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
Community
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
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
Church Campout
Every September, my church forsakes the comforts of New Holland and travels northwest to the forest of Manheim for a weekend of privation and fellowship. Well, not really. We the people of Oasis Mennonite Fellowship had our annual church campout at the United Zion Camp Grove earlier this month with communal meals in a dining hall, church services in a tabernacle, and sleeping accommodations in tiny cabins with electricity and indoor plumbing. United Zion Camp is located in the woods between … [Read more...] about Church Campout