tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4202458237483635505.post9214023866275220318..comments2024-01-17T04:07:49.918-05:00Comments on Acts of Hope: First day of school / African American religion course / Holy Angels muralUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4202458237483635505.post-75428962125106907162009-01-13T19:27:00.000-05:002009-01-13T19:27:00.000-05:00Classes don't do much for me anyone unless I teach...Classes don't do much for me anyone unless I teach them, but an African American parish rocks. I walked into one by accident: St. Mary's in Newark, across the street from the Benedictine monastery. I thought the Sunday 10:30 was a sedate, chanted experience involving a bunch of monks. WRONG. I thought I needed quiet, but instead I got St. Mary's, packed to the rafters, and I was one of only four or five white people there. One of the white guys, I noted was the priest, a monk from across the street.<BR/><BR/>Right, they used African cloth, the women all wore long multicolored gowns with gorgeous headdresses. The men and kids were all dressed...for church! No jeans, shorts, displays of leg. The music, as I recall, was from an African American service book and hymnal. No organ: instead, guitars, a keyboard, djembes, and conga drums. The whole building seemed to be swaying. The homilist was Monsignor from one of the African nations. Sadly, I could not make much of what he said because his accent was extremely thick.<BR/><BR/>At the Peace, people didn't do this perfunctory handshake routine that I saw before and have seen since. They pumped your hand, hugged you, said "Come back!" It didn't feel fake, and I don't believe it was.<BR/><BR/>But I didn't. Alas, back in those days I was more attuned to places that made me uncomfortableKenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10020538249548627986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4202458237483635505.post-45202934781288462992009-01-12T22:30:00.000-05:002009-01-12T22:30:00.000-05:00I wanna take this class!!I wanna take this class!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4202458237483635505.post-59747748701812431012009-01-12T21:22:00.000-05:002009-01-12T21:22:00.000-05:00Ahhh.... I was thinking about St. Charles Borromeo...Ahhh.... I was thinking about St. Charles Borromeo in Harlem and a mass that I went to at that church.<BR/><BR/>It is an African American parish and it was amazing liturgy.<BR/><BR/>African cloth for the vestaments, a huge steaming bowl of incense as part of the entrance procession, Gospel music, liturgical dance.<BR/><BR/>Oh, I wish I was in your class.Franhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07181529277715646835noreply@blogger.com