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September
18, 2006
VOL.
44, NO. 16Oakland,
CA
Fourteenth annual Chautauqua Oct. 7
Catholics
throughout the diocese are invited to attend the 14th annual Chautauqua,
the Oakland Diocese’s annual multicultural celebration, on Oct.
7 at St. Lawrence O’Toole Church, 3725 High St., in Oakland.
The theme for this year’s event is “Our Lady of the Rosary
– All Nations Honor You!” and marks the Feast of Our Lady
of the Rosary.
The gathering will begin at 10 a.m. with a procession honoring Our Lady
of the Rosary followed by a multicultural, multilingual liturgy with Bishop
Allen Vigneron and Bishop Emeritus John Cummins.
Each of the diocesan ethnic pastoral centers will contribute to the celebration
in different ways. For example, the choir from the Tongan community will
sing a song familiar to their community, said Ban Wong, a music minister
from Concord’s St. Francis of Assisi Parish and musical coordinator
for the liturgy.Sheila Kogan, who leads a liturgical dance group at Our
Lady of Lourdes Parish in Oakland, is working with a group of 16 young
women, ages eight to 16, who come from various ethnic backgrounds. They
will participate in a liturgical movement ritual involving a Filipino
song that reflects on the beauty of God and how individuals see beauty
in one another.
The goal of the movement is prayer, said Kogan. “The young people
understand that.We are there to enhance prayer throughout movement.”
Wong said it is challenging to combine so many cultures in one place but
it is exciting because participants share their ethnic backgrounds while
celebrating the cultural diversity in the Catholic community. “People
often tell me how surprised they are at seeing so many Catholics from
different backgrounds – Koreans, Indonesians, Brazilians and more,”
he said.
Following Mass there will be cultural entertainment and an opportunity
to purchase ethnic foods prepared by the various ethnic pastoral centers.
Korean drummers lead the procession to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Chautauqua XIII, the Diocese of Oakland’s annual multi-cultural celebration, was held last year at St. Raymond’s Parish in Dublin. Bishops Allen Vigneron and John Cummins co-celebrated the event which draws upon and celebrates the diocese’s broad Catholic heritage.
Greg Tarczynski photo
