Heart, "Brianne, you realize once you go to Sacred Heart, you're never going to finish Mass Chaos because you're never going to want to leave." Though he wasn't correct - I have every intention of finishing this journey - he was right about how much I would love Sacred Heart.

There really are no words to describe how different Sacred Heart is from any other Catholic church I've ever attended. When we entered Sacred Heart, the church was bustling. People were mingling throughout the church, the choir was already singing, Fr. Tom was wandering through the congregation - it was like a celebration before mass even started! This is such a change from most churches, as quiet meditation is the norm as far as I've seen. If I could capture the energy of this parish and put it in a bottle, I'd carry it with me everywhere I went!

Mass was great - full of spirit and life. The congregation at Sacred Heart is very diverse, and the church was full to the brim (I'm not exaggerating when I say it was standing room only!) Fr. Tom's homily was spirited - it was so easy to connect to him. He spoke about what it means to be "in communion" - with one another, with God. What a great homily for us on this journey, and a great way to speak about how I'm feeling with my Mass Chaos friends - "in communion". We really are a community through Christ's body and blood. Fr. Tom said, "the Mass is 24/7 - a global community" and that if we think about it, somewhere in the world there is a mass being celebrated constantly. I loved this thought - that I have a family in worship every minute of every day!

The Freedom Choir (directed by Omaha Community Playhouse Music Director Jim Boggess) is a spectacular sight to see, but more importantly, a joy to listen to. When we walked in prior to mass, they were already singing beautifully (and quite loudly!) Their musical choices varied from traditional to contemporary - and each and every song was a treat. The choir featured some amazing soloists and great musicians. We were gifted after mass with two of the Freedom Choir's CDs (which I'm listening to as I write this blog) - I highly encourage you purchasing one and supporting this great group!

The remodel of the parish was done beautifuly - The Pieta (pictured here) took my breath away!

Though my intention on this journey was never to find a new parish home, I do believe I will be coming back to Sacred Heart more than once in the near future...