My boyfriend Patrick goes to Notre Dame and is here visiting for his Spring Break. We talk sometimes about the similarities and differences in our denominations and like to take subtle jabs at each other about the nature of the Protestant Reformation, but ultimately we have a lot of respect for the other’s faiths. Juxtaposing the two services was a new experience. At 5:15 p.m. we headed to Chapel of the Cross, the Episcopal parish next to campus, and 7 o’clock we met some of my friends at the Newman Center for the Sunday night mass. The same readings were read, the same creed was repeated, the Eucharist was blessed with the same words. Which led me to wonder… what’s the difference?

For one, Patrick seemed a bit befuddled by the Book of Common Prayer, and pointed out after the service that although I turned dutifully to each page, I recited the all words from memory. I told him not to make fun, I just like having the book open but upon examination it does seem ridiculous, a whole congregation flipping through their books just to read off prayers they know by heart anyway. He was also entertained when I dipped my bread in the wine (“What is this? Coffee and donuts?”) but I’m a firm believer in intinction, especially during flu season.

Mass at Newman had more of a youth-service feel. The basics were the same, however. By the second time through the Gospel I had the story of Jesus healing the blind man down pat. But at the end of the night I couldn’t help but wonder what the big deal is—Protestant, Catholic… as an Episcopalian I sometimes have trouble seeing the difference. Change a few words in the Nicene Creed, cross yourself at times in the service that are utterly mysterious to me and you’re Catholic, right? Not quite. Oversimplification does neither denomination justice. Catholics are the original creators of all that pageantry I love in my service. Episcopalian doctrine is founded on a triad of scripture, tradition, and reason, the latter probably explaining widely differing theologies within even one congregation—something that both frustrates and delights me at the same time.

I felt comfortable in both services (once my attention span got the hang of two hours of church in one day.) But it was clear that the subtleties of Catholicism speak to Patrick, and the intangibles of the Episcopal service speak to me. What creates that? What creates belief? Our upbringings, associations of church services with happy memories, or something innate in our spirituality that makes us more inclined to connect with God a certain way? For both of us, it’s impossible to separate faith from family and tradition. It was nice that the “double header” illuminated more similarities than differences, and it we enjoyed sharing something so intrinsic to our world views with each other. It opened up a lot of questions about the pointlessness of the divided state of modern Christianity—but that could probably fill up a post another time. The important thing is that we both have a religion that fits us well—certainly a reason to thank God, in our individual ways.