4. Church of the Incarnation

We visited the Church of the Incarnation on Sunday, June 6th, for XXXam Mass.  Incarnation is located right on the border between DC and Maryland; it serves the YYY neighborhood.

We arrived at the church quite early (due to the Metro bus schedule), so settled in while the choir went through their paces.  The pews were sparsely filled until just before XXXam - more people arrived shortly afterwards.  The congregation was almost exclusively black; it trended older and female.  We estimate about a hundred people in attendance. 

The parish priest celebrated Mass with the assistance of his deacon and two altar servers.  Both the priest and deacon greeted us before Mass started - and handed us little pennants as remembrances.  The deacon gave the homily - a practice that seems common in DC.  He spoke firmly about proper preparation for and attendance at Mass, including, for example, the oft-ignored rule of abstinence from food for an hour before receiving the Eucharist.  He also spoke about dressing formally for Mass - though pretty much everyone we saw there was well-dressed.

The priest and deacon administered Holy Communion with the assistance of two extraordinary ministers.  They offered both bread and wine.  As seems usual in DC, most of the congregation went to receive the Eucharist by bread alone; the other half by bread and wine.  

The small choir of five women and one man were accompanied by the organist.  They performed about three traditional hymns during the Mass. 

We found Incarnation to be a friendly and welcoming church during our short visit.