Easter Ceremonies at Santa Fe

1. Entrance to Church 2. Side View of Choir 3. Part of the Foyer

We went to a Church on the other side of Santa Fe for all the Easter Ceremonies: Santa Maria de la Paz. It is the newest Church in town and very large and well designed. The outside of course is finished in adobe style, which you must be used to now from my blog. The priest, Fr Adam Ortize, is only 41 years old, tall and nice looking (Spanish colouring) and he is enthusiastic and very capable. He can sing, and speak well, and obviously has the place humming. He has a Deacon who assists him at all the Services and an elderly priest, Fr Jim Wolf (who says Mass here occasionally) who also assists a bit. We had very 'high' Liturgies, which were very well done. The foot washing was beautiful on Thursday evening with 12 people from Parish groups sitting in a semicircle around the Altar facing outwards. The priest came around, assisted by the Deacon, and washed the feet of each personally, taking a good time over the operation and kissing their feet. Afterwards I saw a couple of the ladies whose feet had been washed, wiping away tears back in their places. It was very moving to watch also.

The Procession to the Altar of repose at the end of Mass, moved to a new Chapel (the size of an ordinary Church) recently built right beside the main Church area, in the same building. It was a bit crowded when the entire congregation circled the inside of the church and then went out through the Foyer into the next door Chapel. The choir (over 30 people with instruments, organ, piano and a variety of solo singers) had obviously practised a great deal and they did an excellent job. We didn't use books much because they mostly led the congregation with music which had a refrain you could pick up easily and join in.

On Good Friday, about 70 young people (15-16 years old) in the Confirmation Class presented the Passion in Mime form. They were all dressed in black tights or similar and moved quietly and quickly into their positions as needed. 'Jesus' was mimed by a slight young girl with beautiful brown rippling long hair and a strong but lovely face. 'He' wore different colours - a yellos sash/ a red cloak sometimes to symbolise suffering or love. Small groups of the young people appeared in different areas of the very large sanctuary/central area to mime the different parts, while a young girl read the whole passion from the lectern. It was extremely effective. There is a huge wooden Cross behind the Altar area and the young people placed a bare cross before this and led 'Jesus' before it. Then the 'soldiers' lifted 'his' arms and draped the girl's hands from behind over the cross beam while she stood in front of it. One of the 'soldiers' hammered each nail point loudly three times in the silence. The lights were dimmed so the 'Jesus' figure became a silhouette and it was very very effective. There was a very dramatic 'thunder storm' with lightning high on the rear wall and lights flashing along the ceiling pluse rolls of thunder, at the moment of Jesus' death! Taking the body down and carrying it away was also quite powerful. All the young people (mostly Hispanic and Spanish-looking) were involved, even if they were just the lines at the back of each side who marched up and down with loud tramping in the dark when the scenes changed to another place.

After the Gospel we had the General Intercessions, kneeling for each of the 11 or so, then standing while the priest intoned the prayers. This was a bit hard on my dodgy knees, but luckily I was able to lever myself up and down on the back of a seat!

Last night, the Easter Vigil, was quite magnificent. We got there at 8 pm. It started at 8.30 pm. We left a bit after 11.10 pm.!!!!!!! When we went outside to light the Paschal Fire, it was

F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G! (See the photo of myself

in the courtyard at Sangre earlier in the day!)

It had been snowing lightly on and off all day and there was a keen breeze. But everyone snuggled up and survived. A young woman near me had been to Australia - 'Where' I asked. 'I went to Sydney then up to Cairn.' 'Did you like Cairns?" 'The humidity was terrible'! If you knew how dry the air is here you would understand why anyone going to Cairns from here would find it humid.

After we survived quite a lengthy fire-lighting, we all went (quickly!) into a dimly lit church then all the lights were turned out before the procession of the Celebrant and servers with the Paschal Candle started. As the priest held up the Candle and said "Christ our Light" all the candles in the Church were lit (we were all given small candles in holders as we entered the foyer before Mass) and then the Exultet (in praise of Christ's Resurrection symbolised by the candle) was sung in the light of about 1000 candles. That was great. Next a 'ghostly' image of the risen Jesus was projected onto the back wall - you can see it in picture 3 below. In the photo it looks a bit like a Christmas angel!

We had been invited to bring bells to ring during the Gloria on both Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil and that followed, so we (including myself and several others from here), and many others who had brought bells, rang them furiously during the Gloria refrain .

As Mass progressed time came for the Baptism of RCIA candidates - there were 4, I think. They were supposed to go down the steps in the Baptism Pool (see photo 2 below) but the water pump had broken down so they bent over the more traditional Font and were nearly drowned with jugs of water!

There were also Confirmations of all adults who hadn't yet received this Sacrament (about 30) and some children even made their First Communion. It all took a long time and my fervour waned a little at times because, of course, the people were all strangers to me! But it was very well done - everything in top liturgical style

2. Baptism Pool ready 3. Scene during Mass


1. Processional Cross decorated for Easter
When singers from the choir took on leading the Congregation during all the ceremonies, they stood on a stand like a pulpit over near the choir and raised their arms (like a priest does at Mass) when they wanted us to join in and kept them held up the whole time. (Can't imagine that happening at St Peter's!). It was very dramatic. We had a couple of "Alleluia, Gloria" type songs last night with a good rhythm and everybody clapped, including the priest who swayed from side to side with his long red stole waving back and forth! The lead singers kept their hands raised to heaven in a sort of curve and swayed from side to side too. You would have thought you were in a Pentecostal Church. We staggered home about 11.30 pm and no one here stayed long over supper.
On Sunday at 10 am we had a lovely Mass ourselves in our Chapel here and I played for that. Everyone here sings with enthusiasm and as a group they are all very musical, so the liturgies are always very helpful.
I could tell you many more things, but you can see it has been a different, and wonderful experience, of Easter here. I hope you had a happy Easter. God bless! Rita