In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." They all repeated in unison as they drew crosses upon their chests. It seemed that they had practiced this for years. I was intrigued by their unity, or dedication, or whatever. I've never seen anything like this in the U.S. because there are so many different religions. Heck. even within my own religion, I never really saw much unity. I grew up (from age 6-14) in the Mormon Church. This summer I attended a Roman Catholic mass in the Philippines. It was definitely not the same.

From the street, the cathedral looked magnificent. It looked just like those pictures I'd seen of old European Gothic cathedrals. The cathedral was fairly old, although not as old as the European cathedrals. It was built in 1864, and it was built solid. The concrete (or cement) walls shot up 50-60 feet toward the sky. Two symmetrically placed balconies protruded from the second floor between the doors and the side of the cathedral. Above the door and supported by two columns, a longer section extended out from where there might have been a third floor. I don't quite remember, but I think the name "Jaro Cathedral" was engraved on the front. The doors were huge too, maybe twelve feet high. If that wasn't enough, midway between the doors and the street was a small flower garden with a statue of Jesus standing on a pedestal. It was all so beautiful and grand.

This scene was rather stunning for me. Mormon churches, except for the Mormon Temple, are relatively small, maybe 30 feet at its highest point; the doors are simple, and there are no statues. As I walked passed the statue and through the door, my astonishment continued. It seemed bigger inside than outside. The distance from the entrance to the opposite wall was about 100 yards. Light streamed in from the doors, stained-glass windows, and the many dim light fixtures above. It seemed dark perhaps from the walls. I heard music from a synthesizer or electric piano and people were already singing (we arrived late). I remember seeing figures carved on many of the columns used to hold the great structure. Apparently they were Catholic saints. At the far end behind the priest, was a carving or statue of Jesus. There were candles at both ends of the cathedral and many fans throughout. It was very hot, perhaps that is why the people were casually dressed.

There were small birdbath-looking fountains at the sides near the entrance, filled with holy water, I guessed. The people splashed it on as they prayed before they sat-if they could sit. It was hard to believe but the spacious cathedral had insufficient space There were people bunched in the back and scattered around the sides. It was crowded and hot. I was standing in the back, burning up, with only an occasional breeze flowing from the door.

As if I wasn't uncomfortable enough already, some people started collecting alms. They walked around with bags open taking money. I've given tithes before in privacy, but I couldn't give here. I don't know why. Maybe I didn't trust them, or maybe I was ashamed.

This was all so different from what I was used to. The Mormon chapel was small, but it was never too crowded. It was well lit with bright curtains, walls. and fluorescent lights. It was air conditioned and people dressed nicely, mostly in suits. And the music played was from an organ. Here, the music was upbeat and the singing sounded happy. After the song was finished, the priest preached on. He spoke in the native dialect, Ilongo. I couldn't understand him. Suddenly, the people sitting, rose. Then they kneeled, prayed, and rose again. It seemed to go on forever, but perhaps I just wanted to leave because of the heat. They sat again and sang again. The congregation did all this with great unity.. Near the end of the service was the taking of the sacrament. People rose in an unconfused manner, walked to one of the stations where wafers were being passed out, and ate it. After eating, some would face Jesus, bow, then sit again.

If I can remember, the "Sacrament Meeting," as it was called, in the Mormon Church, lasted about an hour. It started with a greeting and a schedule of how the meeting would proceed. One of the three leaders at a particular ward would do this. A hymn and a prayer would follow. Then one of the young adults would give a short talk or message. After the talk, a prayer was given to bless the sacrament. This proceeded with twelve young adults passing around bread and water to everyone in the congregation. There was another hymn, followed by the main speaker. After he was done, there was another hymn, and a final prayer. The Mormon church seemed very organized, formal, and serious.

The Catholic church I attended seemed casual, and happy. The Catholics -seemed not as strict as Mormons. However, they do possess a kind of togetherness and devotion. I've never seen much harmony in my church. Maybe this is because there are many different ethnic groups and religions in Hawai'i. In the Philippines, the majority are Filipino, and Catholicism is the major religion throughout most of the Philippines.

I remember one incident that really stuck in my mind. It was Sunday, 6:00 p.m. I was in a supermarket just about to purchase my groceries. The music was playing overhead, people talking, registers beeping, money jingling, and carts squeaking-all the normal Supermarket sounds. Then all of a sudden, a woman's voice spoke over the intercom. Everything became quiet. There was no sound except my voice whispering, "What's going on? I was told that it was a prayer. (I forgot the name.) It was awesome. I felt like time stopped. The whole country was probably doing the same thing (excluding the Muslims).

They seemed so devoted, and yet so lenient in their worshipping. They have a togetherness in this devoted leniency. I like to call it organized chaos. Nothing describes this better than the taxi drivers there. They seemed reckless driving on the opposite side of the street, making three lanes where only two lanes are drawn, cutting people off, or selfishly blocking traffic. It seems so chaotic, yet it is accepted by all. They all understand how to drive. To me, it's an organization of good drivers who drive badly. I don't mean to offend anyone. but the Catholics there seem like an organization of devout believers who are easygoing worshippers.