NATCHEZ — St. Mary Basilica will offer a four-week series of presentations titled “Come and See” on the Thursdays of September. The series will be from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, in St. Mary Basilica.

According to the Rev David O’Connor, the church pastor, “the series is designed for individuals who are not members of the Catholic church but who are interested in finding out about the church’s beliefs and practices.”

Attendance is free of charge and without expectations or obligations.”

The opening program will be presented by Ruth Powers, religious education consultant for St. Mary and instructor in the graduate level theology program being offered at St. Mary Basilica and will consist mainly of a guided tour of the Basilica.

“The design of our worship space (the church building) expresses what the Catholic church considers to be central to its beliefs and practices,” she said.

“The altar, the pulpit, the priest’s chair, the baptismal font are prominent features of every Catholic Church because, respectively, they highlight the centrality of the Eucharist, the importance of the Word of God, the sacramental role of the priest in worship and the initiation of new members into the church through baptism.”

The foundation stone of St. Mary Basilica was laid in 1842 and the records indicate that it took 40 years to complete.

The stained glass windows, designed and built by glass artisans from the Tiroler Glasmalerei glassworks in Innsbruck, Austria were installed in the 1880s and the beautiful marble railings and altars came from Carrara marble works in Italy.

The second part in the series will be in St. Theresa Hall in the lower level of the Basilica and, led by O’Connor, it will explore what it means to be a Catholic Christian. This addresses the question sometimes asked are Catholics Christian?

The first part will explore the values, attitudes, and actions that identify a person as Christian.

The second part will identify the additional characteristics, in addition to being a Christian, that are expected in the life of the person who is Catholic.

The third part in the series will deal with the two principal pillars of Catholic beliefs, namely, sacred scripture and tradition. This presentation will offer insights into why Catholics believe what they believe, and will explain that Catholic teaching and doctrine find their origins in the Bible.

The fourth presentation will focus on how Catholics worship, the ritual actions and prayer styles.

The central elements of Catholic Worship (Mass), are the sacred readings and applications to daily life, the prayers of the congregation, the narrative of the institution of the Eucharist at the last supper by the priest, the communion rite, and the dismissal mandate to go forth and live the message that was read and spoken,” Powers said.

The opening presentation will be in the Church/basilica itself, and the remaining presentations will be in St. Theresa Hall.

Supervised babysitting is provided.

There is no charge for participation and registration is not required.

Further information is available from the church’s office at 601 445-5616.