It's no secret that I've been going through a sort of spiritual wandering phase, exploring Indy's faith communities on a weekly basis, sometimes returning and sometimes not.
If I find one that gives me a sense of "home," I may settle down but for now I'm rather enjoying the exploration.
My mother left Catholicism when I was a small child, the result of a priest's poorly spoken counsel when dealing with her child (me) who was expected to die. I've always been intrigued by Catholicism, though theologically there are some definite differences. That said, as an aging adult with a disability I am most drawn to communities that embrace disability and embrace the idea that we belong to one another.
Catholicism, for the most part, does this pretty well.
St. Thomas Aquinas is part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and also serves Butler University, which is less than five minutes away. I've heard this church referred to as the "hippie" church, a statement I think is attributed to the fact that on the whole this church has a reputation for social justice activities. As you can read from the tips, they also sponsor SausageFest and have an attached elementary school.
The church is located across the street from the Governor's Mansion. It's a terrific location in a neighborhood that is sort of transitional between rougher areas and more affluent areas. As I entered the sanctuary, I realized that their congregation seemed to reflect this diversity. While I wouldn't call it "widely diverse," I would say the congregation seems to reflect a nice weaving together of age, ethnicity, and family stages.
With most neighborhood Catholic churches, I get a little confused about parking. Many folks park on the street, which is doable here. They also have a parking lot that includes 3-4 accessible parking spots that are nicely done but not well marked. I ended up parking at the end of an aisle - I could have gotten blocked in, but everyone here seemed pretty considerate.
The entry way is level to the ground. Doors are not automatic, but I noticed they tended to be open. I would expect that to change in the winter, though greeters were nearby and they were actually greeting. The sanctuary is directly in front of the main entrance, an auditorium style sanctuary similar to a movie theatre. This works fairly well, though considering the amount of standing done during a mass this does have some limits for a person in a wheelchair in terms of visibility.
Father Michael Hoyt is the pastor. He seems to be a relatively younger priest, though he was enthusiastic and seemed to interact well with families.
I attended the 10:30am Sunday service. They also offer a Sunday at 8am and a Saturday evening (5:30pm) service along with the usual weekly services. The 2nd Sunday of each month, they have a 12:30pm service in French.
St. Thomas Aquinas did some things I really liked - for example, taking time to actually request (but not humiliate) visitors introduce themselves, having a part in the service for kids, and offering a brief period for sort of what I'd call joys/concerns. It seemed relax and very familial.
I was most impressed that each pew had a card in it essentially acknowledging that kids fidget, fuss and make noise - and asking parents to stay in the sanctuary anyway. If parents feel the need to leave, it encourages them to return and really outwardly expresses a love that kids will be kids. They word it beautifully and I loved it.
The mass itself functioned like many others, though a small group of male singers led worship rather than the usual solo worship leader.
I loved an awful lot about St. Thomas Aquinas - the sanctuary is a nice combo of traditional and contemporary, while this was easily one of the friendlier churches that I've visited. I also noticed that the altar area had been made wheelchair friendly. I also appreciated that when they did communion, someone brought it to me (and I politely declined, knowing that in their faith non-Catholics do not receive communion).
The only issue, and it was significant, was that Father Michael's voice was a bit soft and I had a hard time hearing his message much of the time. As someone who is only "visiting" and learning about Catholicism, it's pretty important to hear everything and having difficulty doing so really impacted my appreciation of his message. I adored his presence - he was relaxed, friendly and formal but not rigid - I just wish I could have heard him better. The worship music was appealing, as well. The men leading worship were effective without being showy.
Overall, this was easily one of my favorite experiences among the churches that I've visited. I understand why those who know me felt like this should be a community I visit - while I may not resonate with the theology 100%, it's a socially involved, family-centered congregation and it was easy to get a feeling that I would be welcomed into the community. read more