Up early for Mass. Yep, you heard it right, brothers 'n sisters. While dining at Herbsaint on Friday night, Diane from 'Frisco told of a wonderful jazz Mass service at a small, African-American Catholic church off of Rampart, so I thought I'd give it a try. Actually, the others were also interested in going, but their morning sleeping schedules do not allow for it. It is a glorious two mile walk on a Sunday morn, down to Canal, up Canal to N. Rampart, up N. Rampart past the Louis Armstrong Park to Gov. (chainlocked, looking a bit in disrepair) to Gov. Nichols, where I find St. Augustine Catholic Church of New Orleans. Its website describes the church as "....St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in the Treme neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana, advocates and celebrates freedom from sin and oppression. Since it’s dedication in 1842, St. Augustine has been a church of the free black citizens of New Orleans, welcoming both free and slave as worshippers. It continues today as a beacon of humanity and spirituality, both a history lesson and an example of 21 st century Christianity in action."The doors of the church are open for me (both literally and, I am hoping, figuratively), so I step inside, only to find it empty save for several musicians practicing up at the front. Damn! Sorry, I meant darn it! A friendly, stately lady welcomes me to St. Augustine Church, and I ask if there will be a Mass this morning. Oh yes, and you picked a good one, a Jazz Mass at 10 o'clock. Thank you, Ma'am.
What to do? I decide to walk around to pass the time, crossing over Rampart back into the French Quarter. A call to Gumbo to see if he is awake enough to make it at ten brings an curt, inaudible response that I take as a no. I grab a coffee to go and call The Reet to give her an update, walk around the just awakening Quarter a bit, then head back to St. Augustine. When I arrive, the place is a beehive of activity. I'm handed a hymn book by one of the well-dressed greeters and slide into an empty pew in the back. The church is long, high-ceilinged, with two rows of pews from the back to about half way to the front, then an open area where a small altar table is set up facing the congregation, then the pews continue to the front, but no one is sitting in those. There are also pews on the sides, just three deep, facing the center. There is an elevated area in the front where traditionally the altar would be. This is presently filling with musicians and a chorus of about ten men and women. I decide to move up front (third row, over to the right) for a better view. In a few minutes others squeeze in next to me, so I end up in the middle.
The Mass starts with a procession from the back to the alter table with two youngsters leading carrying the cross and other essentials, followed by two priests. The band and chorus swing into action and the whole place starts singing and clapping and moving to the beat. The traditional elements of the Catholic Mass are present: readings by a nervous, teenage young man; a sermon about the Ascension, Communion. Two of the well-dressed greeters, older gentlemen, carry a large wicker basket lined with a linen cloth and place it in front of the altar table while the priests take seats. The band and choir starts up and, after a slight hesitation, everyone, at random, walks up to the basket to throw in an offering. I slide out of the pew along with my pewmates and toss in a twenty. When the activity is complete, the greeters take the basket over to the priest for his approval, then cart it off to a side room. When it's time for the sign of peace, no timid handshakes with a couple neighbors here - the place explodes in song as people get out of their seats and roam all around the place singing and hugging and kissing! I hold back on the hugging and kissing, but shake the hand of darn near everyone in the church including the two priests. My energetic neighbor, a woman possibly in her 40's, does give me a hug. This goes on for about ten minutes before order is restored.
After Communion, and a rousing When the Saints Come Marching In (also the St. Anthony High School Crusaders' basketball entry song, Fats Domino version, which was pretty cool), numerous acknowledgements were handed out. Any birthdays out there? No? Finally, after much prodding, a middleaged man stood up and was treated to a 15 minute, full-blast version of Happy Birthday. To wrap things up, everyone joined in the procession back out into the sunshine while the music kept playing. Pretty cool.
Well, it's about 11:30, so I call Gumbo for a what's up and find that everyone is off to Lucy's for their morning veggies (the bloody marys are loaded with them!). Then it's off to Port of Call for a big old burger,a fully-loaded baked potato and, of course, a Monsoon. Alrighty.
Sunday's lineup looks like this:
2:35-1:30pm Sonny Landreth at Gentilly Stage
2:15-3:15pm Snooks Eaglin at Southern Comfort Blues Tent
3:20-5:00pm Santana at Acura Stage
3:35-4:55pm The Raconteurs at Gentilly Stage
3:45-4:55pm Keb' Mo' at Southern Comfort Blues Tent
5:30-6:50pm The Derek Trucks Band at Southern Comfort Blues Tent
5:35-6:55pm The Radiators at Gentilly Stage
5:40-6:55pm The Neville Brothers at Acura Stage
5:45-7:00pm Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys at Sheraton New Orleans Fais-Do-Do Stage
Out to the fairgrounds by two in time to start the day with Snooks Eaglin in the Southern Comfort Blues Tent. Then must catch Jack White and the Raconteurs. The Nevilles are closing for the first time since Katrina and there's been some backlash against them, even talk of an organized booing when they are introduced.
The Raconteurs do not disappoint. They are loud, but in touch with this predominantly younger audience.
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