Easter Sunday

One of my beefs is that nowdays the mass schedule is changed all around, even on holydays that fall on sunday. We had planned to go to the 4:00 saturday mass in Humboldt, TN (possibly with my parents), But they did not have the regular schedule. Small town life is much different than the big city. There is usually just one (maybetwo) catholic churches with just a few masses (possibly one weekend mass). In the big city, there are numerous churches within a short-moderate drive with multiple masses.

So we ended up goimg to Jackson's Sunday morning 8:00am mass. It was very crowded (as it is every year). Annette and I got there 30 minutes early to get a good parking space and a good seat. You know, the "Deaton" seats in the back of the church.

Fr Anthony Onyekwelu officiated the mass and I must say he did a great job. He used gregorian like singing for the responsorial parts of the mass. I have to say that this was one of the better mass services I had attended in years. It was nice to hear a chanting-singing responses.

The church was so full (wall to wall and out to the Narthex). It is easy to see that Jackson has one of the largest parishes in the diocese of Memphis. I can only imagine how full the 10:30 mass would be. I did go to 10:30 in 2003, and it was then twice as crowded a mass. Then (in 2003) I helped Joe Toy Sr. pull out chairs from the meeting room to line the back of the church.

Fr Anthony made me feel glad I was there in church and that I needed to be there to believe. For that I am thankful to him. Fr Anthony comes from an African country that has a dominant islamic faith. He lives his faith as one who had not only to believe, but also as one who had to fight and defend his christian-cathlic beliefs. We in Jackson TN are better people of God by having Fr Anthony with us!