The view of Saint Elizabeth's from Patterson Park is carved into my brain. The stone church with the steep white steps looks just like I remember. But somehow when I walked in Sunday morning, I insist to myself that they must have painted the inside. The convent has been turned into apartments. The school is now Patterson Park Public Charter School.
Sunday morning mass is at 10 am. I was looking for a mass in Fells Point, but I think all the churches there have closed. (Am I forgetting something?) Highlandtown and my mother's home parish were close enough.
There were about 100 people there, but not enough by any means to make the big church seem crowded. The crowd was generally older, but there were scattered young adults and young families. The parishioners completely embrace the kids that were there. At the sign of peace, one curly haired little boy worked two or three pews, and may have even climbed over one. One of the altar boys shook hands with everyone sitting on the aisle two thirds of the way to the back of church. Then he held up both his hands making peace signs and walked backwards up the aisle. And I sense a future priest in another young man who looked especially prayerful in his gray suit.
I've encountered a new hymnal that I can't remember the name of. Baltimore has stolen another Franciscan seminarian from DC. The homily was wonderfully brief. And it's church carnival time.
For this weekend, I'm trying to combine the Women's Classic 5 K with mass...and not having much luck. Let me know if you have any ideas!
No comments:
Post a Comment