Religion in Loyola

Religion in Loyola University of New Orleans is quite nice. For a Catholic person like myself it is nice that this school offers services every Sunday and that it is so close. Not having to drive to church makes it so much more accesible and it allows me to do schoolwork and not having to worry about paying for the bus or for gas or how about how to get there in the first place. The mass starts at 9pm and it is located in the first floor of Bobet Hall. It lasts an hour. Frankly, I'm really glad it is here and I hope this continues. There is free food at the end of almost every service and the people are really kind and welcoming and the community is very tight-knit.

church steeple from Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola

Totemism

Totems 
Totems are an important part of basic religions of the past. Those who practice totemism feel a supernatural bond with an element of nature. Although these elements are usually animals, they can be plants or even astrological entities. One of the most direct examples of this is the Native American culture. Native American clans often affiliated themselves with a specific animal, referring to it as their ancestor. This kinship prohibits them from killing or eating the animal, as they are considered members of the same family. Although totemism has mostly faded from modern times, it certainly hasn't dissolved entirely. The utilization of animals as symbols of some countries is a prime example of this, along with modern veneration of the sun, moon, and stars.

This is a video of some totems and some music that is part of their ritual:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6PKeX-kKnE

Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini

Mother Cabrini

As I was cleaning up trying to find my bracelet, I came across some New Orleans books my mom bought a few years ago. One of the books, A History of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, caught my eye. I flipped through some of the pages, and I found a page on Mother Cabrini. This particular Saint caught my attention because I attended Cabrini High School. Her story is really interesting for she was sickly as a child, and was told she wouldn’t amount to anything in life. Well those people were wrong.

Orphanage building

Mother Cabrini visited New Orleans for the first time in 1892, and joined the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She later got funding and built her own orphanage on Esplanade Street. It was with her sisters that the orphanage was run. After her death, the orphanage closed and it became a school. The school later built a second building facing Moss Street. The school built on Mother Cabrini’s core values of respect, excellence, and service.  Without the great works of Mother Cabrini, I would not have the education I have now.

Going to Cabrini changed my life. I walked on the same land that Mother Cabrini did. Many of the students including myself claim that they feel a presence in her old room. She is not only a blessing in my life, but she is a blessing for all the young women who graduate Cabrini High. Even though I have graduated, I still try to live by her core values. What her school has instilled in me will forever be appreciated. God sent her into the world as a sickly child, but she left a strong woman.  

Cabrini High School Class of 2012

Mother Cabrini and orphanage building photos courtesy of Google

Short Entry On the Ursulines

Short Entry On the Ursulines

Ursuline Nuns

      The Ursulines are a members of a number of religious institutions under the Catholic Church. In general, each sub group of Ursulines or particular institution founded by the Ursulines are created to cater to specific needs of a region. An example is the Ursuline group founded by St. Angela Merici in 1535 in Brescia, Italy. This group was created specifically to educate girls but also carried out common duties expected of religious
institutions such as caring for the needy and the ill.
   Unsurprisingly, Ursulines are found elsewhere besides areas of strong Catholic backgrounds. Ursulines have been on missions to Canada, other parts of American, Asia and Africa. In New Orleans as well as other areas where the order is found, the Ursulines are known to build and operate charitable organizations and infrastructure (including but not limited to orphanages and hospitals).
    These organizations not only supported people within average cultural structures but also supported people who were not helped by society at the time. For instance, the Ursulines are one of the most prominent Catholic orders that provide education for women since their creation. Also, in the United States, the Ursulines provided education to slave women which continued until abolition.

Our Lady Prompt Succor

I was born and raised a catholic in St. Mary Magdalene parish. Ever since I can remember, at the end of our prayers we would say “Our Lady Prompt Succor, Pray for us.” But I never knew why. The reason why dawned on me in class last Thursday. Our professor said that Our Lady Prompt Succor is the patron saint of protecting New Orleans. This is because she interceded during the Battle of New Orleans. During the time of the battle, the British were trying to take the land from Andrew Jackson and his troops.  A group of people prayed to her for a Jackson victory before the battle began, and she answered their prayers. Therefore she protected New Orleans from being sacked by the British, becoming our patron saint. I find it interesting that such a powerful and caring saint is protecting a holy city like New Orleans.  

