Christmas Mass was a little special this year. Ah, who am I kidding, they’re all special.
But a family vacation to Savannah for the holiday meant Christmas Mass was spent at a new worship space. And for that, we went right to the top.
The family attended the 10 p.m. Mass at Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, the home church of the Diocese of Savannah. Bishop Steven D. Parkes presided over the Mass, the first time I’d ever experienced the liturgy celebrating the Nativity with a bishop.
The cathedral, like most of the buildings in the exquisite city of Savannah, was a beautiful space, and the liturgy matched the surroundings. As usual, the church was standing room only, and we were among the many lined up against the back wall. It didn’t matter. It was still was a wonderful way and place to ring in the birth of our Savior.
May all of you experience a joyous and blessed Christmas.
Deborah Lynn Rushing sits before her family plot at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah. The ray of sunshine above her was just another sign of God’s blessing on our chance meeting.
For Christmas this year, our family decided to spend a few days in the Southeast, first in Savannah followed by a visit to Charleston. It’s a similar trip to the one we made when I was on my yearlong mission, when we spent Christmas in New Orleans.
Our first stop today was at Bonaventure Cemetery, which is not as ghoulish at it sounds. My wife and I always love walking through cemeteries and this one was well worth it. The canopy of trees all feature dried out Spanish moss dangling overhead, creating a gothic atmosphere so perfect for Savannah. And the sea air rapidly aged even the newest of tombstones, enhancing the effect.
But the highlight of my visit was completely unexpected. A teary-eyed woman approached and asked if I would be willing to take a photo of her in front of her family plot. I naturally agreed and walked with her over to the spot where the Adair family has been laid to rest.
She told me that her grandmother and grandfather were the only people who ever led her to God, an introduction she clearly still treasures. She also shared tales of ghost stories told to her as a young girl and other memories from long ago. I had a wonderful time listening to stories of her life growing up there in the city we were visiting for the first time.
Before she sat for the photo, I mentioned that I would only take the photo with her phone if she agreed to another one with mine. I knew this chance encounter with this wonderful woman of Christ was one I wanted to share with all of you as we ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
I shared a few hugs with my new friend, Deborah Lynn Rushing, then she relinquished me back to my family, the both of us better for this brief but memorable encounter.
Advent is ending. Christmas arrives Monday. Blessings to all.
I met a lot of inspiring people during my 14 months on the road. But Father Raul Marquez and the folks of St. Peter stood out in how they helped me turn that inspiration into action.
I attended the American Sign Language Mass at St. Peter to write about the experiences of Deaf Catholics and how the Church had evolved over time to better serve their needs. Father Marquez, then the pastor at St. Peter, was gracious in welcoming me and my special guest, son Ian, to the parish that Sunday morning.
But the effects of that Mass lasted well beyond that fourth Sunday of Lent. Spurred on by my experience, I enrolled in ASL classes at St. Rita School for the Deaf in Cincinnati. Better yet, I’m taking the class alongside my daughter, Kiera, a first for both of us. (For the record, she’s a much better student than I am. My tired old brain doesn’t absorb new information quite as readily as hers).
As I am diving into the world of Father Marquez (who learned to sign to better serve his parishioners), he has also moved on to a new challenge. Sparked by comments Pope Francis made while visiting the Middle East in 2018 for people of good will to open our churches, our buildings and our hearts to those who are in need, especially to poor children, Father Raul realized he was being called to serve in a new way.
The priest has temporarily stepped aside from his role shepherding a parish to lead another venture, Francis House. The home in Colombia was created for up to 12 girls living in extreme poverty around the world to find emotional, spiritual and economic support to help forge better lives. Father Raul founded the home based on his own experience growing up in Colombia.
If you would like to join me in contributing to Francis House, you can do so at their website at https://francishouse.us/.
And, of course, to read more about Father Raul and St. Peter, you can get a copy of 52 Masses at https://52masses.square.site.
When I was wrapping up the writing process for 52 Masses last year, the obvious hope was the book would be available for the Christmas season, figuring it might make a nice gift for the devout Catholic in one’s family.
I came up a little short of that goal, making this graphic temporarily obsolete. Fortunately, the celebration of the Nativity of our Savior is an annual event. Thus, I’m sending out this reminder that the book remains available for purchase.
I hope you consider 52 Masses when you’re shopping for that friend or relative who might appreciate reading about some inspiring men and women. Or, if you’re anything like me, you can drop this hint when your child asks you what you’d like for Christmas and you’re drawing a blank for an idea.
Either way, thanks to all of you who have supported me during this experience. May you all have joyous Advent and Christmas seasons.
Bill Tammeus of the National Catholic Reporter reviewed the book. I want to thank him for such a positive review, one that I think really captures what I was hoping to accomplish.
52 Masses 