St. Francis Desales Pre-School

We were in Holland on a Saturday and decided to go to mass so we didn’t have to get up early on Sunday. The building looks more like an office building than a church. As a Catholic I really hate to say negative things about a church but I want to mention them so others who are visitors will know before going to mass here. The acoustics in this church are horrible and all of us had a difficult time understanding the priest and everyone who was reading, it was not them, it was the way the acoustics are setup in this church. The other thing I found a bit strange was the line for communion started from the back of the church instead of the front. I think this may be the only church in the world that does that and you have to turn your head to keep watching behind you so you know when it’s time to stand up.

This church has undergone significant changes in recent years, particularly with the arrival of the new pastor Fr. Luis Garcia. The pastor Fr. Luis Garcia has made everyone feel pressured for donations, often suggesting that those who don’t contribute shouldn’t bother attending. This approach is alienating instead of fostering community. Having been a member of the church before this pastor started, I experienced his attempt to push me away during a difficult time. I respectfully think that this pastor is one of the most unprofessional I've encountered. His attitude seems more focused on distancing himself from the congregation rather than serving them. I would advise against getting involved with this church and suggest finding a place that better supports you and your family.

Great Catholic Church 🥰 Friendly and wholesome.

Whenever we’re visiting Holland, this is the church we come to for mass. We’ve probably attended at least four times over the years. Our more recent experiences have proved to be extra special. Two years ago I contacted the church a month before our trip and asked about doing a vow renewal. The priest was so kind and made everything so easy. It was a beautiful and simple occasion. We were able to take pictures afterwards in their small, but beautiful garden. On our visit last month we were initially disappointed to find they don’t have a cry room. But after a little walking around, I happened to notice a sign above a set of stairs leading down that said Child Care! I checked it out and asked if my two year old was allowed to play even though we aren’t regular members of the church. The woman assured me it was fine! She had me sign in and take a beeper in case they needed me. Easy! At the end of mass I came back to a happy boy who’d been making friends and playing with toys.

First of all, I LOVE my Catholic faith. Sadly however, this is the ugliest, most profane and confounded Catholic church I've ever personally been inside of, and I've been in a lot, mostly in Oregon, a very "unchurched" state. I'm talking about the architecture here. "Two stars" is being generous, but I don't want to give a 1 star. I can't really comment on the parish as a community, since I don't know it. I have, however, developed the impression that this parish does not hold the Sacrament of Reconciliation in very high esteem, as the opportunities for it are extremely limited, and the only experience (one time) I've had trying to go to confession there was not a very positive or successful one. The "nave" if you can even call it that here, is nearly a half round, almost 180 degrees, except it's not even round. It's more like a deformed, offset oval. If you use certain aisles to enter the pews, you'd have to turn backwards to genuflect towards the Tabernacle, at which point the altar would be behind you. Communion lines are formed, starting from the back for some reason. Maybe some odd take on "the last shall be first, and the first shall be last"? It just makes it hard to tell when your pew is next, since you have to keep watching behind you. The most pathetic and ironic part of all this, is that there are MANY Protestant churches in this area that, architecturally, would make better Catholic Churches than this particular church. The building is just a building, but, since we're humans in a physical world, external conditions and dispositions strongly affect our internal ones. All this building seems to generate, at least in me, is undirected and confused chaos. In essence, it really seems to be a very juvenile and immature reflection of our 2,000 year old Christian faith. Very sad, and frustrating. Again, I'm speaking of the architecture. I do not know how the actual people are, for the most part.