Traditional African liturgy takes natives back home

Holy Spirit parishioners Christine Kateregga, left, and her mother, Magdalene Kateregga, of Indianapolis hug Holy Angels parishioner Miranda Stovall during the sign of peace as part of the African Mass on March 2 at St. Rita Church in Indianapolis. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)

By Mary Ann Wyand

Drumbeats called the people to worship at the start of the traditional African Mass on March 2 at St. Rita Church in Indianapolis.

“What it does to me is it takes me back home,” Immaculate Heart of Mary Reparatrix Sister M. Christine Nantaba of Uganda explained after the liturgy for Catholics born in Africa, who now live in the archdiocese, as well as other African-American Catholics.

“I get the feel of home because that is the way we start our Masses in Africa—with the call of the prayer drums—and people gather for the Masses,” she said, smiling. “When we pray the African way during the Mass [here], it really takes us back home.”

In African cultures, people celebrate their faith with singing, dancing and drums, Sister Christine said, and the liturgy reflects their love for God and joy for life.

Songs and readings represented a variety of native languages during the March 2 liturgy, which was sponsored by the African Catholic Ministry in the archdiocese. Many participants dressed in African attire and the Global Children, African Dancers performed traditional dances. (See a photo gallery from this event)

Sister Christine teaches computer skills to students at Holy Angels School and St. Philip Neri School, both in Indianapolis.

She said drum music touches her soul and her spirit.

“Every time you do something that is a tradition—that is a part of your culture, of your country—it touches your soul,” she said. “It lifts your soul to God.”

Father Dominic Chukwudi of Nigeria, administrator of Annunciation Parish in Brazil and Holy Rosary Parish in Seelyville, was the principal celebrant. Father Pascal Nduka of Nigeria, administrator of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Morris, proclaimed the Gospel reading.

Father Chukwudi began his homily with a song of praise to God and invited the people to join him.

Then he reminded the gathering that Holy Week and the season of Easter, which celebrates Christ’s victory over sin and death, are only a few weeks away.

“During this Lenten season, the Lord invites us to enter into a different relationship with him through prayer,” Father Chukwudi said. “He invites us to enter into a different relationship with ourselves through penance by fasting and abstinence. And he invites us to enter into a different relationship with our fellow human beings and with all of God’s creation through almsgiving and works of charity.”

Lent is “an invitation to enter into dialogue with God,” he said, a time to offer our petitions and listen for God to speak to us.

“God invites us, my dear friends, during this season of Lent and, in fact, all the days of our lives to become men or women who understand the importance of prayer, men or women whose words and actions are Christ-like,” Father Chukwudi said. “… We enter into a different love relationship with God, our Creator, and with Christ, his only son and our Lord.”

Christ also calls us to be “men or women who understand that life is not just about comforts,” Father Chukwudi said. “… He invites us to carry our crosses and follow after him.”

To do that, he said, we must pray daily, participate in the sacraments, and practice fasting and abstinence.

He said Satan, the father of sin and death, will tempt us with evil, but we will be able to resist temptation in daily life if we have a strong relationship with God.

“Christ was able to resist the temptations of pleasure, pride and power,” Father Chukwudi explained. “He was able to tell the devil, ‘Thou shall not put the Lord your God to the test’ ” (Mt 4:7 and Lk 4:12).

Practice the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12), he urged, by helping people who are poor, needy, homeless, sick, oppressed and marginalized (Mt 25:35-40).

“Beloved Christ, our Lord and Savior, wants us to become more and more the salt of the Earth,” he said, and to work to eradicate injustice in the world.

“If we do this, my dear friends, we will become more like Christ,” Father Chukwudi said. “… When we do this, …. we enter into a different love relationship with our fellow human beings and with all of God’s creation. When we do this, we show Christ that we know who he is and we love him for all he is.” †