Perspectives on St. Joan's Saturday Mass with Fr. George Wertin
I met with Fr. George on a Friday afternoon. With both of us in our Summer Friday afternoon attire, there was
no pretense. Not that there ever probably would be any pretense with Fr. George. His little
dog Penny listened intently as we spoke.
Ever the pastor, Fr. George asked about my wife, child and our jobs in short order. Afterword,
I turned to the interview and it went something like this:
How would you describe the Saturday night Mass to someone who had never been to it?
The five o'clock mass is low key, gentle, reflective and meditative yet contemporary. We have musicians
that pick their own music after reflecting on the readings for that week. I really appreciate their efforts.
Is the mass reflective and peaceful by design?
Yes.
How did the five o'clock Saturday mass get started?
Initially when I came to the parish, there was an early morning Sunday mass. Only thirty or
so people attended. I felt we could serve the parish better by giving a Saturday night mass and the
parish council agreed. It has been operating in more or less the same form ever since.
Are the types of parishioners different between Saturday and Sunday?
Yes. It does seem to be a different group, but you really cannot generalize about them.
There are older and younger people of all kinds. It seems like there are three groups of people who
come on Saturday: 1/2 regulars, 1/4 Sunday attendees that need to miss that Sunday's mass for some
reason and 1/4 visitors from out of town or other parishes. There are always a few new faces
and you don't always know what made them decide to come.
Are Saturday night regulars involved in the broader mission of the church?
Oh yes, in many different ministries. For example, Kas and Virginia are involved in the Tuesday service
and Deb sews baptismal gowns. Some members meet after church to share supper. I think it's really
nice that people come together after sharing the experience of mass.
How does the five o'clock mass fit in with the church's overall mission?
It provides an alternative to the gym liturgies that is more low key. People seem to appreciate
it and we draw eighty to one hundred twenty people a week depending on whether there is
a special occassion.
I would like to see a nursery for the mass, but it never seems to get off the ground due to
inconsistent numbers of children coming to the mass.
I always look forward to the five o'clock, to collect hugs and see what people are doing.
It's good that people can be flexible, come up around the altar, reach out and be hospitable.
In that respect it really reflects what St. Joan's is really about.
Shaun Jamison rebels against the norm by attending the Saturday night mass.
A recovering attorney, Shaun tries to make up for his former life as a divorce lawyer by being 1/2 of a marriage mentor couple.
sjamison@mn.rr.com
