Mall Monks
The Rev. Myron Flax prepares to deliver Mass on Saturday to a packed house at the Catholic Center, a storefront drop-in site at The Citadel mall in Colorado Springs. (Special to Post / Chuck Bigger)
Colorado Springs - Just outside Mervyn's department store in The Citadel mall, a brown-robed friar bearded and smiling, waves to shoppers, with absolutely no self-consciousness that here, directly across from Corral West Ranchwear and the gum-ball machines, he is dressed like St. Francis in the year 1209.
The Rev. Matthew Gross, 69, is one of the "mall monks" - the five Capuchin brothers who staff the Catholic Center, their storefront drop-in spot at the mall. The friars are ordained priests who hear confessions, console the troubled, or simply chat.
These Capuchins are an order of Franciscan friars with a strict adherence to a vow of poverty and a tradition of contemplation. What are they doing in the cathedral of consumerism?
"We're the modern version of Francis in the marketplace," says the Rev. Curtis Carlson, 45, director of the center. He describes how the original friars of Francis' community in medieval Italy visited the plazas where people bought and sold merchandise.
The people are here indeed. The center has welcomed more than 100 visitors a day, on average, since its opening in November 2001. Many folks come for Mass - celebrated twice each weekday and once on Saturdays - in the center's 60-seat chapel. Noon liturgies are often filled to capacity.
...Poverty, obedience and chastity notwithstanding, the Franciscans maintain a spirit that appears, above all, to be joyful - playful, even.
It's a handy trait to have while moving through contemporary society in a hooded robe and sandals. Carlson laughs, recounting a time when he was pumping gas and a fellow customer called out, "Hey, did you just come from the Renaissance Fair?"
"No," answered the friar. "I'm the real thing."
"Cool," said the other fellow. "Accept no substitutes!" [Source]
I think it is pretty cool that the modern temple of materialism should have within it Capuchins with vows of poverty. I could also see some other religious orders setting up their own storefronts. Carmelites could have a shoe store called "Dark Night of the Sole", or maybe that would be too ironic for discalced (shoeless) Carmelites. Or maybe more appropriate would be Carmelite kitchen supply store since St. Teresa of Avila said "The Lord walks among the pots and pans." Contemplative nuns would make good salesmen in a kitchen store since they are used to speaking behind a grill. Dominican's of course would have a book store specializing in books 1000 pages or more. Possibly a St. Lawrence Barbeque supply store or a St. Joseph of Cupertino's store that specializes in model airplanes would also be in order.
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Way to go Capuchins! Our Franciscan brother's friary is in the worst part of our city. The people know, trust and love them.
Ahh ha, 'Carmelites could have a shoe store called "Dark Night of the Sole"'!!
I well remember several Capuchins I've met, including this one - he was nearly blind in later years, a marvelous and insightful confessor, who heard confessions in a tiny confessional in a center-city church in Pittsburgh four or five hours a day, five or six days a week: http://www.capuchin.com/News/FriarArchive/Dutkiewicz/Dutkiewicz.htm
So what kind of store would the Jesuits run?
A fire sale on "Previously Owned Theologies" like Ignatius' "Rules for Thinking with the Church"?
David, they would be tailors... selling Je-SUITS.
(that was particularly bad, sorry).
Dear Grateful,
Given that the author of the original "Dark Night" was a Discalced Carmelite, we may have a problem: OCD's don't deal in shoes. Would a sandal store be acceptable? ;)
Andrew, our sponsor has already noted that "or maybe that would be too ironic for discalced (shoeless) Carmelites"...therefore, I consign you to the flames of the Shrine of the Holy Whapping ;)
And don't forget the little ol Poor Clare who started EWTN with few hundred bucks!
The Jesuits would probably start a consulting firm for catholics in depression over the conclave...
Teresa,
Je - SUITS. That was a pun so bad I wish I had come up with it.
Possibly the Jesuits would have a gymnastics store specializing in tightropes and balancing beams. They always seem to be walking a theological tightrope and presenting a "balanced" view.
Would St Joseph of Cupertino's be an Apple store? :)
How about "Francis-skins" Dealing in fine leathers from around the world.
I've always been proud of, and have missed since having left home years ago, are celebrations of the Eucharist Mass inside the big shopping malls (I seem to remember two of them -- Megamall and Glorietta, I think) of Metro Manila in the Philippines. A large chunk of Filipinos troop to the malls in the weekends -- partly because they're great places to escape the heat outside since the malls have centralized cooling. There's also this great semi-open air chapel in the middle of the shopping district of Makati City.
I haven't been there in years but I hope they still celebrate the Eucharist right there where the action is. The mall Masses are great on Sundays because the shops are mostly still closed, I think, and start opening as the Mass ends. What a great way to start a shopping spree. :P
And of course, I miss being in a country where walking into the chapel in the middle of the day doesn't earn you stares and eye-rolling. Spare a thought for my sister in law in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, where Bibles, rosaries and crucifixes can get you into legal trouble, from what I hear.