Dread-Head's Blog

I am and have been a member of the Sacred Heart Co-Cathederal for some time. When it was first announced that they were planning a new cathederal I balked at the idea as I thought the old cathederal suited our needs. It was neither too big nor too small. It had a very intimate feel about it.

         The archdiocese thought differently and built a new cathederal. Yesterday was the first service I attended in the new Cathederal.  The whole placed seemed to have the charm of a brightly lit  marble tomb with a resonating echo, but I guess that will take some getting used to. Because of all the media attention there were scores of visitors and dignitaries. There were people from other parts of the city, visitors from out of town and hardly a seat to be had.  The place was packed with wall to wall lookie-lous and I hate to admit this, but I felt a little uncomfortable.

         TV cameras were there as was Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee who in essence told a group of our ushers that despite the priests wanting the volunteers who had assisted him and the Cardinal to sit in a certain place that SHE and her entourage were taking their seats because "I'm a congress-woman."  I'm glad the  native New Yorker decided that the time that we pray each Sunday was worthy of a politically motivated photo-op.

      Many of the visitors were giving me (and the ropes growing from my head) odd looks as if to say "What are YOU doing here." I don't speak for the archdiocese OR the members of Sacred Heart when I say that I'll be glad when the "curiosity" factor subsides and all returns to normal.  I go to church for a sense of communion and peace and  yesterday I got neither.