By Sister Mary Beth Hamm, SSJ
October 4, 2014
On Saturday evening, the people of Immaculate Conception
Catholic Church in Durham, NC warmly welcomed the Nuns on the Bus, first to
Liturgy and then to their annual Multicultural Festival, which included an
opportunity for Voter Registration. Commemorating the feast of St. Francis of
Assisi, Father Chris Vanhaight, OFM and Deacon Gerardo Chavez presided at what
was truly a celebration of the ethnic diversity of Immaculate Conception
Parish.
Parishioners gathered in native garb – Indian, Filipino, Polish,
Latino, African, to name only a few –
and entered into a celebration that truly held some Pentecostal moments for me.
One of those moments was praying the “Our Father.”
While the Liturgy was celebrated primarily in English and
Spanish, there were several instances when the congregation was invited to
respond in their own language. As we held hands and heard the harmony of voices
praying “thy kingdom come” it seemed to me that God’s kingdom of peace and
justice – with unity as the cornerstone – is surely coming to fruition in this
faith community of Immaculate Conception.
Following Liturgy, we were invited to the school where a
smorgasbord of ethnic foods awaited us, complemented by a festival of song,
dance and, of course, an opportunity to speak about the importance of
amplifying the voice of “We the People” by registering to vote and ultimately,
by voting on election day. Sister Simone offered a passionate plea in both
English and Spanish, encouraging the parishioners and many other guests to ask
everyone they know to get to the polls – to rousing applause.
What is evident to me as I speak to our “dear neighbors” in
North Carolina, are both the hunger and hope they hold for a faith that does
justice. Everyone I’ve met has offered profuse thanks for the opportunity to
have this hunger fed through their participation in the Nuns on the Bus events.
An elderly Baptist minister I spoke with shared his pain at the suffering he
has seen in the Tar Heel State over his lifetime because of legislation that
has severely affected people who are poor. He was almost weeping over this
reality, but at the same time expressed such hope that with the message Nuns on
the Bus is offering change can happen – God’s kingdom will come. And to this we
say “Amen!”
