Tag Archives: Lent

Church Celebrates Lent under New Leadership

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by Christine Miyawa
Delta Digital News Service

POCAHONTAS, Ark. — A new priest is leading parishioners of the local Roman Catholic Church through Lent this year.

The Rev. Mariadas Vallapaneni said the congregation of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church reflects deeply on its faith during Lent in preparation for Easter. Preparation includes reciting the rosary as the faithful observe the Way of the Cross. It also includes not eating meat every Friday for seven weeks following Ash Wednesday to Good Friday just before Easter. This year’s Lent period continues through April 20.

Vallapaneni has served in the parish for more than a year after spending time as associate pastor at Jonesboro’s Blessed Sacrament Church. He served in India before Bishop Prakasam posted him to the United States for 10 years under the request of Bishop Anthony Basil Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock.

Fr. Mariadas Vallapaneni St.Paul Catholic Pocahontas, Arkansas.

Fr. Mariadas Vallapaneni (photo by Christine Miyawa)

Born in Sidda ya palm, India, Vallapaneni grew up among nearly 150 families of mostly farmers. He said the villagers, who number close to 1,000 residents, do not allow any churches apart from Catholics to occupy the area.

“Growing up, I struggled with learning,” Vallapaneni said. “I strongly believed that God called me to service. I was a dull student; I struggled to study. One day my teacher encouraged me to pray, and when I started to pray more and more, I got better and did better than other students. Then I started cooperating more with God. I felt that God was calling me to the priesthood. I went to different seminaries, but the main was Hyderabad in India.”

Vallapaneni said he was happy to serve the church in the United States.

“I like being here; this is the top-most country,” he said. “I like the different atmosphere. I like working with different people. I want to do something new; I want to help the parishioners.”

When he arrived in 2015, he found it difficult to eat American food — he said it took five months to get used to it. Vallapaneni said he was lucky because the parish he served in Jonesboro as an associate pastor had a chief pastor of Indian origin who made Indian food.

However, his greatest struggle is knowing what to do.

“I have to stick to myself because I do not know the rules,” Vallapaneni said. “In India, I know if I do something it’s right or wrong; here, I don’t. I always feel my home place is the best place. Being an alien, you are not free; you don’t know something, you feel like you are outside. However, when I am in the parish, I feel good. People here love me. They understand that we sacrifice everything to come here — we leave family and friends — so they are good and friendly to me.”

Although his church in India does things a little differently, he does not want to make many changes to this church because the congregation is used to what they have.

“Coming from a different background is not easy for me to implement new things,” he said.

Vallapaneni added one mass at 12:15 p.m. on Thursdays so parishioners on lunch break can come to pray. He said people are cooperating with him and although his way of thinking may be different, he must fit in the local culture because he is the one coming into their community.

Jason Liebnaber, who has attended the church since childhood, was at the church reciting the rosary with other faithful observing the Way of the Cross — a prayer commemorating every tribulation Jesus went through right before Easter.

“I don’t know Father Vallapaneni well, but he’s nice,” Liebnaber said. “He’s doing pretty good with Lent schedules and lots of Station of the Cross. They are having it here in the church every Friday for the children and the school, and again in the evenings for the community. I have not seen any major changes implemented yet, but we love our new priest.”

A lifetime member of St. Paul’s, Karen James said it’s sometimes hard to hear what Vallapaneni says due to his accent, but she finds the sermons lively. She and her husband moved back to Arkansas recently. She said she missed going to church for sometime when she was in Texas. She said negative rhetoric about the church on social media has affected the younger generation of congregants most, including her sister, Sue, whom she said is doing a lot of internet research and is currently torn over which church to attend.

“Sue used to be a staunch Catholic,” she said. “We both were but now she goes back and forth, she is not decided. Sometimes she tries other churches. I’m older and I think we, the older generation, are pretty much settled in our ways. Before we didn’t hear of such scandals and now it’s all over, things have really changed.”

Liebnaber discussed the scandals over sexual misconduct by Catholic priests.

“These scandals have happened over the decades, and they go in circles,” he said. “They affect some people and it’s sad. The priests need to learn better standards of morality.”

Vallapaneni said Pocahontas has a majority of Catholics — about 400 families — so he is not worried about declining membership even with the scandals in other Catholic parishes.

