Mystery Worshipper: Amanda B. Reckondwyth
Church:
St Augustine, Phoenix
Location: Arizona, USA
Date of visit: Friday, 28 August 2026, 7:00pm
The building
The parish was formed in 1970 and worship was held in various schools while the church was being built. Completed in 1972, it is a plain but tidy looking brick building that includes a classroom wing. The inside is spacious and mostly windowless, but bright thanks to plenty of chandeliers. The walls are beige, the floor white tile. A large crucifix hangs over the altar, on either side of which are statues of St Joseph carrying the young Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin attended by angels. Angels also guard the tabernacle. There is a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, obligatory in Mexican-American parishes. A statue of St Augustine, somewhat garishly lit in pinkish red, was prominently displayed, at which people knelt to pray.
The church
This is a bilingual parish, with emphasis on the Spanish. Their many ministries and outreaches are well documented on their website. I’ll just mention a chapter of the Armata Bianca (White Army), an international organization devoted to the spiritual care of children; a charismatic prayer group that meets weekly for prayer in English and Spanish; and Bible study groups that they call Prayer and Life Workshops. Weekday masses are celebrated both in English and Spanish, as are the Saturday vigil mass and Sunday masses.
The neighborhood
They are located on 71st Avenue a few blocks south of Indian School Road, named after the Bureau of Indian Affairs school that operated from 1891 to 1990 and still stands as a national historic site. This is the Maryvale neighborhood, named in honor of Mary Long, wife of real estate developer John F. Long. Originally a master planned community with affordable homes, Maryvale fell on hard times as families moved further out into the suburbs, and became known as a hotbed of crime, drugs and graffiti. Persons of Hispanic ethnicity make up about three-quarters of the neighborhood’s population. Conditions have improved somewhat today. The adventuresome visitor can shop at Los Altos Ranch Market, a supermarket specializing in authentic Latin American groceries, baked goods and prepared meals; a variety of mamá y papá bodegas; and eateries featuring authentic Mexican cuisine, not the Americanized stuff served in the touristy big-name places. Urban legend has it that Maryvale is plagued by packs of feral chihuahuas that nip at the ankles of pedestrians and bikers, but this is generally regarded as apocryphal – although it may explain why so many residents wear cowboy boots.
The cast
A visiting priest was the principal celebrant, and the priests of the parish concelebrated with him. One of the parochial vicars preached.
What was the name of the service?
Misa Solemne en la Festividad de Nuestro Santo Patrono – Solemn Mass on the Feast of Our Patron Saint.How full was the building?
It’s a large church – I estimated the capacity to be about 600. It was completely full. Folk of all ages, several families. Many of the women wore mantillas.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
No.
Was your pew comfortable?
The uncushioned pew was a little severe but basically comfortable.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
People sat in silence.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
The processional hymn began with the words, En este momento, en este lugar, Dios nos invita a contemplar – ‘At this moment, in this place, God invites us to meditate’. The procession consisted of cross, thurible, torches, book, several cassocked and surpliced ladies and gentlemen whose role was not clear (and more about them later), and finally the concelebrants. The mass itself began with, En el nombre del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espíritu Santo.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
None. There was no handout and nothing in the pews. Song lyrics were projected, but nothing else.
What musical instruments were played?
Digital piano and trumpet. There was a choir of eight men and women.
Did anything distract you?
Candle-lighting time is often distracting. An acolyte lit two candles in front of the statue of St Augustine with no trouble. But the altar candles simply wouldn’t take the light! After trying for what seemed an eternity, he returned to the sacristy and in a moment came back out with a more brightly burning taper. Even so, there was one candle that he simply couldn’t get to burn. The sacristan approached and fiddled a bit with the wick, and the candle finally took its light.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
Well, it wasn’t a solemn mass despite how it was advertised. It was a concelebrated low mass with incense. Everything spoken – no chanting. Some of it was in English, some in Spanish. The girl acolytes wore red cassocks, the boys black. But some of the boys wore what appeared to be cream-colored surplices, and others wore white. I thought there must be more to that than their mothers simply forgetting to add bleach to the wash water, but I couldn’t figure it out. I’m pleased to say, however, that all wore black trousers, black socks and black shoes. I thought I detected a smile on the statue of St Augustine. The music was what I call Singing Nun Goes South of the Border – all in Spanish, all with a Spanish heft to it. It was pleasant to listen to, though. The congregation sang with gusto.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
11 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 — The parochial vicar preached in Spanish. My Spanish is rusty – truth be told it never was all that good – and I really didn’t follow everything he said. He spoke clearly, though, and had good rapport with the congregation. He sprinkled his remarks with a few jokes here and there, judging from the congregation’s reaction, but I’m afraid they were over my head.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
So far as I could tell, he spoke of the life and times of St Augustine.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The mass was celebrated with precision and dignity, even if it wasn’t the solemn mass that had been advertised. The thurifer was especially good in his role.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I would have appreciated a handout with the readings for the day both in English and in Spanish. I understood most of the song lyrics that were projected, and even if the readings had only been projected it would have been a help. I could follow the English well enough, but the readings that were given in Spanish, as well as the sermon, left me clueless. I felt out of place.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I heard the pastor say that refreshments would be served out on the patio (he said that in English), and everyone made their way there with all deliberate haste. I asked one of the older acolytes what the difference was between the cream-colored and white surplices, and he said that it was simply a matter of when they were purchased, and from what supplier.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
Pizza, nachos, and a variety of fruit beverages were being served. I wasn’t in the mood for pizza, but the nachos were good – I had two helpings – and the fruit beverages were tasty. I don’t know what the first one I took was – it was a little sweeter than I prefer, but it was good. The second one appeared to be a mix of grape and cranberry juice, and that, too, was good.
How would you feel about making another visit (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
6 — This is a tough one to rate. This is clearly a thriving, vibrant church community, but the emphasis is clearly on the Hispanic element. I felt somewhat out of place as a gringo, and this really wasn’t counterbalanced enough by the precision and dignity of the service to make me feel comfortable about paying them a return visit. Maybe.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
St Augustine is my favorite saint, and I was glad to be observing his feast day in a church named in his honor. But I would have felt more glad if I had been able to understand more of it.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time ?
The statue of St Augustine.