de Young

During the academic year I meet with five others for Education for Ministry (EfM) at St Aidan's Episcopal Church in San Francisco.  EfM is a four-year program of study in the Episcopal Church of the USA that explores the Christian faith through studying the Bible and church history while providing thought-provoking theological reflections.  EfM is based and managed from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN.

We just completed Year Three, which is on church history.  Regardless of whether we are Roman Catholic or Protestant we can take little pride (to put it mildly) in what our ancestors did to "the other" during the Reformation, especially the English Reformation.

We are open to doing things outside of the study group.  We enjoy art exhibits, music, theater and lectures on philosophy and theology.  We decided to take a little field trip to visit the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park, since some of us (like me) had yet not been.  While at the James Turrell structure at the de Young we planned to read from texts and sing hymns that inspire us.  Two women who were also visiting joined us.

How's them apples?

James Turrell (b. 1943) designed this chamber,

using concrete, plaster, stone, and neon lighting.

It is called Three Gems, 2005

The acoustics are such that you can hear the sound of your own

voice (i.e., as others hear it) by standing on the lapis lazuli

circle in the center and speaking.  It produced a very odd
auditory experience.  It was strange to hear myself as 
through a tape recording.

Betsy

 Doug

Group Picture # 1

(l-r) Barbara, Betsy, Harlean, Leonor, and Doug

Group Picture # 2 with moi

Harlean

"Biggest safety pin I've ever seen!"

Exhibit by Claes Oldenburg (b. 1929) and Coosje van Bruggen (1949-2009).
Corridor Pin, Blue, 1999
Stainless steel, aluminum, polyurethane enamel

We ended up in the dining room where we had a little coffee break.  We enjoyed our field trip.  We'll likely do it again.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, CA

I hadn't seen my friend and former co-worker, Navdeep, in a very long time.  Since she lives in the East Bay we made plans to meet on Sunday for Mass at the Oakland Cathedral.

Navdeep

Christ the Light is the first cathedral to be built in the 21st century.  It replaces the Cathedral of St Francis de Sales, which was irreparably damaged by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

Originally planned in 2000 under the direction of Bishop John Stephen Cummins and broken ground on May 21, 2005, Christ the Light was consecrated and dedicated by Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron on September 25, 2008.

This image shamelessly taken from wikipedia/christ_the_light.  View from across Harrison Street

The cathedral is in the shape of a fish.

When you enter the cathedral you encounter the Baptistery.  This makes sense in that we are brought into the Body of Christ, the Church, through Baptism.  "Living water" flows through the Baptistery.  The water is also sanctified and reverts to its primordial state before the Fall.  It's what makes the water "holy".  It is sanctified by the Spirit through a bishop or priest.

Baptistery

Icon of Christ the Light

You behold the magnificent image of Christ the Light!  The image is made of filtered sunlight through a screen.  It is truly awesome.

Organ pipes adorn the left and right sides of the sanctuary

A mausoleum and crypt is below the cathedral.

The windows from the former Cathedral of St Francis de Sales.

St Joseph the Betrothed and the Infant Jesus

I left the cathedral inspired and renewed.  Navdeep and I had brunch at a nearby restaurant.  It was a lovely day!

Interesting Factoids of Christ the Light Cathedral

Architect:  Craig W. Hartman, FAIA of Skidmore, Owens and Merrill offices in San Francisco

General Contractor:  Webcor Builders

Year completed:  2008

Estimated cost:  $172 million

Seats:  1350

Located at 2121 Harrison Street in Oakland, the cathedral serves as mother church of approximately 530,000 Catholics in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

CoS Convocation, June 18-21, 2010

The Community of Solitude is an ecumenical community of solitaries who are living the Christian life according to the Benedictine rule in the Camaldolese and Taize traditions. Every year the community meets for convocation on either the West or East coast of the USA. (We haven't yet met abroad.)  This year we met in Northern California at Big Sur.