“First, all those priests who were involved in these scandals are dead and the recent ones do not belong to our diocese,” he said. “Secondly, people need to pray and then see the priests who are culprits in the context of family, as if this was your brother or child or relative.”

Vallapaneni noted the diocese had held conferences to reach out to the community and find healing from the scandals.

Church Provides Nontraditional Services

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By Destini Lattimore
Delta Digital News Service

JONESBORO — Church bells ring every 15 minutes from the bell tower at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. During the Easter season, the church bells and purple decorations provide an important aspect of worship.

Members of the congregation gathered to prepare the church for a tradition practiced on the first day of Holy Week, Palm Sunday. Each member of the congregation wore a palm cross made by members of the congregation to acknowledge the first day of the sacred week.

“Our church is rich in pomp and circumstance,” church historian Janice Kroeter said. “We are a church full of tradition.”

The Rev. Hannah Hooker learns to make palm crosses with members of her congregation. Hooker has led the congregation for less than a year. (photo by Destini Lattimore)

The church services at St. Mark’s began in 1894. The Rev. C.H. Lockwood organized the congregation and started a mission in 1895. Rev. Hannah Hooker, a North Little Rock native, came to St. Mark’s in July 2016 after completing seminary in Virginia. She grew up Episcopalian.

“My dad was Episcopalian and so was his mother,” Hooker said.

When assigned to the St. Mark’s congregation, however, Hooker was only supposed to work as a curate, an assistant to the current priest.

“To everyone’s shock and surprise, the rector ended up leaving right after I got here. I was supposed to be an intern and now I’m the only priest here,” Hooker said.

Hooker said the most challenging thing she’s faced as priest at St. Mark’s was being placed into a congregation with such a long history.

However, the young priest said the most rewarding part of her time at the congregation has been the moments she’s been able to share with the members. Hooker acknowledged the time they were spending making palm crosses as one of those invaluable moments.

“Things like this are rewarding,” Hooker said. “I love gathering with my folks and just being a part of the church.”

A few characteristics set St. Mark’s Episcopal Church apart from many other congregations and denominations. A branch of the Catholic church, Episcopalian churches have some similarities to the Catholic faith. Yet key differences exist in the way they view communion and the leaders in the church.

The church doubles as a day school. During the week, children attend classes at St. Mark’s. On Wednesdays, Hooker holds chapel with the children. Another important feature of the church is its community service. Every Saturday, teams of church members take turns cooking and serving meals to anyone who is hungry.

“We are very giving,” Children’s Minister Rose Mary Latanich said. “Our church is very community-oriented.”

One of the most important features that differentiate the Episcopalian faith from other faiths is their views on the LGBTQ community and same-sex marriages.

“If you want a place that is accepting, where you can feel the word of God and the presence of Christ in the worship, then St. Mark’s is the place,” said St. Mark’s member Lyse Cater, who has been a member since 1961. “No matter your race, creed or whatever, you will be welcomed here.”

In the early 2000s, the Episcopal church published a service to use for the same-sex blessings, to which they were referred at the time since same-sex marriages were not legal yet. Once the marriages were made legal, the priests were authorized to perform same-sex unions, as well.

“It’s been tricky because not too many churches do them and it’s even trickier in a place like Jonesboro,” Hooker said.

Because the decision to perform these unions is sometimes on a church-by-church basis, St. Mark’s has received a reputation as the only congregation who performs the unions.

There is also another catch to the unions. Priests are supposed to marry same-sex couples within their congregation. So, those who wish to be married must be members of the congregation first.

“We encourage weddings to be done with your church family,” Hooker said. “I am technically only approved to perform ceremonies for members of my church.”

She makes exceptions for people who are willing to do premarital counseling with her.

“We try to be as helpful as we can to people who don’t have anywhere else to go,” she said.

As far as membership, Hooker said she wants the LGBTQ community to know they can find a church home at St. Mark’s.

“Give us a shot. Come on by. We would love to worship with you,” she said.

Members of the congregation gather together to prepare a meal for anyone in need. The church provides free meals every Saturday to the public. (photo by Destini Lattimore)

St. Mark’s member, Donald Mankin said he has always felt the love and acceptance of those around him. Mankin became a member of the congregation in 2012.

“Everybody has been very friendly. Everybody seems to get along. Everybody’s welcome. We don’t look down on people,” Mankin said.

St. Mark’s holds services every Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and Wednesday at 6:15 p.m.