When: Sunday, 27th November, 2011.
Web: The parish website is here.
We attended 10am Mass on November 27th - the first Sunday of Advent and date of the first official use of the new missal translation. St Augustine's church, located in the Shaw neighborhood of the city, was well prepared for the new translation - the congregation did not miss a beat with the new responses and prayers. Also, the church provided an Advent package for all congregants that included materials on the new translation and varioues Advent materials.
A single priest celebrated Mass, assisted by a deacon, two readers, four eucharistic ministers, a cantor, organist, pianist, and several choiristers. Both the host and wine was offered for Communion. The congregation was mostly black - as one would expect in the first city church established for African Americans - but contained several white people, perhaps reflecting the changing neighborhood population. We heard the priest give a lengthy homily on the meaning of Advent; he called on us all to invest daily in our relationship with God. He also linked Advent - the beginning of the Church's liturgial season - to the new translation, asking us to make use of it to deepen our understanding of our faith.
