French and... Catholic?

It's true that Catholicism is a more of a hegemony in France rather than its dominant taskforce. It's true that France is known for its separation of church and state, for its imposed secularism that outlaws Muslim women from wearing hijabs, etc. France still observes Catholic holidays like the Assumption and Pentecost, but we'll let that hypocrisy go for now...

Anyways, since the beginning of my time in France I have been frequenting the different churches and cathedrals of Paris.  It's never difficult to find a Catholic church in France-- it's like trying to find a Starbucks in downtown Chicago. They're everywhere!

The following are the churches that are significant to my time in France.  I wanted to blogpost this subject because : 1. it will give you an insight to my overall experience, and 2. it explains some hidden insights about Catholicism in France-- stay tuned!

The Cathedral of Notre Dame of Paris:
Yes, I love going to this famous cathedral! No, even for as many times as I've been there, I've never seen Quasimodo...
That being said, I love going back to Notre Dame because of the tourists. Sometimes I get annoyed by the crowds, so I weave my way through to mass acting like a local.   But when I get past the crowds, I always take a moment to cherish the fact that I'm there with people from all over the world.  And they're all in awe at this monument!  It's incredible to wonder how many millions and billions of people have experienced Notre Dame of Paris.  It's a fun awkward to be at mass with hundreds of people that don't speak your native language (or French), and that after having mumbled through the parts of mass side by side you turn to give your neighbors peace and you're not sure what language to use. 

Cathedrale in the Montparnesse quartier:
I found this cathedrale because it's in the hussle and bussle of the Montparnesse neighborhood nearby.  The neatest thing about this cathedral is the Sunday night youth mass.  This mass is filled with Parisian youth, from high school kids to young working adults, who come to mass in solidarity with one another. And it's a busy mass!  It's the 20 somethings that are the altar servers, that set up for mass, that sing, etc.  This mass is evidence of a different kind of French youth, a youth that are deciding for themselves to go to mass... even when their peers and their parents don't.

Church in my quartier:
The family parish.  I like this church because it's fosters a family-oriented community. It's neat that there are always activities going on, geared toward the different age groups.  This church really has the feeling of a home parish, something that you can't really find at the cathedrals.  I felt right at home with this community.

La Catho:
One of the places that I take classes is called "L'Institut Catholique" or "La Catho" for short.  Although you don't have to be Catholic to go to this school, many of the majors are geared towards theology studies and a seminary is there as well.  My classes are in the International/ Cultural exchange part of the college (the strictly secular part).  Nonetheless, I got involved with the Catholic youth group & made a lot of wonderful French friends.  This group was a home away from home for me: together we did service, ate lunch, went to mass, and just had a place to belong on our college campus.

In summary: France has so many churches & cathedrals, and everyone has its unique community and unique feel.  From my surveying of these four very different churches, I conclude that Catholicism isn't done with France, and France isn't done with Catholicism. 

Every meal is better in courses

Living with a host family, I get to experience "French cuisine" in its most natural state.  No escargot, no cute French waitors-- I get to see the eating culture in an "unpackaged" sense.

And, let me tell you, every meal is a big deal.

Breakfast: The French breakfast is in general very sweet-- if you think of the classic French breakfast, you probably will think of croissants, pain au chocolat, more pastries.... etc.  I usually stick to cereal and fruits.  Nonetheless, breakfast is in courses.

A typical French breakfast for Jess:
Entree: toast with jam
Plat: plain yogurt with cereal
Dessert: apple or other fruit

Lunch: I eat lunch on my own, so my favorite lunch is to go to a bakery.  Often bakeries have excellent sandwiches (sandwiches on a baguette, of course).

A typical French lunch for Jess:

Plat:  Baguette sandwich
Dessert: Pastry

Snack: So I'm a snacker. French people don't usually snack, so this is just a Jess thing.  Nonetheless, I try to make my snack choices conform with the culture.

A typical French snack for Jess:

Morning: dried fruit
Afternoon: Banana-Nutella crepe
Evening: Granola bars (more like a distant relative of a American granola bar)

Dinner: I'll describe a typical dinner with my host family. Note: since lunch is usually the 'meaty' meal of the day, dinner is intended to be lighter on the tummy.  It is usually eaten a lot later than American dinners: we usually eat around 8pm.

A typical French dinner for Jess:

Entree: (optional) Salad
Plat: Cooked veggies, either in quiche, or with a sauce, etc.
Plat de fromage: Cheese plate
Dessert: Fruit, or occasionally, a pie or cake

*** Note: I don't actually eat all of this, every day. This is a rough outline, veering on the maximum!

Et volia la cuisine francaise !