CALHOUN—Father Thad Rudd, administrator of St. Clement’s Church, used the season of Lent to teach about the church and its history. Once each week, a different congregation representing Catholic rites was invited to celebrate Mass, teach about its customs and enjoy supper with the St. Clement congregation.

Those visiting began with Father John Azar, pastor of St. John Chrysostom Melkite Catholic Church of Atlanta, and 15 of his congregation. Father Azar celebrated the liturgy, which was followed by a light supper and a question and answer period.

Visiting priests and congregations included St. Francis de Sales Church, Mableton, a Latin Mass community, Epiphany Byzantine Church of Roswell and St. Joseph Maronite Church of Atlanta. The Anglican Use Mass was celebrated April 4.

This is the second year that St. Clement’s has opened its doors to congregations other than its own. Last year congregations invited to supper and a question and answer period were Baptist, Episcopalian, Seventh Day Adventist, Presbyterian and Greek Orthodox. This gave St. Clement parishioners the opportunity to demonstrate their faith, explain Catholic beliefs and dispel many of the misconceptions about the Catholic faith in the South.