A Monastery Festival

Posted on September 28, 2003 in Travels - So Cal

One of the wonders of the Catholic Church is that when you go to any large event — be it Easter Vigil Mass in a metropolitan cathedral, a monastery festival, or a bingo game — you inevitably witness a genuine diversity of people. We went to the annual festival at St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo for the second year in a row where we ate of apple products, drank lots of frozen lemonade, ate Korean food, looked at art, and attended a sacred dance based on the Vespers service. (Photo series begins tomorrow.) I couldn’t tell you who — other than Lynn, myself, the monks, and a pair of Quakers from Orange County Meeting that we ran into — was a Catholic and who wasn’t. I acted respectfully throughout my visit, removing my hat for the Gospel and the Our Father at the sacred dance service and addressing the clergy as Brother, Father, or Sister as appropriate.

We saw Asians, Latinos, Euros, Native Americans, African Americans, and Bikers. There weren’t any passports required for participation and only a modest $4 parking fee. Entrance to the festival was free: the monastery derives whatever profit it gets from the art and food sales as well as donations. We did our bit for the five year building plan by buying books, icons, a t-shirt, a mug, and a couple of the ceramic angels for which the abbey is famous. I liked the anonymity and I liked the diversity. No one made a fuss about who passed the monastery fences to take part in the ceremonies, the fellowship, and the food service. If only the rest of the people in the state could co-exist as happily as those I mingled with today did.