When: Sunday, October 17, 2010
Web: St Anselm's website is here.
We attended 10:00am Mass here on a bright fall Sunday morning. St Anselm's Abbey is home to Benedictine monks, at least some of whom teach in the attached boys' school. The Abbey sits on 40 acres of somewhat secluded woodland; the actual chapel itself is an original structure (1920s) and quite small.
As with the Dominicans some weeks ago, the chapel is divided into two: the upper portion in which the monks sat (facing each other in those seats the name of which I cannot remember); and the lower portion in which the congregation sat. There were about twenty visitors for Mass, which was about two-thirds of the seating capacity. Sixteen monks - most of them elderly - were there as well, included the celebrant.
Before Mass started, a monk invited us to bring the gifts to the altar. The gifts were located on a small table at the front of the pew section. We noticed that, when people arrived, they transferred hosts from one plate to another; perhaps to ensure that just the right amount were used during the Mass. We have not seen this practice any where else in Washington, or, to our recollection, any where else.
The Mass followed the conventional rite. The celebrant was aided by an organist; another monk led the singing. Two monks joined the lead celebrant for the consecration of the gifts. The lead celebrant gave a lengthy and wide-ranging homily that touched upon the power of prayer.
For communion, people lined up in the center aisle and walked forward to the lead celebrant; and either side on the way back down were the two co-celebrants with the wine. There was no collection; but there was a place to leave a donation near the main door.