Mass at Gulu High

Mass at Gulu High

My colleague, Phil Kelly, who is now probably sitting on a stream somewhere in Idaho, told me that he had gone to a Catholic Mass at Gulu High, and I really should go. Phil is not Catholic, but he told me he found the service to be wonderful. Well, Phil thanks, thanks. It waas one of the most amazing experiences of the trip. I walked the 15 minutes to Gulu High, only once having to ask directions, and that was just because I thought I was running late or perhaps forgot I was on Africa time. When I got there, I soon spied several students standing around a class room. Many of the boys that live there were taking advantage of the bright sun, and washing their sheets and drying them on the lawn. But I figured this classroom, must be the one for Mass, I peaked my head in and saw an all student congregation, sitting in the desks still in line from the classroom. The students were on my left, and the choir was singing on my right. As is often the custom in Gulu, a student soon got out of his chair, and another student politely and graciously directed me to his chair. I turns out I was not late for Mass and listened to the choir practice, and the church was filled for choir practice. When the priest showed up 15 minutes later, you could tell that the students were excited. Phil told me that the priest is not always available and sometimes if he does not show, they just have a service with readings and songs. I cannot tell you how proud I was as a Catholic, that this overcrowded room of students was excited to see a priest and excited about Mass. Erin and Elise and all other Cor Jesu students this is the school and the students you have shared with this year!

Mass began and the altar boys and girls looked fantastic. The altar boys were in one piece bright green print surpluses with wonderful embroidery and craftsmanship, one each sided they had an embroidered cross. The girls were in a yellow or orange surplus with a single cross embroidered in front. The songs throughout the mass (they have about twelve, were incredible, and although the Mass and sermon were in English many of the songs were in Lwo. I looked up at the song list which was written on the class backboard, it was comforting to see H2CO3, H2SO4 and H2O still on the chalkboard left over from a previous chemistry class. They did not erase the whole board, just enough to write which songs they would be singing for each part.

The students were ready and participating at each part. It was also interesting to know that there, since this is a boarding school, were students participating in various activities outside. These students did not go to Mass because someone told them they had to; they were there because they wanted to be there. The gospel was about the Good Samaritan, which is really interesting in a region that has been deeply devastated by war in a continent where sometimes differences in people often lead to armed conflict. It was also interesting that in a region of the world that really needs peace. The student prayed the entire sign of peace part together out loud with the priest. I thought about how much this prayer and its significance actually means to these students.

` The priest gave a wonderful sermon. He talked about the woman who went to the well to fill two buckets and one was a good bucket and held water, but the other bucket had a leak and by the time she got home, it would only be half full. She asked the Lord what she should do, and soon planted flowers on the way back from the well. Thereafter, as the one bucket would leak it would water the flowers. People soon commented about how beautiful the path to her house was.

The second story was about a teacher who asked a student when they knew that the night had given way to the morning. The student replied that is was when he could telll the difference between a sheep and a dog in the distance. Another student said it was when he could tell a fig tree from a palm tree. The teacher told them you both have failed. The night gives way to the morning when you see a stranger and you greet him as a friend.

So with a few hundred students around me, I was humbled, and in their voices their faith, and their song. I noticed that the night had turned to day, and the sun was shining magnificently on all the students of Gulu High.

Peace,

john