An Unusual but Very Special Roman Catholic Mass...in Antarctica

Chaplain Laura and Mary, Catholic Eucharistic Minister

I really wanted to tell this story on my blog when I was deployed to Antarctica in 2010, but was asked to wait awhile, as "Rome (the Vatican) might become upset!". 

Hmmm.  (Yes, I am really concerned about the Vatican becoming upset.  I am a female priest, Episcopal priest that is!) 

But, in the spirit of respect and collegiality, I have waited a few years before now sharing this story on my blog.

So here was the situation.  While I was serving as the "Protestant" Chaplain at the Chapel of the Snows in McMurdo Station, my Roman Catholic colleague, Fr. Ron, a civilian priest from New Zealand, was to rotate back to New Zealand after serving 4 weeks in Antarctica.  His replacement was to come down and serve for 4 weeks.  Us Protestant Chaplains were in the Air National Guard, and served for 8 weeks. So during my 8 week tour, I would serve with two different Roman Catholic priests. 

About the last week or so Fr. Ron 's 4 week tour of duty, we found out that his replacement was not able to come down to Antarctica due to health issues.  No substitute could be found.  So, basically in a few days, we would have no Roman Catholic priest.

The Catholic mass was held every Sunday at 9 am, and the Protestant service at 10:30 am, which I led.   We tried to think of a way to still hold a Catholic service for the Catholics serving at McMurdo Station. And this is what we came up with....

Fr. Ron asked a young lady, (Mary, in the photo above) if she would like to be a lay Eucharistic minister and lead the service.  She wanted to, but was a bit nervous as she had not done anything like this before.    I offered to give a homily for the Catholic mass, as I used the lectionary for my homilies too, and we were on the same schedule for scripture readings as the Roman Catholics.

And so, Fr. Ron gave Mary a crash course in leading a lay Eucharist Catholic service. 

As for music, another Catholic laywoman played guitar and sang and was very, very good.  Mary seemed a bit more relaxed knowing we would all be doing this together.  

Before each little "mass" we led, all three of us would pray together, and then go and lead the Catholic service.

And so, for two or three Sundays, three women led the Roman Catholic mass there in McMurdo Station.  Me, the "Protestant" Chaplain giving the homily, Mary as the Lay Eucharistic Minister, and the other lady leading the music! 

And all were happy at the Chapel of the Snows, Catholic and Protestant alike!

And all was good!



(And I would be willing to bet, the Vatican would be happy about this too!)

More Stories from the Edge..."Ministry of Presence"

Seven Sands Chapel, SW Asia  2009

As a chaplain in the military, we go where the people go.   The ministry is primarily what is called "ministry of presence", meaning, being with the people.  The ministry is done in hallways, visiting people at their various places of work, in their offices, on the flight line, in the hangars, in the clinics, in the training areas, and so forth.  The ministry is highly relational.  It may seem like just hanging out, but that is where you get to know people, they get to know you and relationships are built.

 Chapel Tent, FTX Gila Bend  2006

Being that we go where the people go, a military chaplain can lead worship from some unusual places.   For example, I have led services ranging from a chapel in Arabia called "Seven Sands Chapel", to a chapel near the South Pole at McMurdo Station, Antarctica appropriately named "Chapel of the Snows"!  

Chapel in a Conex, Ft Irwin FTX 2001

When we go on an FTX (field training exercise) I cannot tell you how many times I have led worship in a Chapel Tent.

And of course there are the many chapels at airbases where I have served; Luke AFB, the USAF Academy, etc.   

And for those places where there is no chapel, well you make do.   Classrooms, outside, board rooms, gyms, even conexes can become makeshift chapels!    

When it is 120 degrees outside, anything that has AC, of which this conex did, will do! 

Three musical chaplains, Ft Jackson, 2000

In this photo, we are leading a rockin' musical worship service in a giant gym to at least 2000 Army Basic Trainees at Ft Jackson, SC.  Yes that is me playing the djembe. 


Yes, where the people are, there we be!

 

Spirituality and Weeds

Working in a vineyard

Lent.  

It can seem austere, perhaps a bit too penitential.   But Lent can be a special time of spiritual renewal and growth. 

Lent reminds me it is time for cleaning out my 'spiritual closet', so to speak.   Our spiritual vineyards or gardens need to be cleared out every so often... get those dead plants and brush out of there...otherwise how can new life grow?

The days get longer and warmer.  In fact the word Lent means "lengthening".   Springtime!   And this time of year …. rain, rain rain. 

And then come the weeds.  Everywhere!  All over my yard. And every year, there I am, pulling those weeds!  

Oh, it would be so much easier to just hire someone to clean my yard and pull the weeds. Or, I could just ignore the weeds, but then they will overtake my yard! 

Weed pulling can be a kind of "zen thing".  I feel a spiritual solace as I pull up the weeds, slow and painstaking as it may be.  For as I uproot the weeds in my yard, I am trying to uproot the spiritual weeds growing in my heart.

What weeds may be growing in your spiritual garden?  

Has the weed of anger popped up in your garden?  Or how about the weed of resentment?  Or perhaps the weeds of fear & worry are abound in your garden.    Or maybe you may have the weed of impatience growing in your spiritual vineyard!   Perhaps some of us may have the weed of arrogance ...or the weed of despair.   Or do you have the weed of not being able to forgive all over your yard?   What about the weeds of cynicism, negativity, mean-spiritedness?    On it goes.

What are your spiritual weeds?

Is time for a little spiritual weed pulling in your garden?