Sunday, July 05, 2009

A congregational celebration

San Gabriel Episcopal Church, a parochial mission of St Michael and All Angels, celebrated one year at its current location. One needs, perhaps, to spend a couple of years wandering about in the wilderness, meeting in homes, or renting spaces for a few hours on Sunday and thus having to set up and take down every week, fully to appreciate being "settled." We are now located in Corrales, NM, and we can leave things in place and meet throughout the week. Bonus!

It does not feel as though it has already been a year.


Clearing things away after the Eucharist

If you're not having fun at church, something's wrong.
Mother Rhonda is enjoying the fan hidden beneath the altar.
I thought she might fly away. She was flapping her arms,
hence the blurriness of her hands in the photo.

Mother Sandra is our founding vicar, having
shepherded this rowdy crew for the first years


Father Daniel preached today.
This is the Daniel who was ordained last December
on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Dale and his daughter Keira.
She is the first person baptized at San Gabriel.
Seeing this I cannot help seeing a variant on the
Madonna and Child motif. Nice to have a father-daughter icon!
[I tend to sit in the back and play with Keira,
at least on the Sundays when she is feeling playful.]


While seated at the picnic table I shot this view of the Sandia Mountains in the background. Of course, no matter where you are in Albuquerque and environs, the Sandias are in the background.

You may see the full photo album here.

--the BB

5 comments:

Fran said...

This all moves me to tears- in the best possible way!

Göran Koch-Swahne said...

A most happy occassion.

Makes my heart glad!

David@Montreal said...

Paul
thank-you.
you've writen before of the Mission, but now with the photos we have an even more real sense of the wonderful living community it is within the living Body of Christ.
and what a great bunch of radiant folks they are- and with four priests among their number!
thank-you
with love and prayers for San Gabriel

David@Montreal

Paul said...

Actually five priests a deacon, and a seminarian. We take turns preaching. And some other priests have visited.

David@Montreal said...

WOW sounds like the embodiment of 'alive and flourishing' to me.

Good news indeed.

Thanks Paul

David@Montreal