Photo Credit Patricia Schissler
By Patricia Schissler
“I’m on holidays. Do I have to go to church this weekend?” I used to think that way in the past. The years in between directed me towards the love and joy of church, and it is mainly God’s doing. He moved my heart towards greater growth and understanding. Now, it would have to be a very serious dilemma that would detain me from one of the weekend’s most beautiful and wondrous days. Why the change? Only God and looking at my past could answer that question. I soon realized that as I traveled and discovered the meaning of living in right relationship with God, I internalized the strongest desire possible to reunite with God at Sunday Mass and during weekdays as well.
Traveling to various destinations created the challenge of locating churches and the diverse beauty of the celebration. As an adult, I realize that Mass, even though the same, can be practiced differently in other Catholic church locations. Diverse people and cultures denote subtle changes that can be experienced even while on vacation. Seeking church during destination travel allowed me to meet new, interesting, practicing Catholics and clergy.
This initial discovery happened during a summer vacation to visit my sister in Invermere, B.C. Terry and I went exploring on foot one Sunday morning and discovered a small Catholic church on the opposite side of the highway, with people entering it. We decided to join them. The priest welcomed us by asking where we were from. The group came from all over Canada and other countries as well. After Mass, we visited and shared places to explore. Returning with an upbeat and joyous feeling, I then decided to locate churches and attend Mass wherever we traveled.
The experience of Mass in various churches while traveling became addictive. Some locations in Canada include Kelowna, Victoria and Parksville, B.C., Edmonton, Medicine Hat, and Calgary, Alta., where I was asked to carry the gifts to the altar and receive a blessing; Winnipeg, Man., Melville, Yorkton, Swift Current, and Saskatoon, Sask. These Masses included funeral Masses as well. In the United States there were places like Cody, Wyoming, Grapevine, Texas and Sedona, Arizona. Saskatchewan pilgrimage Masses outdoors in the sun and fresh air at “Rock the Mount”, St. Peter’s colony, and Lemberg Grotto are ones I have also attended.
I attended Mass on board a ship destined for Alaska. The sway of the ocean and the merging of cultures were evident that morning. On a trip to Ireland and Scotland, we merely witnessed the remains of monasteries and altars hidden in the forest since we were on a bus tour. People were forced to hide their faith in these thickly treed areas or be martyred by the British long ago. In a Hawaiian Big Island church, the priest was barefoot. People were sitting in the round with three tiers available. In Honolulu, we went to a downtown church that exited onto Waikiki Beach. A Mariachi band played the church music in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The priest was vibrant as he asked about birthdays, anniversaries, and home locations.
A pilgrimage allowed our group to attend Mass every day. The church in Fatima seats about 9000 people. In Burgos, Spain, the side chapel was like an ornate cathedral. I proclaimed the Word there as a never to be forgotten experience. In Lourdes, we celebrated Mass in a small side chapel under the huge cathedrals. In Barcelona we had Mass in La Sagrada Familia.
Back in Canada, a Mass in the Ottawa cathedral uniquely showed people receiving the host on the tongue behind a communion rail if they desired it. In Quebec City, all Masses were in French. At the end, the musician soloed on the church’s huge pipe organ. The music pounded right through a person in the most incredible way. In Montreal, we searched for an English Mass instead of French. Every third weekend they had their Mass in Latin, and we happened to be there for the third weekend of the month.
Corner Brook and Lewisporte Newfoundland’s priests and churches had nautical themes of sailing ships and waves upon the sea. The churches appeared very ordinary, and one could easily miss the fact that they were passing a church building. I learned the reason was due to the Catholic persecution of the Irish when they came to Canada during the potato famine. There was only one large church in St. John’s, and it really was noticed as a church.
Back home in Regina itself, we have attended Mass in nearly all of the city churches. It is where we love Mass, and our heart belongs. Don’t ever let travel keep you from adding to your faith!
Patricia Schiissler, B.Ed., (nee Hanowski) as a lifelong Roman Catholic, was born, baptized, and received her sacraments at St. Henry’s parish in Melville, Saskatchewan. She began her education in a country, one room school (Wymer) from grades one to four. Education then began at St. Henry’s elementary school, grades five to eight and grades nine to twelve in St. Henry’s high school. Pat worked in the University of Regina library and meanwhile married Terry Schiissler in 1973 (BA, Notre Dame, Wilcox). They have 2 children. She retired from teaching at Regina Catholic Schools after 28 years. Pat studied the Understanding Our Faith series from 1997 to 2002. She then took the Lay Formation Program and was commissioned in 2018. Faith interests and accomplishments include Eucharistic ministry, Proclaimer, RCIA sponsor, Bible study facilitator, Chair, Spiritual Education, Lay Liturgy presider, Synod representative, etc. Pat became an author after retiring from teaching. She wrote and self-published, “God in my Life: How God speaks to me”. For the following two and a half years, she promoted the book while speaking to large numbers of people. There were over 25 evangelizing events across Western Canada. The experience was so meaningful that Pat decided to write and publish her second book,” God for all People: Some Fact, Some Fiction”. It is based on her faith journey relating to stories mainly strangers shared with her. Pat’s website is www.patriciaschiissler.com.
