What is the Catholic religion like?

Answer 1

As long as you don't go to one of the horrible modern ones it will be built with beautiful architecture for the glory of God. As you enter there will be a porch room with catholic material (books, Bibles, Rosaries, leaflets etc.) there will also be fonts of holy water with which to bless yourself; then as you walk in to the main church it will be long and have pews with kneelers, the kneelers are used whenever the blessed sacrament is out (including during Mass) this section is called the nave. There will be pictures of Christ and the Saints and Angels all directing ones attention to God, there will be stained glass windows depicting biblical scenes or other holy events and there will be the stations of the cross, which are stations on the walls taking you through all the events of Christs death and resurrection. At the front will be the section called the Sanctuary, this will contain the altar which will have candles and missals on it, it is on this that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will take place. Behind the altar is normally the tabernacle containing the blessed sacrament, the altar crucifix, more candles and images of saints. There will also be a pulpit and things for reading from. The ancurary is sometimes fenced off from the rest of the church.

Other thinks inside the church will be candles that anyone can light for the souls of dead people, or friends etc. Confessionals for the Sacrament of Penance. Normally an organ.

A proper church smell in my opinion is incense and burning candles.

They have the same layout as any other christian church, however in many Roman Catholic churches there are many more statues and paintings than would be found in a protestant church.

A church can be any building (it needs to be consecrated) and any shape but when large enough and purpose built they will have a cruciform plan with the long axis on an east west alignment.

Answer 2

Well I am glad to see you have interest in the Catholic Church,but for the Catholic Church it is not service it is called Mass. Also, It is where we sing and we hear the first reading then sing the little versus such as "God is good and almighty and I shall praise him forever" then the people sing back and we sing the versus for a little while, then we hear the second reading and then after the priest reads the Gospel, (The word of God) and he says a homily. Then we go into the Sacrifice of the Mass. If you are curious I invite you to see a Catholic Church yourself go to Mass to see how the Catholic Church Mass is really like.

Another answer: There are various services in the Catholic church, the most common that you would normally see is the Mass or the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the service of God commanded by Jesus Christ and instituted by Him at the Last Supper in which He presents His Body and Blood to the faithful to give them strength and "guide them in all truth". The Mass is divided into two parts, the first part if the Liturgy of the Word, in which there are two or three readings from The Bible, and a psalm. The Second part is the Liturgy of the Eucharist in which Christ's death is re-presented in an unbloody manner. Please feel welcome, there are usually greeters at the door at a Sunday Mass who will be more than happy to show you where to go and what to do.

Answer 3

I am assuming that you are asking about the Mass (the Eucharist) as this is the most common "service" that most people would think of when they think of a Catholic "service". But understand that the Eucharist is not considered a service for a Catholic, that would be Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, etc. that you would only normally find in a monastery. A Catholic Eucharist (Mass) in the 21st century could be celebrated nearly every way that you could think of. So, although the priest is following the same Missal, the Mass may look almost like a pre-Vatican II Mass or almost like an Anglican or Lutheran service. Most commonly, there would be a hymn as an entrance song, a penitential rite in which the people confess their sins to the Lord, following by the Gloria (an ancient hymn of praise). Then the readings follow, usually three, one from the Old Testament, followed by a psalm that is chanted responsively, a reading from the New Testament, the Alleluia verse, and all stand to hear the Gospel proclaimed. Then the priest gives a homily (like a sermon but based on the readings just heard), then the priest and people recite the Nicene Creed, and pray for various needs. At this point the priest sets the altar up and the Eucharist proper begins, gifts are brought to the altar, the priest prays over them, invites the people to pray, the people kneel, then he offers thanks and prays the prayer of consecration. After this all stand and recite the Our Father (the Lord's Prayer), followed by the exchange of peace, and the hymn "Lamb of God." The people receive Holy Communion, the priest offers a final prayer, and blesses and dismisses the people. There may be a hymn as he leaves.

Answer 4

Roman Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ and His Bride. It is the perfect image of God's overflowing love for us, to quote from the opening paragraph of the new Catechism,

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

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God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the [Catholic] Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Answer 5

A Catholic Church I should know I am catholic!

Answer 6

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Catholic AnswerThe only Church that maintains valid sacraments and a valid priesthood is the Orthodox Church.

Answer 7

Catholicism is practiced in a place of worship that is called a church or a cathedral. It often looks like it has towers and large rooms to worship.