Witnessing a Roman Catholic ordination was not something I had planned to ever do. Until just recently, I didn't even know the Catholics had ordinations. But on a beautiful Saturday morning in mid-May, the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia filled with a thousand or more well-dressed worshippers (standing-room-only) celebrating the ordination of nine young priests, and I was there too, loving the music and trying not to accidentally cross myself. A few weeks ago, I … [Read more...] about Mennonites Walk Into a Cathedral
The Irish Mennonites Reunion at Penn Valley Retreat
Two weeks ago, I attended a reunion unlike any I've ever been to: the first-ever reunion of all the people who have been part of the Dunmore East Amish-Mennonite Church or Comeragh Wilderness Academy in Ireland. I volunteered as a cook at Comeragh Wilderness Academy (called a "camp" back then) from September 2012 to September 2014. I returned twice to attend friends' weddings, both in 2015, I think, but a decade has now passed since I've been in Europe. Last December, an invitation came: … [Read more...] about The Irish Mennonites Reunion at Penn Valley Retreat
Family Roots
What's it like to grow up in a horse-and-buggy community? Here's an essay I wrote recently for one of my writing group assignments. I belong to two writing groups: one meets in person and we can write whatever we wish. The other group is virtual and one member picks a topic every other month. For February, the topic was "roots". Family roots, tree roots, hair roots—whatever roots we wished. I thought about writing about my Swiss-German ancestors. But the two hundred or so forebears of the … [Read more...] about Family Roots
Four Days in Downtown Atlanta and the World of Coca-Cola
"It's all over," said the woman sitting across from me on the MARTA train we were riding to airport. "Thank goodness!" Maybe everyone feels relieved when they leave the annual America's Mart, the largest trade show for gifts in the world. Traveling for work, flying, staying in hotels, eating in restaurants every night, are luxuries I never would have dreamed of as a child, and I try to remind myself every year when I visit Atlanta for the big show. But it's also a lot of work and … [Read more...] about Four Days in Downtown Atlanta and the World of Coca-Cola
Riding the Red Rose Transit Bus for a Month
For the month of November, I took the bus to work. Friends suggested the idea to me in October, during a group discussion about the merits of public transportation. Public transportation, they proposed, is less stressful than driving your own car. It reduces traffic, it's cheap, it's gets you into contact with others. So I decided to give it a try. The bus that goes past my home and close to my office is provided by the Red Rose Transit Authority (called "RRTA"). The Red Rose is the … [Read more...] about Riding the Red Rose Transit Bus for a Month