DOI
10.32436/2475-6423.1211
Abstract
In religiously diverse social contexts, liturgical practices anchored in one reli-
gious tradition often gather diverse communities. In such contexts, it is wise to
assume that people who are not Catholic may be present at any Roman Cath-
olic Mass. This article explores the lived liturgical experience of non-Catholic
Christians who participate routinely in the Roman Catholic Mass through a
mixed-methods study of a religiously diverse treble vocal ensemble that sings
weekly at Mass on a Catholic university campus. It describes how Catholic and
non-Catholic Christian singers interpret practices surrounding the eucharistic
meal in contrasting ways: non-Catholic Christians experience the invitation to
receive a blessing instead of communion as a moment of exclusion, whereas
Catholic singers experience it as an act of welcome. Building on Catherine Bell’s
assertion that “usually, multiple [ritual] systems overlap, sometimes in tension
with each other, sometimes in complementary harmony,” this article examines
how singers negotiate the overlaps between the choral singing, Roman Cath-
olic, and college campus ritual systems. Drawing on Benjamin Durheim and
David Turnbloom’s hermeneutic of tactical ecumenism, it outlines how singers
employ the tactics of ignoring, transcending, and circumventing dissonance. Di-
alogue is proposed as an additional tactic for fostering belonging amid ongoing
dissonance and harmony.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Sarah Kathleen
(2026)
"The Lived Liturgical Experience of Non-Catholic Participants in the Roman Catholic Mass: Tactical Ecumenism in Overlapping Ritual Systems,"
Journal of Global Catholicism:
Vol. 10:
Iss.
3, Article 4.
DOI: 10.32436/2475-6423.1211
Available at:
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/jgc/vol10/iss3/4
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