Easter Season

The Stations of the Cross walk -- returning back to the church



Dancing around the Pascal Fire
Easter Season was really beautiful in Kenya. The season here is kind of the end of summer, soalthougthe time does not match up with new growth of plants, it didn't seem to matter.
For the "general population" (those who are not Sisters???) the school term finished on Holy Wednesday or Thursday - Easter was early this year otherwise they would have had the whole week. On Good Friday, the Makuyu Parish does a Stations of the Cross walk, or Jia ya Msalaba in Swahili. It was certainly an experience! Around 10 o'clock (African time, so it was a bit later) the people gather at the main parish. Then, following a tractor with a trailer the congregation begins to walk. For each of the stations, there is a certain stop where the Senior Youth act out the event. I was really impressed by their costumes and seriousness. The path goes through several of the outstations/prayer houses, and the whole walk ends around 3 when everyone comes back for the Passion Service. I was very grateful that the weather was not so hot -- although it rained and so at some points the mud almost got your shoes (roads in the bush are definitely not paved). I guess when the weather is really warm by the end some people struggle a lot, especially volunteers who are not used to the event as it is a 5 hours walk! The people sing and pray the Rosary while they walk. It was all in Kikuyu so I couldn't understand much, but really beautiful to see so many parishioners, even the elderly, completing the long journey.
The Passion Service was fairly similar to those at home (I think, again it was not in English so I'm not entirely certain). For the Veneration of the Cross, however, all of the people come forward and kiss the cross -- something I hadn't seen before.
On Saturday evening, the Vigil is held. It begins outside with the lighting of a bonfire. Some years they even send a ball of flame from the belltower to light the fire! The Pascal candle is then lit, and the children dance around the fire. Then everyone proceeds into the church for the service. It is a "bring your own candle" procession. The Baptism of older children takes place at this time, while babies are baptized on Sunday morning.
Sunday morning was certainly a joyful experience! Many people come to the Mass, but it's not a time of wearing fancy clothes and hats -- more a celebration. The Priest saying the Mass was very lively, and turned on a CD player with music so everyone could have a little dance party in their pews. He had a whistle and was right up there blowing it and dancing along with everyone. So lively.
In the "Motherhouse" we made decorations and had a beautiful feast after the Mass. The afternoon was relatively quiet as everyone had been up late the night before because of the vigil and being with the young people at their "Easter Experience."
The Easter Experience is like a retreat for the senior youth -- they come and stay in the school and have various talks and activities. It's wonderful to walk down to the school at night when they are there and be able to hear singing and clapping and laughing from a distance. Really, if I could sum up Easter here in a phrase it would be "joy in the Risen Christ."