Roomin' House Blues

Today in the Catholic Church it is the Feast Day of St. Katherine Ann Drexel, heir to a banking fortune which she used to fund an order of religious sisters she had founded, The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.  It was an American teaching order dedicated to running schools for African Americans and Native Americans.  She had her own unique way of fulfilling what Jesus told the wealthy young man "Go and sell all you have and give it to the poor, then come follow me."  to find out more about her see:  http://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20001001_katharine-drexel_en.html

Today,  a little after 4:30 I took my umbrella and braved the Seattle rain and early dark to walk to church.  Seattle's dark and wet winters have been my challenge since I returned to my native city after years in California. And yet somehow  braving the foul weather adds a sense of purpose to my walking to Blessed Sacrament. The church is a beautiful brick neo-Gothic Cathedral like structure that has been restored to it's original design in recent years-in time for it's Centenary last year. I entered while most of the lights were still off, an extension of the dark contemplative mood of the green Seattle streets and the wet deep clouded sky. I sat in the dark wood benches and looked at the wood trimmed back drop to the altar.  The brick has been restored to original condition, except for traces of paint in some places that would not come off. Red predominates the brick, but some of the bricks are light brown or chocolate. The ceiling is bare...