Berkley Center

I spent the first half of my semester abroad in Barcelona and in various other sites in Spain. Besides wanting to be able to enjoy the beautiful early fall Spanish weather and beaches, I wanted the opportunity to build a solid understanding of the subtle differences in life around Spain. I also wished to see how Catholicism and religion played a role in each place I visited.

When first arriving in Barcelona, I was unsure if the city had any real religious personality. I saw many beautiful churches and the famous Sagrada Familia within the city, but when I spoke with Spanish students and professors, religion was never spoken of. In many of my classes we spoke of politics and cultural differences. I thought that in such a Catholic nation there would be some mention of the role of the Church.

After spending a bit more time in Barcelona, I realized Barcelona is not secular at all. Religion is not really spoken of because it is not something that is contested or debated. It is taken as part of life and religion is woven throughout all parts of the culture.

I woke up on my first free Sunday in Barcelona hoping to explore the city and run some errands in order to get myself acclimated. Little did I know that this would be a nearly impossible task. EVERYTHING was closed. There wasn'’t a single supermarket, clothing store, or department store open. The metro ran on “off-peak” scheduling, meaning it only came every ten minutes. I asked a Spanish friend why the city basically shut down. He looked at me and said, “"It'’s Sunday,"” as if this was the most obvious answer ever. In Barcelona, they really hold Sunday as a sacred day for rest and family. Extraneous errands and stressful activities would impose on their ability to do this. Their solution: shut down the city.

In Spanish class a few days later, we were discussing diversity in the United States. Our professor asked about diversity at Georgetown. A few of us responded that although we are a Catholic university we are by no means a homogeneous group in terms of religious backgrounds. Our professor seemed a bit shocked. Someone then asked her a bit about her own religion. She responded, “"I'm Spanish and I'’m Catholic,"” as though the two were attached.

Throughout the last two months I have also traveled to Madrid, Sevilla, Cordoba, and Valencia. Although each of these cities has an intensely different character, they are all similar in that Catholicism is detachable from daily life. When you ask locals in any of these cities for the best places to see almost all listed the cathedral as one of the most beautiful landmarks of the city. If I woke up early enough on any Sunday morning, I was able to see large amounts of people dressed up and headed to Mass.

In the different cities I visited I tried to find a time to attend Mass. It was very interesting because although every priest addressed Catholic topics, the message and interpretations of the readings reflected the local characters and local events of each of the cities. I was able to learn as much about the individual places I was visiting as I did about the particular Gospel.