St Augustine Roman Catholic Church

I can’t believe anyone would attend this church, how narrow minded can they be. I had a phone conversation with a member of the church, and they were rude and nasty. I have been to numerous masses in other cities in the interest of learning about Catholicism and never have I been so poorly treated or rudely spoken to.

Love the Church, the people, the events. We are a young couple and wish there were more young couples coming in, too. But Father Ahern’s homilies trump everything. I take mental notes of things I want to remember, passages he quotes, writers and thinkers he refers to…
I also am so grateful for all the help the Church provides to Haiti in particular. Thank you, Saint Augustine, for helping the community, and us, to be better and more connected.

I’m sorry, Billie, that your experience was not «inspiring» but you must have attended a mass at which the pastor was not the presider. As a cradle Catholic, 70 years old, I have attended many churches… growing up in Tennessee, most of my adult life in San Jose, California, and St. Augustine’s since 2005. I have chosen to be a member of St. Augustine’s because I find it to be most inspiring.
The diversity of language and the community; the homilies that speak directly to me without the «preachiness» that I find off-​putting; the wonderful music led by the truly talented music director and cantors; and the varied opportunities to interact with other members in response to the needs of our surrounding community are the characteristics of St. Augustine’s that I treasure. The beauty of the church is also inspiring, but that is low on my list of what to look for in a church. Most importantly, St. Augustine is a community where all are welcomed.

Beautiful church! Father Ahern delivers inspiring homilies and the masses are gorgeous. Amazing music — both the cantors and the organist are absolutely top notch. Go here on Sunday for a treat for the whole family!

Very beautiful church. I just wish the services were more inspiring than read from paper! With today’s economy in the pits it would be so wonderful if the church could rally people with their gospels instead of just reading it. Please, be a little more progressive in your ceremonies!

Review a church? Do I? Don’t I? If Jesus were alive in the 21^st century, I’m sure he’d haul my ass off the internet.
But, I’m going to review it, because it’s a good religious institution. Here is why:
I’m not «religious», nor am I «spiritual» («religious» for non-​committing hippies), but there’s a clarity that I experience in churches. I like the acoustics, the representations of the stations of the cross, the architecture. A lot of people avoid experiencing the aesthetics inherent in religion, at least in Christianity, simply because of the stigma that most faiths receive.
That being said, I really enjoyed attending this church the two times I had gone. The first time, on Christmas eve, in which the mass was conducted in Latin, English, Spanish and Creole (awesome), happened to be the best mass I have ever attended. The music was fantastic and the sermon appropriate and not preachy. The second time I went, the pastor noticed I wasn’t a member of the church and came up to me afterwards and chatted with me. We got to talk about Montréal and how I lived there and he continued our conversation in French! Est-​ce que vous aimez l’Ave Marie en francais? Mais oui.
Also, St. Augustine has THEOLOGIANS as pastors and priests, not religious fanatics, so if you are looking for an engaging, and academic (but not pedantic) sermon, this is the religious institute for you. None of that «Be a good person or else» bs. These pastors really examine human nature, an element really lacking in religious discourse today. It’s rare you can have an engaging and controversial conversation about God. But to do so in a Catholic church… even rarer.
Note: Father Klein teaches theology at Fordham. It’s best to go when he will be leading the mass.