Easter Liturgy

Here's the scene, with Erica standing on the communion table at the back of the church. She would not sit down. So I stood her here, and she was happy enough, just scared enough to not move, but not so scared that she cried. And happy to have a great view of the proceedings, while Mum got a good view for her cameras.

A Liturgy is a kind of mini-Mass for kids. There's no priest, so no communion or any of the prayers associated with it. There are readings, and prayers of the faithful, and songs, usually the more upbeat ones the kids like. In place of the gospel and sermon, the kids put on a little play about the Easter story.

Apart from the lack of applause, and the addition of prayers, it's much the same as a school play, with similar production values - costumes made out of sheets and tulle and kids intoning their lines in that flat, emotionless style common to all kids doing school plays!

One distinctive difference was that they crucified one kid. Not in the figurative sense of bullying him and saying mean things or anything nasty like that, just stripped him naked, nailed him to a cross and hauled him up to die a slow death. What a trooper!


Left, the Last Supper scene. Right, this is why they call it Good Friday.


Amy somehow managed to get a part in the play despite only having been at school for 8 days. She and this group of girls were dancing with joy when Jesus rose again on the third day.


Lena didn't have a part to play in the liturgy, here she is peeking out from behind an ample teacher bottom, and walking off into the church in her school uniform.


Their cousins go to the same school. On the left, Michael, who is 12, a senior, and therefore in charge of a 'Mission Group', a group of kids of all ages. He's standing up here to welcome a new 1st year student to his group. On the right is Keelah, his sister, who is in Amy's class.


Mary. I just put this here because this is the very statue of Mary that was in the old church, before which I knelt to pray my penance after confession. I was always so fascinated by those snakes at her feet.