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Contents © 2000
by Jim Holman.
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ST. MARTIN OF TOURS:

Bathed in Purple Light

The building is striking: hexagonal, the interior is like an enormous cell in a honeycomb. There are no visible stations of the cross, and the sanctuary contains a crucifix with a fine corpus, a baptismal tub, and an angular wooden table, ambo, lectern, and priest's throne (the latter directly under the crucifix). A free-standing tabernacle is tucked away to the left of the sanctuary. The white back wall upon which the crucifix hangs was bathed in purple light, presumably to reflect the Lenten season.

I sat behind the three rows reserved for the five Eucharistic ministers and the ushers. The church was half-filled with a primarily Anglo, old-to-middle-aged flock. The 17-person vested choir chatted in their bleachers to the right of the sanctuary.

The choir sang a unique "Mass in Lent in the Russian Tradition, specially arranged for St. Martin of Tours"; the melodies were haunting. Both processional and recessional hymns, Southern hymns reminiscent of Stephen Foster's work, were from the missalette.

The priest, Father Donie (pronounced "Doaney") Keohane, a short, older man of precise movements and expression, armed with a thick and melodious brogue, came in, preceded by crucifer, altar girl and boy bearing candles, and lector. All bowed to the crucifix, the tabernacle being out-of-sight. Although it was Laetare Sunday, when priests have the option of wearing "old rose" (not to be confused with pink) vestments, Father Donie retained the Lenten purple. Once behind the table, he invited us to greet the people around us.

The readings were the special alternate year "A" scriptures for the catechumens. The Gospel was St. John's story of the Man Born Blind. Father Donie used a truncated version of this long passage, found in the missalette, which leaves out the adverse reactions of the Pharisees to Jesus' actions.

In his homily, Father explained that the main message of this story (which at first he explained as a parable, but settled down to treating as an actual event) was Jesus' unconditional love for each of us, "believer and unbeliever alike." He listed the seven ways in which Jesus dealt with people: baptizing, feeding, forgiving, empowering, anointing, healing, and reconciling. Father pointed out that Christ continues to do the same today -- we may encounter "how He acted" with people in each of the sacraments, especially "when He is present in Eucharist and scripture."

After the Creed, three catechumens and their sponsors came forward for the Scrutinies. They were invited to remain for the Eucharist itself. The altar girl and boy came and dressed the previously bare table with a glass chalice and other Mass appurtenances, and the Offertory began.

Father Keohane recited the Third Eucharistic Prayer dramatically. At the Our Father the ministers and ushers in front of me held hands, but all others either clasped their own or else lifted them up. Almost all the people stood after the Lamb of God, and received Communion in the hand. After the sanctuary party recessed, the congregation gave the choir a round of applause.

While there had been no notice taken of the tabernacle during the service, a lady went up afterwards to the sanctuary, genuflected, and began praying in front of it; moreover, the bulletin advertised Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every first Thursday from 8 a.m. until noon.

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