(Created 8/1/2017)

Worshiping at the Koln Cathedral was my first catholic service that I remember. Coming from a non-denominational background, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. One aspect of the service that was notably different was the alternation between the choir and the congregation during the hymns, which continued throughout the service. In comparison, many of the congregations I have visited in America sing altogether and only at the beginning and end. Despite the difference, I did enjoy having the choir. I also enjoyed the organ solo which occurred at the end of the service.

I feel that, while the tourists are respectful of the service, it is not entirely respectful to God to have people sightseeing during a service. Granted, I was one of those tourists and enjoyed the organ music echoing through the halls during a Saturday evening mass. The tourists also get to experience a church service, which God could use to bring them to himself. The tourism also supplies the cathedral with the funds necessary to keep the church running. Despite all of the positives to having the tourists inside during the service, I think they should enforce different rules about noise during and after a service.