YOUR EXPERIENCE:

Following your activity, you will write a 600-700 word, paper on your activity. Include the
following:

1. What event did you choose for this activity? (Include place, date, time, activity, etc.)

I attended Blessing of the Animals & Feast of St. Francis of Assisi at the Cathedral Church of

St. Mark in Salt Lake City on October 7, 2017. I didnt originally plan to, but after the Blessing

of the Animals, I also stayed for mass.

2. With whom did you speak and what did you learn from them? Be specific.

I talked to the Reverend Canon, Tyler Doherty. He told me that he really looks forward to

this event because it is pretty fun. He also loves that hes making a difference in peoples lives.

He told me a little bit more about how the blessing of the animals works and the significance of

it. I learned that he blesses the animals individually. I thought that was neat because each of the

animals has their own story and their own reason why they were brought to be blessed, so it

made sense that each one got their own blessing.

In mass, I learned a lot about the general beliefs of the church and the kinds of practices

they participate in. I learned about the Book of Common Prayer and how all the people unite in

saying specific prayers together. I thought that was a cool way to bring unity into the service. I

also watched Communion. That was really similar to what my church (The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints) calls the Sacrament. They had a type of bread and drink for the

people to partake of accompanied with prayer and blessing. That was cool to see a parallel from

their religion to my own.

I didnt learn very much about the difference between Catholics and Episcopalians, but I did

find out that one major difference between the two is that Episcopalians let women be ordained

as priests in some cases. I was wondering about this because a there was a woman helping with
the Communion and recitations during mass, so I got my answer! I find that interesting because

in a lot of religions, that kind of authority is generally on a patriarchal line, so it was different to

see that some religions allow women to do that.

3. What does civic engagement mean to you?

To me, civic engagement is a little more than just going to an event in the community. As a

member of the LDS faith, I often have a lot of opportunities to serve people all around me. Ive

done yardwork for neighbors, babysat kids late at night, helped bring meals to people- the list

goes on and on. I can honestly say I know who my neighbors are, I interact with them often, and

I really care about them. I have learned a lot and gained a lot of perspective from these

neighbors. I think that civic engagement is creating a real bond and unity (hence, the suffix of

community) within the community I live in. My ward and I held a day of service last month

where we all got into big groups and split up around the neighborhood to help people get their

yards ready for the winter. As I was freezing cold, raking up leaves, and moving dirt in a

wheelbarrow, I realized that very few people do this kind of thing. People, in general, dont just

spend an entire day doing literal manual labor for other people. As I thought about that, I looked

around me and saw that none of us were miserable- although we easily could have been

considering the work. In fact, we were all making jokes, laughing, and even singing together. We

had a great time as we helped our neighbors with things that they couldnt do for themselves.

That is what civic engagement is to me- making a difference within your sphere of influence and

doing your best to gain perspective along the way.

4. How did this assignment help you to be civically engaged? Be specific.

 This activity helped me get out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and try something

new. I learned a lot and gained a lot of perspective. It was really cool to draw parallels from

their religion to my own; I think I learned that most from comparing the two. That made me

realize that people are really more alike than different, and that gave me a little hope about

the world today.

I think that I was civically engaged by paying attention to what was happening, and

genuinely trying to gain understanding. I think that when we try something new, attitude is

everything. My friend was a little weirded out during mass, just because its different than

what we do. However, I found myself truly interested and I tried to understand why they do

what they do. I learned a lot about the religion because I had an open mind and did what I

could to understand.

5. Did you enjoy this experience? Why or why not?

It was okay. I learned a lot and it was interesting, but I think I would have enjoyed doing

some kind of service more than just sitting in a church. (Although, I do service really often,

so I figured I had better step out of what I normally do.) It was good to try something new

and even take myself out of what Im comfortable doing. I wasnt entirely comfortable the

whole time because I was confused sometimes or trying to understand, but I think thats how

we learn and grow best.

6. Would you do it again? Why or why not?

I would probably be willing to do something similar to this again. I think that I need to do

things like this more often in order to gain perspective and understanding. I think its a good

experience that taught me a lot and also helped me appreciate my own religion more, too.
7. How did it relate specifically to the course? (Please relate it directly to at least one theme
covered in class by using specific readings or other relevant materials we have covered
during the course. This last question should be at least 250 words).

We talked a lot about religion during our Happiness and the Good Life section in class.

This, obviously, relates very well to that because we talked extensively about how religion is

a factor that contributes to many peoples happiness. I remember reading Bhagavad Gita at

the very beginning of class. It was a tough read, but when I really focused on getting

something out of it, I found a lot of insights in it. That is exactly how this event was for me.

At first, I was a little confused, but as I invested myself into it, I learned a lot. I also

remember that Bhagavad Gita talked about how Hinduism brought happiness, and I think

that this Episcopal church believes the same for their religion. Its pretty cool that they relate

that way.

I learned a variety of things- from the difference between Episcopalians and Catholics, to

how you bless an animal. But, I think the most important thing I learned from this assignment

was that people really are more alike than different. There are countless religions in the

world. There are so many different beliefs and ideologies and practices. They can differ in all

sorts of ways; the options and ranges are endless. However, as I was sitting in mass, I looked

around at all the other people who regularly attend these meetings and got a glimpse of who

they really are. They are people, just like me, just doing their best to live a good life and find

some hope and peace along the way. As soon as I thought about that, I also realized that that

statement can be generalized for all religion. Religion, no matter which denomination it is,

really is just a way for people to seek a better lifestyle and find understanding. As soon as I

understood that, I truly began to see that we are all very much more alike than different. And
I believe that that is what humanity should be all about.