We've gone to a variety of church services. Mass in a local parish is quite lengthy, - easily over two hrs with lots of singing, drums & a long sermon. The liturgy, itself, is followed by any number of announcements, special blessings, etc, etc. I enjoy the collection procedure. Rather than passing around a basket, everyone joyously parades up to the front of the altar where large baskets are conveniently placed - all to lively singing with some people even dancing up to give their donation.
One Sunday, we went to a beautiful church built by the Carmelites. Afterwards, we asked to visit with the four cloistered nuns in residence there. We sat in the waiting room behind the iron grill that separated us from their cloistered area & after a few minutes, the four sisters appeared - all so anxious to chat & ask questions. Their rare chance to talk is when they have visitors so they love to take full advantage.
Still another memorable service was a Mass said by Fr. Jon Kirby in a small chapel at the Tamale Institute for Cross-Cultural Studies (TICCS). Attending, were only Sr. Jacky, Jim & myself all seated closely together around a low altar table along with Fr. Kirby. It was a very personal & meaningful experience.
One very interesting discovery here is that whether the Ghanaians are Muslims, Christians, or traditionalists, they share many cultural beliefs such as a deep respect for their ancestors and elders. Conflict between the Muslim majority and the less numerous Christians is not an issue. They work and live side by side and the benevolent Ghanaian nature is apparent among all.
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3 comments:
So glad to be able to catch up with your adventure. What a culture shock, although you probably were prepared for it by Jim.
I was picturing in my mind the women in church wearing very colorful garments. Am I right? We have a family in our church and once in a while the two women wear their traditional garments including magnificent hats.
Are you getting used to the food and is there anything resembling American food?
I work with a Kenyan woman who is an attorney and she tells me different things about her country.
All here are fine and we will be heading south to Myrtle Beach in a few weeks. In the meantime, take care and I wish you the best of all things.
Maureen Lavery
Another wonderful blog to share with our seminarian Andrew. Perhaps we should consider the Ghanaian tradition occasionally to help with collections. I loved hearing about the connections between religions and their harmonious coexistence
Regards,
Ann Garnett
I've been really enjoying your posts. When I first moved to Qatar, I remember the morning call to prayer waking me and hearing it all the time. Now, I've grown so used to it I rarely realize it's happening.
Meredith
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