The Couscous Chronicles

Re-new-al

1. the act or process of renewing something,  or the state of being renewed
2. something that is being or has been renewed
3. the rebuilding and revitalization  of an urban area

When the deacon of my church asked me to write about my spiritual renewal, I had no idea it would indirectly become the underpinnings of this blog.  As a result my research lead me back to the humble beginnings of my own spiritual journey and an important gastronomic chapter in my life at my grandparents church in LeBeau, LA. 

LeBeau is one of those “blink and you’ll miss it” towns.  Actually to call it a town would be generous, what LeBeau simply is not is a city, town or even a village it is a small community made up primarily of the ancestors of a former colony of freed slaves. 

This little community is bisected by a picturesque bayou and on the banks of this narrow meander of bald cypress and opaque water sits one of the most beautifully simple country churches one can ever lay their eyes on, the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  Established in 1874 by the man for whom the community gained its name, Father Oscar Pierre LeBeau, SSJ.

This church represents the foundation of my spiritual my life.  It survived in its various assemblages several fires and the great flood of 1927.  Despite it all, the church, its school and rectory have been rebuilt, restored and renewed several times and are still standing on the banks of the Petite Prairie Bayou as a testament of the faith, spiritual nurturance and social life it provided for the small black community of LeBeau.

My own spiritual foundation grew with each visit to my grandparents in LeBeau.  This is where I experienced Saturday evening Mass at the “LeBeau church” with my immediate family and grandparents.  The church was too small for a choir, but a bass guitar and percussion ensemble and a vocal group of parishioners more than made up for the lack thereof.  The sounds of the “soul” ensemble and the songs sung by the parishioners in their south Louisiana patois nearly elevated the church off its foundation.  Immaculate Conception’s liturgy also took on a distinctive ness as it was accentuated by the local flavor.  Through it all this became the anchor of my spiritual foundation.

Over the span of my life my spiritual journey has taken many twist and turns and an occasional lapse.  One such lapse occurred in 2001 after my family and I arrived in Cincinnati.   With a newborn in the household we were not efficient in finding a church home.   It was not until I was talking to Waldo Jeff at work one day and he mentioned the kente cloth robed choir of his church.   My spiritual renewal had begun.

Since 2002 my family and I have found a source of spiritual renewal by way of the St. Agnes Church in Bond Hill.   This renewal has grown as I not only have become more immersed in the liturgy, but also in time spent getting to know my fellow parishioners, taking advantage of spiritual education opportunities and the opportunity to volunteer my time.

For me personally this is not only a renewal of spirit, but it is also a renewal of a foundation that began in the LeBeau church.  Alas my last visit to the little church on the bayou was my grandfather’s funeral in December 1995.   In time I will make a return pilgrimage to reacquaint myself with all the LeBeau church has to offer and if I time it right I will visit during “Trail Ride” week so I can experience the “best backbone dinners in town”, in the meantime not unlike the LeBeau church, St. Agnes Church offers a since of community and a renewal all its own.  Every Sunday as I hear our pastors and deacon speak with a reverence of relevance and our choir and musicians resonate reverberations of heart felt spirit I too at times still hear the echoes of that little church on the bayou and feel a renewal in my soul.  We can all experience our very own renewal in faith by making a choice to begin with “baby steps” to become more involved in everything our church has to offer.

Feel free to take a virtual visit  “down on the bayou” to the Immaculate Conception Church via the church website:  lebeauchurch.com.