Kathryn Porter

COMM 2150-401

Project #1
OVERVIEW: As I attended Catholic mass for the first time, I was excited. I felt that the Catholic
Church had very few similar beliefs as my religion. I felt that the culture and practices were
completely foreign, but as I attended and reflected on my experience, I gained a greater
understanding of what they had to offer to my culture. I learned that they are just trying to make
the world a better place.
RELIGION: The Catholic Church is one of the oldest religions in the world. It has been around
since Jesus Christ walked the earth. They believe that God is their Father and that He created us
out of love. They believe that He supports us daily and that Jesus Christ died so everyone might
have eternal life. They believe that the Holy Spirit is a way that the Lord is present in their lives.
They pray to the Father through Mary, the mother of God. They find importance in a
sacramental life. They believe in the Bible. They believe in [] becoming the body of Christ
in the world.
RELIGIOUS FUNCTION: The function I attended was mass. This is a time where Catholic
members get together to learn about Christ and to take Communion. The meeting starts with a
hymn. The Father and the Priest then walk up to the front of the cathedral. We sang and read
scriptures. The Father then shared his thoughts on the scriptures that were read. We sang some
more, prayed, and then proceeded to take communion. One thing that impressed me was that
they had a time specifically set aside to greet those around them. As I watched, stranger greeted
stranger. It was a very inviting environment.

VALUE THEORY: As I sat and listened to the things that the priest shared with his
congregation, I thought of the value The Nature of Human Nature. The Catholic Church
recognizes that there is a mixture of good and evil in people. However, as followers of Christ
they try to get rid of the bad, and nurture the good.

ANALYSIS: This value was apparent to me as the priest spoke. He stated that we need to make
the world a better place. He said that we could do that by choosing to do good deeds in our lives.
He also taught that as we choose good, more good will come to the world because people will
recognize the things you do and will be inspired to help and serve as well. He said that as people
serve and act as Christ, they bring and inspire goodness in the world.

REFLECTION: At the beginning of the project, I was excited to have an excuse to make time to
visit a new culture and religion. Ill admit that I was nervous, but as I walked into the cathedral,
my excitement about learning and taking in this new experience overcame the nerves.
This project has actually added to my faith and my knowledge of my culture and my
beliefs. The Catholic Church has a lot of similar beliefs to the church that I belong to, but their
culture and their practices are very different. As I sat through mass, I could see many similarities.
They were trying to make the world a better place by using the resources they have. They belief
in Christ and believe that He died so that everyone can be forgiven and understand the love of
the Father. They believe that scripture and prayer are things that can help you communicate and
grow closer to god. They are group oriented and believe in bringing others unto their God.
Because of this project, I have found a stronger excitement and courage for
experiencing new cultures. I am excited to continue to learn about different cultures. Im learning

even more that cultures shouldnt be a hindrance in human relationships, but that it adds diversity
and color to our lives.

REFERENCES:
http://www.stmparish.org/?q=faith-catholic-today-beliefs-values
Martin, Judith N. and Nakayama, Thomas K. (2012). Intercultural Communication In Contexts,
pg. 101