COLORADO SPRINGS (3)

Taking a 'sabbatical day' after First Week of Retreat. Yesterday I explored Downtown - wide, wide roads, a spacious layout, quiet (for a Saturday) and mostly filled with coffee shops, restaurants, rather expensive womens clothing stores (and one men's) and 'antique' shops. Guess that all other stores have re-located to out-of-town shopping malls. The centre also has many 'street people' wandering round - some begging, others just lazing in the park. And if long grey hair and drooping moustashes are evidence, there seem to be plenty of old hippies. Apart from browing round the streets and drinking coffe there's not much to do, but there seems to be a Fine Arts Center which I'll check out next week.

Today I attended Mass at a central Episcopal church. It shall remain nameless. The building hits you when you see it - a 15th cent. Early English-Decorated Cotswalds church transplanted to the middle of this city! I say 'middle of the city': it's only a ten minute walk from the centre but the time youget to the church you're into leafy suburbia with its equally wide roads full of those "little boxes all made out of ticky-tacky" Pete Seeger sang about in the '60's. But I wont be critial of them: in comparison with our acres of Bovis-build these are all very individaulistic - there may be "a green one and a pink one and a green one and a yellow one" but none do look just them same.

So I entered the doors and took part in the Mass. It was the Traditional Rite of the Episcopal Church with a very large choir who sang a pleasant anthem at Communion. Very 'Civic Church of England'. There were two sermons - a 'Childrens Address' followed by the Sermon proper. Like the building, which whilst quintessentially English has nevertheless been interpreted in an American way, the Liturgy was similar. I realised how far more comfortable I am with the modern Roman Rite! The 'Annoncements' occured in the middle of the Eucharist and visitors were welcomed and invited to share in "Coffee hour". But when it came time to leave no one told me where to go. But the Deacon was cheery in her greeting, although the priest was more perfunctory and I was not inclined to join them. They could learn a thing or two from dear old St. Andrew's or St. Bede's! Perhaps I should have visited the 'Cowboy Church' - check it out!

So I caught the hus back to the Center as the snow began to fall (which it still is). I shall begin Week Two later this afternoon. So far it has proved a valuable time and I atill have three more weeks to go...

COLORADO SPRINGS (1)

Arrived here yesterday after taking the Southwestern Chief from LA. The journey was long - 20 hours through the vast tracts of New Mexico, across the Desert and through canyons. Glad I decided to take the train - and glad that I booked a 'roomette'. At least I was able to sleep a little in a bed and have the privacy of my own compartment. The line to Colorado Springs is freight-only now so I had to leave the train at Raton, New Mexico and take a special bus. Thre were only four other passengers on the Greyhound, so it wasn't too crowded.

The days before had included a tour along the famous Mulholland Drive; dinner at an old Piano Bar; a visit with Fr. Ian Davies at St. Thomas', West Hollywood; time with my old friend Fr. Ed Sniencieski, and a day with Steve Wright. A full programme! Now it's goodbye to the West Coast and hello to the mid-West.

Colorado Springs (CS) is over 5000ft above sea level and the sun is still shining. The Mercy Centre has about another 15 people stying here, mostly on a three month Sabbatical Programme arranged by the Centre. CS is (in)famous for its fundametalist churches; I had a taste of it in talking with someone on the bus from Raton and the usual connection between Republicanism and these mega-churches was clearly apparant. My friend asked me about Protestantism in the UK and, as I reflected, I realised how the emergence of Methodism had linked our religious perception into the socilaist movement in a way that makes any similarities impossible. Maybe that's one of the reasons why these fundamentalist churches don't do well in the UK (apart from the fact that people aren't so - gullable?).

The Centre is pleasant and has great views of Pikes Peak - at 14000+ft, the tallest mountain in this region. The only drawback is that it about 20 yards from Interstate 25 and the railroad tracks... You can't get away from the noise. This aftenoon I walked into the nearby nature reserve (Sanderman Park), but even there the traffic could be heard. Ifthe weather stays fine, I might make an expedition up the mountain tomorrow. ZAfter that, the Retreat ebgins.