The Byrne Diaspora

The Church of Antioch

Julie also did some research during Holy Week this year, traveling to Santa Fe for the book she's working on about independent (i.e. non-Roman) Catholics. She writes:

I visited Santa Fe for ten days around Easter to "trail" Archbishop Richard Gundrey, leader of the independent Catholic Church of Antioch, as he went about his Holy Week business.

Independent Catholicism is a small movement comprised of hundreds of little churches that are doing Catholicism apart from Rome.  From its base in Santa Fe, Archbishop Gundrey heads an institution that has parishes and other ministries all over the United States, from Los Angeles to Philadelphia.  Church of Antioch groups tend to be liturgically "high church," spiritually eclectic, temperamentally mystical, and politically liberal.  They ordain and marry women and gay people, and as a priest you can be married. There are lots of other interesting features, but I was there to get a feel for the day-to-day workings of "Church Central."  I saw the Good Friday service, Easter Mass, two Wednesday night healing services, two
weddings, and two baptisms.

You can see pictures - and attendant stories, in the captions - of her trip here!

Kneelings

Over the next two weeks, Clare and her dance order will be performing a series of public prostrations on streets and sidewalks around New York City. If you happen to be in the city, take note of the map and make time to commune with them, in thought or word or action. The first kneeling takes place tomorrow.

Here is the press release:

KNEELINGS
Sunday April 22 - Sunday May 6, 2007

New York City

Free

 

Byrne re-dedicates herself to "living in the cracks" -- existing in constantly shifting ideological territory, digging into movement lexicon in order to consume it, reprise it, and renew it. Kneelings is a series of solitary or group dedications over a period of two weeks, each location and time collectively making a peeled-fruit-skin-spiral around the city. The order spends moments on the sidewalk cracks of New York City, kneeling as a basic root-word in the grammar of movement: in wonder, solidarity, remembrance.

 

The kneelers are Sharon Estacio, Patrick Ferreri, Nicholas Leichter, Meredith Mandel, Jeffrey Peterson, Will Rawls, Whitney Tucker, Byrne, and others expected and unexpected. You are invited to attend these moments, or hang the mobile-map at home and remember their passing.

Greening

Melleray is getting greener.

The roofs were put up on the cabins a couple weeks ago. Dad has been busy with lots of projects, including an herb garden in the living area, and a new fire pit built near the cabins, so we can eat fire-roasted bratwurst and then stumble only a few yards into our beds!

Dad and Donny are hoping to move into the cabins in the next couple of months. I was amazed to see a "For Sale" sign outside their Pittsboro apartment already...and it's been only one year since they moved in!

When in Rome

This past week, I had an amazing time in Rome - a big Artist Date, you might say! I stayed with my good friend Mike Beazley. He was born two weeks after me, lived down the alley from me; and we grew up together like twins. Now he's a Student Life Assistant at the John Felice Rome Center, on Monte Mario, a forty-minute walk from the Vatican walls.

The trip was extraordinary! Every day I walked miles through the city, lingering at St. Peter's Square, Trevi Fountain, Piazza de Populo, the Spanish Steps, and - yes - the display windows at Prada. But the point of the trip was to visit ruins wherever they were; they felt like home to me, and I spent long hours exploring the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum, the underground basilicas of San Clemente, and the ancient port of Ostia Antica.

Every night I had dinner with Mike - always a red-wine, three-hour, four-course affair; ended with toasts of strong limoncello. Afterwards, no matter how stuffed I was, I bought a cone of gelato. I remember blueberry...tirimasu...pear...chocolate orange...

Sadly, my brand-new camera quit working after two days! That is okay, though, because 1) it's under full warranty and 2) it forced me to sketch and describe what I was seeing, instead of merely taking pictures. But before that happened, I had some good snapshots. See my pictures here.
 

To the Tree

Clare performed her new work, "To the Tree," on Holy Thursday at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. The dance took place on a thirteen-foot cross (with three spotters below!). It went beautifully; and a review was posted shortly thereafter...read it here. Clare, can we get any pictures?

April Fools

Last night when I went to Pittsboro for dinner, Dad and Donny were sober-faced. "The middle cabin burned down last night," said Donny. "Insurance will pay for some of it," Dad added solemnIy, shuffling out of his bedroom.

"Oh my God, what? Are you serious? How did it happen?"

"Lightning," said Donny.

I am the most gullible person on the planet, so I was visibly crestfallen...and that's when they felt guilty enough to crack! (There wasn't a cloud in the sky last night...silly me :))

The middle cabin is safe and sound, and not only that, but the ladder, loft, railing and roof are all installed! Pictures to follow the next time I go out there (which will be after my trip to Rome)...