Thoughts from Donna Hauer:
Had a great day with lots of learning and emotions. The Catholic Church experience was so powerful. It was a pretty plain structure with colored rectangles of glass of each of the sides walls of the alter. We, 11 of us, were welcomed and escorted to the front of the church - only white and Latina people there. As the service started tens of beautiful voices exploded from the back of the church - filling the space with multiple harmonies. Mostly women danced and sang down the aisle and then the two lines split, making a path for the priest and alter party to walk through. All the music was accapella - and breath taking. The priest welcomed us as visitors from "Obamaland" and suggested that regardless of the language ((mostly in Afrikaans) we would understand the universal nature of how mass is celebrated. People were so much more engaged - tons more music than in my experience, two collections where people walked up the aisles to put money in locked boxes with a slit in the top, a blessing and handshake from the priest for all those celebrating a birthday ( lined up along the alter following communion. It was just so joyful, spirit-filled lively, we were all nearly moved to tears. The priest was less formal, less hierarchical. He thanked and acknowledged all who had a hand in the service - mostly women. He asked permission of the congregation to give the sermon in English - I'm sure for our benefit - and it was a great sermon about God's unconditional love for us even in our sins and imperfection.
He acknowledged us again at the end and encouraged us to share with others how mass is celebrated African style.
After mass a woman named Bernadette introduced herself - also goes by "Big Momma" and invited us to her house. We weren't able to do it, but what a kind gesture.
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