Ship of Fools: Suggestions for worship in New Orleans, LA and Austin, TX

Thread: Suggestions for worship in New Orleans, LA and Austin, TX Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

To visit this thread, use this URL:
http://forum.ship-of-fools.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=70;t=027853

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

My lovely bride and I are planning a trip to Austin, TX in the spring, right around the fourth week of Lent. We are planning to spend a bit of time in New Orleans, LA on the way. We aren't sure yet how it will play out, but one possibility is to be able to attend church in New Orleans on Sunday morning. She has graciously agreed to visit whatever church I want that morning, so I turn to you for your suggestions.

I would prefer TEC, so that we can receive the Sacrament, but RCC isn't out of the question. Anglo-Catholic is a plus; high to nosebleed if at all possible -- smells and bells are my thing.

The other question is for a weekday Eucharist, Matins, or Evensong somewhere in Austin, TX. Here I again prefer TEC (especially if it's a Eucharist), but could be talked into a particularly high-church UMC or an RCC service.

Thanks!

[ 26. January 2014, 18:50: Message edited by: Barefoot Friar ]

Posted by Ceremoniar (# 13596) on :

The Cathedral of St. Louis is one of this country's most beautiful, architecturally and artistically speaking. No visit to New Orleans is complete without it.

Posted by ldjjd (# 17390) on :

In New Orleans, I'd attend:

St. Anna's

or perhaps the Episcopal Cathedral.

Posted by Quam Dilecta (# 12541) on :

As an Episcopalian and an occasional visitor to New Orleans, I have never managed to get to St. Helena's on Esplanade Avenue, the Anglo-Catholic parish. I have been to the Cathedral on St. Charles Avenue, and I would describe worship there as "Prayer Book Catholic" -- Eucharistic vestments, but no missal interpolations.

On the Roman side, I found the 9:30 A.M. Latin Mass at Old St. Patrick's on Camp Street very impressive: people of all ages heartily singing the responses in Latin, a good choir, and dignified ceremonial. They alternate between a Sung Mass and a High Mass; either one will seem quite familiar to to anyone accustomed to traditional Anglo-Catholic services.

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

Thanks!

Does anyone know anything about morning prayer at St. David's Episcopal in Austin, TX?

Posted by seekingsister (# 17707) on :

I'm also travelling to NO soon and have read good things online about St Augustine Catholic Church which is a traditionally black parish in the Treme neighborhood. Not being RCC I won't be able to join communion but if the promises of jazz music are true then definitely worth a trip.

St Augustine Catholic Church

Posted by Lietuvos Sv. Kazimieras (# 11274) on :

There are no Anglo-Catholic parishes in Austin, which is part of the historically quite low church Diocese of Texas. Austin does, however, have all essentially MOTR parishes. One good place is All Saints, a lovely old building dating from the end of the 19th Century. It started its life as a chapel for the University of Texas and is located on the northwest side of the campus. It has been a regular parish church for a very long time now, with a small, separate chapel built onto the back, housing the facilities of the Canterbury Association. It has always been a rather traditional place and relatively high up the candle for Austin, although I must caution that I haven't been there in years.

Downtown in Austin is St David's, the oldest Episcopal church in the city, dating from the mid-19th Century. Once upon a time it had a much lower church identity. I recall the first time I ever attended there, Easter 1974 I think, and being scandalized that the celebrant was vested in surplice and stole rather than eucharistic vestments -- at that tender age, I'd never seen such a thing for a principal celebration of a choral Eucharist. Of course, you wouldn't find such old fashioned low church style there now. They offer just about everything, from fairly traditional choral Eucharist at the main Sunday morning service, to more happy clappy and chaotic styles at evening Masses (I walked out of one of these many years ago when the healing part went on endlessly, with no sign of ever getting to the consecration of the Eucharist). The church has an interesting altarpiece and is generally well appointed, though isn't as pretty as the smaller All Saints.

