حقاً قام في افريقيا
As I have mentioned before, I have been enjoying attending the Maronite church here in Dakar, and this Passion season was the first time I experienced Holy Week in a rite other than the Melkite one. May God forgive me.
Palm Sunday, or شعنينة, demonstrated once again how "les Libano-Syriens" here have retained a strong attachment to their origins. As is customary, everyone showed up, especially the children, in their finest clothes. Shanineh has always been a bit of a day to show off, if I dare say.
On "Sad Friday" I also had the opportunity to attend. The place was packed - I got the feeling that this service has a particularly high profile each year. A Senegalese Minister was in attendance (cannot remember which Ministry), plus the Ambassador of Lebanon (and several other diplomats from that country), the Russian Ambassador, and the Romanian Ambassador. A high ranking Catholic clergyman from the Diocese of Dakar also played a prominent role in the service.
The highlight though, I must say, was a wonderful rendition of the Melkite hymn "al-yom uliqa" by a, male cantor (a difference from the version by Sister Marie Keyrouz) with the lights turned off.
Unfortunately for me, I misread the schedule and thus missed the midnight mass for Easter Sunday. No hajmeh this year!
Palm Sunday, or شعنينة, demonstrated once again how "les Libano-Syriens" here have retained a strong attachment to their origins. As is customary, everyone showed up, especially the children, in their finest clothes. Shanineh has always been a bit of a day to show off, if I dare say.
On "Sad Friday" I also had the opportunity to attend. The place was packed - I got the feeling that this service has a particularly high profile each year. A Senegalese Minister was in attendance (cannot remember which Ministry), plus the Ambassador of Lebanon (and several other diplomats from that country), the Russian Ambassador, and the Romanian Ambassador. A high ranking Catholic clergyman from the Diocese of Dakar also played a prominent role in the service.
The highlight though, I must say, was a wonderful rendition of the Melkite hymn "al-yom uliqa" by a, male cantor (a difference from the version by Sister Marie Keyrouz) with the lights turned off.
Unfortunately for me, I misread the schedule and thus missed the midnight mass for Easter Sunday. No hajmeh this year!