Dread-Head's Blog

I've been attending Sacred Heart Co-cathederal for seven years now and have seen the congregation grow from a tiny one to a huge thriving one. Rencently the new co-cathederal went up and I and the other members of Sacred Heart have been getting visitors from all over the arch-diocese and seemingly the country since the new Cathederal opened which is a blessing.

         I usually sit right up front where the accoustics are best and I can see Father Troy Gately (and occassionally His Emminence Cardinal Denardo) give homilies. Last Sunday while in my NEW spot (where I plan to sit for the next few decades) I was sitting directly infront of a charming Vietnamese family.

       To those unfamiliar with Catholic masses there comes a point near the preparation of the eucharist when the priest says "I leave you peace my peace I give you. Look not on our sins but on the faith of our church" and concludes by saying "Let us show one another a sign of peace" and at that point you turn around and shake the hand of the person next to you. Husbands kiss or hug their wives that sort of thing.

      When this time came in mass this past Sunday and turned to shake the hands of the Vietnamese visitors sitting behind me and received unwelcome glares. One family member tapped the back of my hand in lieu of shaking it, another squeezed my finger lightly for a split second, a third refused to look at me directly but their kid (a girl of about 12 looked at me as if she was slightly embarrassed) and gave me a handshake that almost broke my hand.

        Wow.  I don't liketo play the race card here, but did their reaction to me couldn't have had anything to do with my race could it? We're supposed to be there as all of God's children to collectively worship him and glorify all he does. Should that NOT include me and persons of my hue in the minds of some?  Am I over reacting here? I've prayed for these guys if their reaction for me WAS racially motivated, but am I wrong here and just jumping to conclusions? I'm confused. 

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.