Lutherans and Catholics sing together at Mass in Price

Courtesy photo/Diane Simmons

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Choir members from San Rafael Catholic Church and Ascension St. Matthew's Episcopal-Lutheran Chruch gather to sing together.

Salt Lake City — The choirs of two churches – one Lutheran and the other Catholic – joined to worship and sing together at the evning Mass at Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church on Sept. 16.

San Rafael Catholic Mission in Huntington and Ascension St. Matthew’s Episcopal-Lutheran Church in Price “have always supported each other’s major fundraising events, but participating and assisting in the worship services is not something that has been done in this area of Utah,” said Diane Simmons, organist at San Rafael.

The idea to join the choirs began last year when Pastor Jim Locke and his wife, Samantha, of Ascension St. Matthew’s helped the smaller Notre Dame choir with their Thanksgiving Day Mass, and they realized future participation and fellowship could benefit both congregations.

Simmons, who occassionally attends church services with her husband, Tim, who is Lutheran, also saw opportunities for sharing music between the two churches. She received permission from Fr. Rafael Murillo, pastor of Notre Dame and San Rafael, for the 13-member choir from Ascension St. Matthew’s join the smaller San Rafael choir for the Sept. 16 Mass.

One of the hymns sung that night was “All are Welcome,” a well-known Lutheran song that many Catholics also sing.

“We’ve discovered that when we worship together, we’re more alike than different,” Simmons said. “We had a lot of fun doing this; and the combined choirs filled Notre Dame Church with such joyful, beautiful music.”

Courtesy of Diane Simmons