Photo courtesy of Google

Haitian Loa: Baron Samedi

  Haitian Loa: Baron Samedi

Baron Samedi 

     Baron Samedi (Baron "Saturday" (from french word "samedi")), the head of the Guédés, a sub grouping of the Loa is the Loa of the dead. He is also syncretized to Jesus Christ and is represented by a cross. One of Baron's rituals is to dig the grave of a person who has died and ensure that the corpse decomposes to ensure the soul does not re-enter the body to become a zombie. Additionally, he is the only individual in Haitian Voodoo that can accept an individual into the realm of the dead. Baron Samedi is often depicted wearing a top hat with a fancy jacket, nose plugs and glasses. This is to depict a dead body that has been prepared for burial. Baron Samedi is believed to have a skull for a face, or at least has face paint to make his face resemble a skull.
     
     Despite being the Loa of the dead, Baron Samedi is also the Loa of resurrection and sex and is represented partaking in several questionable/party activities such as, but not limited to: debauchery (such as heavy drinking (of rum (he is rarely seen without rum)) and smoking tobacco (also rarely seen without a cigar)) and general obscenity (makes inappropriate jokes on a regular basis). 

Baron Samedi's "Cross" Symbol

    

     Although Baron Samedi spends most of his time in the Voodoo Spirit world, he often leaves the spirit world to indulge on material pleasures and to pursue living women (despite being married to Voodoo Loa, Maman Brigitte (Mother Brigitte). Being the leader of the Guédé, Baron Samedi has dominance over several other lesser Voodoo spirits. One trait that Baron has over the other Guédés is his charm. However, all the lesser Guédés are known to be equally as rude, disgusting, crude and partake in the same guilty pleasures as their master, Baron Samedi. The main purpose of these lesser Guédés is to aid Baron Samedi in any way necessary, especially and most commonly, by leading the dead to the underworld. 
     
     Braon Samedi is often worshiped by people making offerings and sacrifices to him such as cigars and/or rum or through the usage of sacred Voodoo relics and objects or power. Also, he can be worshiped simply by wearing his colors (black, purple and white). In rare cases, Baron Samedi may require his worshipers to carry out a full Voodoo ceremony to aid him in his passage from the Voodoo spirit world into our world.

 
     

Xavier Catholic Church

Krista, Mira, and I went to Xavier Catholic Church for mass. I am not Catholic, and had never attained mass before. Mira prepaid me for mass on the way over to Xavier University.  When we arrived at Xavier Catholic Church we had to sigh in. Xavier Catholic Church is shaped like an octagon, and the windows allow light to come in creating a peaceful church setting. It is a beautiful church and I recommend going and seeing it. I found the service up lifting as the Priest discussed the topic of giving. The praying was different from other churches I had attained. We kneeled down on stools that were under the pews.  It was interesting to attained another denomination. At the end of the service we took communion. The experience was a great and I plan on attaining mass here at Loyola with Krista and Mira.

http://www.xula.edu/campus-ministry/index.php

Temple Sinai

Last semester Krista and I attained a Jewish Temple called Temple Sinai for the first time. We were led by Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn who did a wonderful job and made us all feel welcomed. This welcoming community is located right next door at 6227 St. Charles Avenue. When Krista and I arrived at the Temple, I noticed how beautiful the Temple was. It was different. We were greeted and given two books the Torah and the Mishkan T'filah as we walked in to this small room.The seats where arranged so that all could see the front, in a circle kind of pattern. We started out with a prayer followed by singing songs even though I can't read or understand Hebrew I found them peaceful and enjoyed hearing them. Next we began reading from the Mishkan T'filah which is wrote backwards as is the Torah. The books layout is different from other books, it has Hebrew and English writings. When reading first the Rabbi would read then us depending on the books instructions. We pray again only we pray to individual. Once prayer is over the Rabbi removes the scroll Torah from the arc and walks around allowing everyone to touch their Torah to the scroll. After he reads from it in Hebrew, he places it back in the arc. Then he preaches and compares stories to the Torah. At the end he reads announcement and remember deaths. Then we all pray and exit where we returned our books and we offered wine. I enjoyed the service at Temple Sinai, I felt welcomed by everyone.  For anyone planning to attained Temple I recommend this one also you should call and talk to the Rabbi for more information about attaining.

You can visit their website at http://www.templesinaino.org/ .

Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn