Delaney - Assignment 21

As many people know, I attended Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton Catholic School until the 5th grade. Unfortunately, I had a sizable problem during my elementary school experience - I hated going to mass.  Participating in the catholic mass was required every Wednesday morning from 8:15 to 9:30 and I absolutely despised it. There was one month of school when I stayed home “sick” every Wednesday.

When I switched to Tates Creek for middle school, I so enjoyed the absence of religion from my school day - no more weekly masses o religion classes. I was convinced I was either agnostic or atheist (it depended on the day). My family rarely went to mass on Sundays as well. My problem was solved - no more mass for me.

Until I joined the middle school and high school Choir at Seton. 

I had been longing for more choral music in my life and this Choir was one of my only options. So I joined. And I started singing at one mass every month or so. I found myself loving the music part but not so much the mass. 

Then, since I enjoyed the youth choir, I joined another choir at my church. This time it was the Christmas Choir. I enjoyed the music, the mass, how the music interacted with the mass, everything about it. 

So then I joined even more choirs including the Adult Choir, Diocesan Choir, Handbells, Easter Choir, and my personal favorite - Diocesan Tenebrae Choir. I currently sing at multiple masses every weekend and almost all of the holiday or holy-day-of-obligation masses. And I thoroughly enjoy every minute of it. 

At first, I thought I had solved my “religion” problem by avoiding it altogether and denouncing my faith. However, through music, I have become so firm in my beliefs and have come to love the Catholic Church.