Revised: Rational

Rational and Preliminary Research

I am a born and raised Roman Catholic. I have been going to the same church since I was four. Not having much experience when I was little, I developed a curiosity for other religions. I know that Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy are very similar because they originated from the same original belief system and history, splitting in 1054 AD. What I wish to discover is how they are similar and different. More specifically I want to learn the similarities and differences between a Roman Catholic Mass and a Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy. What are the differences between a Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Mass ceremony?

In order to determine the differences I researched basic information using the official web pages of the two religions, and so I have a basic understanding of the religions. I also attended a Roman Catholic Mass at Sacred Heart Church, which I have gone to for so many years, and a Greek Orthodox Divine Liturgy at Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church. I drew conclusions on the differences from my own personal observations of the two. After the Divine Liturgy I interviewed a long term member of the Congregation, who happened to have converted from Roman Catholicism to Greek Orthodox, named (). The Father of the Parish The Very Reverend Nektarios Serfes kindly gave me a book relating to greek Orthodoxy to keep. In adition he let me borrow for the length of my project, the Church Hymnal so as to remember the exact order of the service.