Mark Lawrence

Review of Basilica of the National Shrin...

Very unwelcoming parish. One usher was incredibly ...

Very unwelcoming parish. One usher was incredibly rude to me on the night of the Vigil for Life and didn t convey the spirit of the Catholic Church. We were sitting on the floor in a space where we were told we were allowed to sit by several personnel working at the Vigil for Life Mass, and one specific usher came up and yelled at us to vacate the area. When we questioned him and told him we were told we were allowed to sit in that particular area, he immediately told us he is going to call security. If he apologized for the inconsistencies amongst their staff or simply kindly asked us to move, then I wouldn t have questioned him,but I had a right to question him since I had been sitting in that particular area for several hours at that point and there was nowhere else for us to sit at this point. In addition to that experience, I wasn t very pleased by the excessive amount of extraordinary ministers. I wish more tradition existed in a place as beautiful as this Basilica. Choir was amazing though.