Mass at Mary Queen of Vietnam!

I just want to make some clarifications before tomorrow's mass at Mary Queen of Vietnam. To begin with, Mary Queen of Vietnam does not hold the physical image of a typical Catholic Church. The church building has a simple appearance rather than a extravagant one. On first inspection, it may appear to be a warehouse. On the interior, the church is lined with numerous rows of pews. The church does not have any stained glass windows or elegant religious art/crafts as in most churches. Only tiny wooden plates lined the walls of the church, bearing the stations of the cross. The focus of any church is the altar, and even the altar is not too eye appealing. Although I don't know the church's exact origins, I can only speculate that the church did not had much funding in its early years. The exterior of the church has remained the same since Katrina, but the interior has undergone a complete makeover. Either way, most people don't fancy the church for its designs but rather for its service.

 In my opinion, I believe mass is celebrated in the same manner as any other Catholic Church with a Tridentine structure. It is basically a Catholic mass conducted in Vietnamese. I don't think Mary Queen of Vietnam Church does anything unique or different along the line of masses. The music can probably be considered unique as nothing else comes to my mind. If I have to describe the atmosphere in one word it would be solemn. On the visit tomorrow, you will definitely notice the difference as compared to the previous churches we visited. That being said, the people are usually non-sociable. It may appear that the members are rude and unwelcoming, but it is just the nature of most Vietnamese people. There are no official church moderators for greetings, so there might not be a warm welcome. Although the mass may appear solemn, the community is very much alive. I believe the parish is among the biggest in the archdiocese. On Sundays, there are four mass celebrated to accommodate the large community and preference for mass. Mass is offered at 6:30AM, 8:00AM, 9:30AM, and 11:00AM. All masses are usually packed to a decent size with masses at 8:00AM and 9:30AM being the largest. The church is a little more decorated than usual due to the season of Easter. I hope you enjoy mass tomorrow and that my words did not lower your expectations.