Church of the Good Shepherd is located in a close-in residential area called Terrytown. The church probably dates from around the 1930s. It too has generally gone up the candle in recent decades, though again I haven't been there since maybe the 1990s. An odd usage they have had there is dispensing with the eucharistic vestments during Lent and wearing surplice and violet stole instead. An odd idea IMO that euchies are too festive for Lent (on Good Friday the clergy wear their cassocks only, I guess putting on stoles for administration of Holy Communion). I was once a member there, but left when they tried to make everyone wear name tags. I was also once a member at All Saints BTW but left - stupidly in retrospect - when they hired a woman curate in the later 1980s (I've changed my views on that dead horse in subsequent years).

The only Anglo-Catholic option would be in San Antonio, St Paul's Grayson Street, across from the parade ground at Fort Sam Houston, not terribly far off from I-35. It's moderate A-C, but I'm told has suffered in its churchmanship under the present incumbency. My partner and I used to drive down from Austin regularly to attend there for a period of time in the early 2000s.

Austin is a great city, but a side trip to San Antonio wouldn't be amiss either. The other parish in San Antonio to be recommended would be St Mark's, on the edge of downtown, a fine old place that has gone up the candle in quite recent years and has an excellent music programme. San Antonio is in the Diocese of West Texas, btw -- also historically low church overall. The high church dioceses in the State are Dallas and Fort Worth, with Northwest Texas historically pretty MOTR, and the bit of the Diocese of the Rio Grande within Texas (mostly a New Mexico diocese)an interesting historic mish-mash of Anglo-Catholic, Evo-charismatic, low and MOTR.

I've left out the less important or more frankly mod parishes in Austin.

[ 27. January 2014, 13:07: Message edited by: Lietuvos Sv. Kazimieras ]

Posted by Lietuvos Sv. Kazimieras (# 11274) on :

Sorry, Barefoot Friar, I just noticed you seemed to be asking about weekday TEC Eucharists in Austin. St David's might be the most likely bet for that. It would be in a small chapel, but if you go, make sure you get a look at the main nave and sanctuary. I'm not sure what there might be in terms of mid-week Masses at All Saints these days. There used to be a mid-week Eucharist in the chapel of the Canterbury Association behind the church. The chapel is a completely undistinguished and minimalistic addition from the 1950s or '60s. I used to attend there sometimes back when 1928 was still being used, which certainly wouldn't be the case today. I'm afraid weekday celebrations at Austin parishes may be rather mod as compared to the more trad main Sunday Eucharists.

Posted by Lietuvos Sv. Kazimieras (# 11274) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Barefoot Friar:
Thanks!

Does anyone know anything about morning prayer at St. David's Episcopal in Austin, TX?

Just noticed this. I wonder if St David's still has MP on a Sunday? If so, surely it's a once monthly thing? I'm sure it would be quite old fashioned choral mattins, a low church survivor in a parish that otherwise has become pretty MOTR in recent decades. They may have lay readers to recite MP and EP during weekdays, in their little chapel I would assume. The chapel there btw is very plain but is their place of reservation, the Sanctissimum being reserved in an aumbrey, marked by a lamp.

Posted by Barefoot Friar (# 13100) on :

Thank you for all that information! It turns out we will not be to Austin on Sunday, but a weekday MP or Eucharist would be a good thing, I think. I shall also remember what you said about the churches in San Antonio, as we have considered taking a day to go see the Alamo and a couple other things.

As it turns out, I had looked over the parish websites for several Austin TEC congregations, and had already narrowed it down to All Saints or St. David's, so what you're telling me is quite helpful indeed.

Thanks again!

Posted by Lietuvos Sv. Kazimieras (# 11274) on :

If you go to San Antonio by all means do the whole Mission Trail, not just the Alamo. Several of the historic missions are still active parish churches. Doesn't take very long to do the trail, and you can get details via the internet, of course.

Posted by seekingsister (# 17707) on :

I just came back from New Orleans and enthusiastically endorse St. Augustine in the Treme neighborhood. I wasn't allowed to participate in the Eucharist as an Anglican but the sermon and music were inspirational. Truly a unique church maintaining the African-American traditions within a Catholic context. A+

Posted by Forthview (# 12376) on :

Seeking sister - speaking from within a Catholic context you did obviously participate in the eucharist, no doubt by listening to and reflecting upon the Word of God, by taking part in the music.Even had you received the Sacrament
you would not have participated fully as you do not obviously fully share the faith of Catholics.

UBB.classic^TM 6.5.0