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WASHINGTON,
"HERE WE COME!"
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| ....."One, two, three,
four……seventeen… Alright, everybody let's go!", sounded the caring but
firm voice of Michelle DiVito, a voice that guided the C.Y.O. trip to
and from Washington DC - all through the trip, flip-flops could be heard
responding to its guidance. |
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| .....Wednesday, the
8th of July was the day the youth of Holy Angels parish, with the help
their chaperones Steve, Bonnie, and Joan, got the rubber to hit the long,
winding road to the nation's capital. The Pastor, Fr. Terry O'Connell,
OMI, gave us a ceremonial send-off - the effect of which was put to the
test at the caravan's first and only break-down. That event turned out
to be a real blessing in disguise. After the rented "Kia" gave up its
ghost, a number of the youth were given a ride in a "limo" and later switched
rented cars to a much better vehicle for a more comfortable ride to Washington. |
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| .... The DC
fun was characterized by frequent subway (Metro) trips in spite of the
London bombings (which we had not had time to learn about). The baseball
game between the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets made Thursday,
our first full day in DC, a memorable day. As if the whole afternoon spent
in a red, white and blue decorated stadium were not enough, after the
game, we descended down the Metro all the way to the end of the "Red Line."
There at Michelle's sister's home, the youth had a fun-filled evening
playing games and being treated to the drumbeat of one of Washington's
up and coming celebrities - Marco - Michelle's nephew, who has aspirations
of becoming a professional drummer one day. |
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....The tour of the John Paul II Cultural
Center was an opportunity for a moment of inspiration. The global "palm
sizing", the interactive computer games wherein beautiful, artistic
paintings or melodies could be composed and posted, the "talking trash
can" experiences after the meal (you had to have been there! ) and the
"watch me over again" hourly show of the life of John Paul II made Friday
morning another unique morning. After the tour of the center, we boarded
the Metro to visit some of the historical sites and museums along our
chosen routes. When evening came, we braved the storms to view the presidential
residence named after its color, The White House, and the Capitol building.
Soaked though we were, our hearts were joyful.
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| ....Many men
and women have perished at the service of the ordinary American way of
life. They sacrificed to earn and preserve the peace and freedom we enjoy.
To honor those heroes, we visited Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday
morning. The day was blazing hot and the schedule of the touring buses
was erratic. All the same, the bright sun only cast clarity and sharpness
on the well-aligned tombstones of the American heroes buried there. While
paying homage, we stopped to witness the ceremonial changing of the guard
at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The meticulous handling of the weapons
and the discipline that accompanied the ceremony was greater than any
ceremony we had ever witnessed. |
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....After our morning of prayerful
reflection at Arlington, we lined up at the Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception for a tour of this great Basilica. To crown the tour, the
Oblate Provincial celebrated Mass for us in the quiet and peaceful atmosphere
of the Oblate chapel, distinguished by its depictions of Oblate missionaries
and a magnificent mosaic honoring the Blessed Mother. The barbecue at
the Oblate house after Mass summed up our time there. In a spirit of
humble service, Fr. Louis Lougen, OMI, the Provincial, made sure everyone
enjoyed the fun of the moment.
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| ....Any attempt
to chronicle the activities of Holy Angels' parish has to go well beyond
referencing the towering "twin spires" which give the church her stately
appearance. Her life is within. Many thanks go to the parents and all
those who supported and continue to support the youth of Holy Angels in
their activities. For any society to claim a continued existence, it needs
the young. The church too needs and values the contributions of the young.
To all the youth and parishioners of Holy Angels, I wish to echo Michelle's
Youth Ministry call: "….alright, everybody let's go!", and make the future
our own. |
| Br. Barnabas Simatende, omi. |
