Easter

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Week 10 Easter Sunday Leading up to Easter, we started the week with a Reflection Day. On Tuesday we had very stimulating input from Addie Walker SSND, on the African American Church. She herself is African - American and oozes it in her language, bearing and every pore of her being. A fascinating and very attractive woman! Then came our Easter break and many began their travels. I decided to stay at Oblate as did about 10 others. During the Triduum we had various options for ceremonies, both on campus and nearby. For the Easter Vigil I joined a group going to the 8.30pm ceremonies at St Francis of Assisi parish a short distance away. One of our lecturers had suggested we might enjoy the liturgy there. He was absolutely right: it turned out to be an inspired choice! While the ceremonies were about three and a half hours, being there was an unforgettable liturgical experience and showed clearly what good liturgy can be! This parish is obviously exceptional, starting with a well-designed church, octagonal in shape, with the altar in the middle and pews sloping downwards toward it as the focus. The choir was excellent and the music modern and well rehearsed. All seven readings were used and proclaimed with appropriate drama. The parish is a lively one, as evidenced by the large number of candidates and baptisms - well over 20 of each! It was a pleasure to be there and to witness the enthusiasm of at least a thousand parishioners of varying ages participating in this lengthy but most engaging liturgy.

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