Spending Summer in a Culture of Worship, Community, and Fellowship
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July 22, 2022Blues playing over the gym speakers. Every single table empty except for one seating a group of parishioners – a family – that shows up for every Mass, every celebration, and every down moment.
A family that’s around after everyone else has left from any activity, from the annual church picnic to the Grill to Glory event. The people in this family are the ones who help weather the storm. Without them, there would be no “Church.”
When I first arrived at St. Alphonsus Liguori “Rock” Catholic Church, I took in what it really means to be the “Rock.” This historic African American church in the Denver Province radiates a unique culture of worship, community, and fellowship.
“Twenty years ago, there were 25,000 people here instead of 5,000,” explained Fr. Rodney Olive, associate pastor. “People fled to the suburbs over the years, and now the only people left are the ones who couldn’t afford to leave.”
The “Rock” is nestled in a neighborhood on the north side of Saint Louis riddled with crime and homelessness. Yet the aging group of people who grew up in the parish remain resilient, and hold fast to the hope of new growth. Especially during the past few years, their resiliency can only be attributed to the family sitting at that table – the same familiar faces who are happy to lend a hand and welcome others with open arms.
“Even when the church caught fire, people still came to church,” said Pat Wilson, a long-time parishioner. “But the COVID-19 pandemic really affected everyone. That’s when we started streaming Mass and the novena online. Hundreds of people joined us.”
Every Mass and every devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help serve as a beacon of hope and praise that shines for more than just the folks in the St. Louis metro area. Visitors log on for every celebration and have become part of the “Rock” family. In June, the “Rock” evolved further with the launch of an upgraded website with totally new features, including: direct livestream integration; news updates; parishioner accounts; and commission directories.
Suddenly, the “Rock” family grew to include people from a smorgasbord of countries: Brazil, India, Italy, Ireland, the Philippines, Australia, Germany, Slovakia, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Denmark, Austria, Nigeria, China, Canada, Bangladesh, and Dominica.
Through the decades, the “Rock” has remained an African American church, with an ethnically diverse congregation worshiping in its own way – people from all walks of life, all experiencing God in the same rhythm of praise. And the beacon of hope and praise shines even brighter into the homes of those thousands of miles away.
In this digital age, new evangelization methods like livestreaming services ensure that we continue to reach out to the most abandoned, sharing with them the “Rock” community’s unique culture.
“St. Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists to serve the poor and abandoned,” explained Fr. Rodney. “What does that mean? We exist to serve the people the Church left behind.”
The “Rock” continues to evolve and stands firm in the community, welcoming and supporting newcomers and providing social services in the north St. Louis metro area, and now ministering to a growing online family well beyond the borders of the United States.As for me, the biggest lesson I’m taking away from this summer experience isn’t serving at the food pantry, cooking with the Missionaries of Charity, joining the Bible Study, serving at Mass, photographing events, serving hotdogs at Grill to Glory, or designing a new website.
I’ll remember meeting people’s needs and fighting for equality for all, and being part of the family that welcomes people with love at every Mass, celebration and down moment.