The Greek and zen-circled cross of the Community of Solitude

The Camaldolese monks were extremely kind and gracious and generous to us.   We were invited to pray each Office with them.  We were prayed for during each Office.  On Saturday and Sunday we were invited to have lunch with the monks.  We were commended and encouraged by them to follow our Rule of life.  We felt very much at home with the monks and the other retreatants.

I was looking forward to this convocation/retreat.  Except for Br Jordan (Hale) and a few email exchanges with Br Leo (Campos) I was not acquainted with anyone else in our community.  Therefore, I was looking forward to meeting many of them.  Unfortunately, not all of us were able to travel to California.  We are mostly from the USA.  We have members in the UK and New Zealand.  Most of us are Anglican/Episcopalian but we also have Roman Catholics.

The New Camaldoli Hermitage was one of the first places I saw when I moved to Northern California from Southern California.  That was 40 years and many, many lifetimes ago!  As I did then, I viewed this visit as a harbinger of positive changes in my life.  Entering the Community of Solitude was one of them.

Just before convocation I was diagnosed with non Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma.  My doctor prescribed chemotherapy.  I would begin treatment on Wednesday, June 23.  Not knowing how I would react to chemo (I feared nausea and vomiting, which -- thankfully -- happened only once.) I was looking forward to spending time alone in prayer in preparation for chemotherapy.

Down the coast along the way we stopped at
Mission San Carlos Borromeo
del rio Carmelo in Carmel

California grammar schoolers learn of early California history and the 21 Spanish Franciscan missions in the fourth grade.  This was my first exposure to catholic Christianity.  Mission San Fernando Rey de Espana was the first Roman Catholic Church I visited.  We didn't live far from Mission San Fernando.  As a child, I used to walk there and sit in the Mission gardens.  (I was drawn to the contemplative life even then!)  I have a very warm spot in my heart for the California Missions.

Fellow novice Br Raymond (Munro)

 Sr Corby and Br Raymond and I drove down the coast together from San Jose.

Coastal loveliness

 New Camaldoli Hermitage sits on 800 acres above the Pacific Ocean.

 Each of us was assigned a "hermitage".  This one, "Logos", was mine.

The New Camaldoli Hermitage is actually many hermitages surrounding the chapel.  Those on retreat are given a hermitage (a remodeled trailer) that includes a bed, dresser, rocking chair (mine did anyway), writing desk, kitchen, and bathroom.  I couldn't have asked for anything more!

The view from my deck.

   Br Jude (Kreutzer) makes his first profession of vows.

On Friday evening, June 18, Br Raymond and I were received as novices in a ceremony in the Hermitage Chapter Room.  Br Jude (Kreutzer) made his first profession of vows and was clothed in the Benedictine habit.

Guardian Council members Sr Clare Benedicta (Myers),

 Br Leo (Campos), and Br Jordan (Hale) clothe Br Jude

in the Benedictine habit.

(left) Sr Clare Benedicta (Myers) and

Sr Vincent Marie (Rittenhouse) formally transferred

their life professions from the Companions of St Lude

to the Community of Solitude.

View from the chapel.

 The Hermitage Cloister

 

 The chapel has a very "Eastern Orthodox" feel to it in that it is separate from the nave.  It represents the "Tomb of Christ" from which our Lord rises.  During the Offertory everyone gathers around the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

When ordering from the hermitage online this "monks thank you" picture was sent with my order confirmation.  I've never experienced the celebration of Mass quite like this.  It was very intimate.

A copy of St Andrei Rublev's Icon of the Holy Trinity

in the chapel narthex

The Hermitage Prior (in white), Fr. Raniero Hoffman, OSB Cam, gave us

a tour of their state-of-the-art modular infirmary.

Group Picture # 1

 (front l-r) Sr Vincent Marie, Sr Clare Benedicta, and Sr Corby

(back l-r) American Sign Language Interpretor, Br Raymond,
Br Jordan, Br Leo, Br Jude, and me.

Group Picture # 2

When I left the Hermitage I had entered a new community.  I had reconnected with the Camaldolese hermits.  I have now embraced the Benedictine rule as a novice.  I am working on the spiritual health of my soul with renewed vigor.  I feel carried by the prayers of others.  I am very grateful.