Community Profile
The community I am interested in joining is the Catholic Student Union. After some research and visiting the Catholic church near campus a few times, I have a good understanding of the community and what happens within it. Although the Union does not meet at the church often, there is weekly mass every Sunday at the church that most members choose to attend. From the church alone, I can tell that this is a community where everyone is very close and accepting of one another.
Walking into the church, you look straight forward and see the altar about 100 feet from the door. The familiar smell of burning incense filled my nostrils as I dipped my fingertips into the Holy water. Leading up to the altar, there are maybe 25 rows of pews. Behind the altar is a massive crucifix that is absolutely breathtaking; hung on the polished wooden wall. On each side of the crucifix are statues of Mary and Joseph, which are actually quite large and magnificent themselves. The altar has a row of seats on each side of it- one where parishioners can sit and the other is for the choir, which did an absolutely amazing job singing. Finally, there are stained glass windows that run from the bottom to the top of the walls, which is a beautiful sight to see. The church is not small either. It is maybe 40 feet high, full of these windows. I even stood at the base of one of them at the end of mass and looked up towards the ceiling; it was like an illusion. In my opinion, these windows are what really make this specific church so unique and special. The thought had hit me that this was truly one of the most beautiful churches I have seen in my life as I sat down for the service.
After mass, I stayed and talked to a few of the people who attended the same mass. All of them said they loved the parish and the pastor, which was not surprising. Some current FSU students who attend the church also talked to me and one of them even told me about a mission trip they had taken to Jamaica earlier in the year. This is exactly the kind of community that I would like to be a part of- one that gives back to the community and one that is religion-based.
As for a digital location, the Union has an Instagram account that I looked at. A lot of the account consists of pictures of FSU students doing various activities around campus and taking part in religious events that the Union holds. This community takes part in marches, holds retreats for students looking to deepen their faith, take mission trips to foreign countries, and many other activities that draw everyone closer together not only as a community, but as a group of religious youth, all with similar goals and interests. Every member has a smile on their faces and looks happy to be a part of such a great community.