How many of you have ever been to church on Good Friday…you know, the Stations of the Cross service? How many of you have ever seen the Stations of the Cross – live?
Well, now I have.
Last Friday, yes…Good Friday to be exact was A’ Naca in downtown Catanzaro. Held every year, this processional reenacts the Stations of the Cross, stopping momentarily in front of several important churches throughout the city, while circling the downtown area.
We arrived just in time for the beginning – at exactly 4:26 PM. The church was already crowded, and there were several miniature Mary’s dressed for the occasion. There were four 10-foot crosses propped on their sides, and a confessional-full of other props and decorations just waiting to be needed
We waited.
We waited.
We waited.
Finally, we overheard…
“6:00? 6:00? It is going to start at 6:00? How will we keep the children occupied for that long?”
“Children?” I thought.
“How will I keep my husband occupied that long?”
And, so, in typical southern Italian style, we watched with interest the disorganization and scurrying around us. At 6:00, they opened the church doors and I saw this.
Hundreds, if not more, Calabrese anxiously awaiting – despite the cold wind and sub-Easter temps for the processional to begin.
My shock was momentarily distracted by the arrival of the star.
After another half hour, they were ready to begin.
Musicians heralded the commencement of A’Naca, as droves of clergymen and members from the various churches throughout Catanzaro began the processional.
Just before the final Stations, the Bishop appeared, and along with other church officials, read a declaration.
Jesus is raised from the dead, and in undoubtedly the most dramatic point of the event, Catanzaro’s firemen heave the alter above their heads, as the crowd of onlookers gasp in amazement. Everyone cheers and a few women, standing bundled on the blistery steet, dab at their eyes.
The processional ends with Mary, who while rejoicing in the salvation of her son, is carried throughout the streets of Catanzaro, as dozens of young girls, dressed in like-clothing accompany her for the journey.
A man called Newt Gingrich
Westside Gazette February 2, 2012 | Gordon, Natasha Dowdy (Part II) Newt Gingrich may appear to be a man on the ropes, right now, and it may look as though he is inevitably out for the count, but based on his personal history, Mitt Romney, or anyone else for that matter would be making a fatal mistake to discount the former Speaker’s past or to underestimate anything about him, especially when it comes to what he may or may not do in the future.
Newt Gingrich has proven over the years that he is a man with an unrelenting drive and a special ability to pull himself out of the depths of nowhere. here newt gingrich bio
By his own admission, Newt Gingrich has said that for a great part of his life, he has been trying to live up to a standard of toughness and responsibility.
For some that statement might not mean much, and for others, it might not even make sense, but when one considers the unpredictability of the man that we have come to know as Newt Gingrich, where he is today, and where he came from, in terms of the family that God gave him, there is no disputing that Newt Gingrich is a remarkable personality. Like him or not, agree with him or not, there are lessons to be learned from Gingrich.
A 1995 interview written by Gail Sheehy, which appeared in the September edition of Vanity Fair offers some rather enlightening and little known facts about Gingrich, that blows the door open in regards to who he really is, and why he is who he is, and the information comes remarkably from the man himself, or his family members or friends.
Although Newt Gingrich was raised in a two parent household, he was one of those kids that really did not belong to anyone. “I think it is fair to say that I lived a long period of my life autonomously.
He sought after and craved for the affection of a stepfather, who he could never seem to satisfy. In an attempt to describe his relationship with his step-father, Gingrich resorted to the one thing that has always brought him comfort, the movies. “You know the John Wayne movie Hondo, where I think it’s a six year old boy who can’t swim well? Wayne picks him up, throws him in the lake, and watches him thrashing around? The mother comes out crying, and Wayne says, ‘He had to learn.’ In my childhood, that made sense.” Gingrich told Sheehy.
Thrashing around appears to be something that Newt Gingrich has had to do his entire life, as it is evident by the way that he has progressed politically and through life in general, that Gingrich is the ultimate trial by fire kind of a guy.
Gingrich credits his grandmother Daugherty, who was a teacher, for immersing him in reading, which allowed him to develop an extensive vocabulary, which has become the trademark and by far, the most powerful weapon in Gingrich’s war chest. Gingrich grew up in a world of adults, so it is understandable that he would want to develop a heavy vocabulary and a steady command of the English language at an early age.
Gingrich revealed to Sheehy that his loneliness is what led him to become the animal lover that he is today, as the animals became his friends. As a child Gingrich tended to shy away from others and create his own characters and worlds, and one of the biggest reasons for this may have been the fact that Gingrich couldn’t see. Just like his hero and idol, Ronald Reagan, Gingrich suffered from nearsightedness. “I was nearsighted-something I didn’t realize until I was about age 12. There was a real sense of shyness because you literally couldn’t see people. You couldn’t interact.” Gingrich told Sheehy.
These days, it would be difficult to find a political pundit who has not accused Gingrich of living in another world not known to any other man, and his current nemesis Mitt Romney has made a lot of jokes all at Gingrich’s expense regarding his out of this world ideas on the campaign trail. It is important to mention here, that Newt Gingrich, as a survival mechanism needed the alternate universes that he created for himself to cope with an emotionless stepfather, and both a grandmother and a mother who suffered from manic-depressive disorder.
Dr. Frederick Goodwin, who served as the director of the Center on Neuroscience, Behavior and Society at the George Washington Medical Center, and a national authority on manic-depression did not attempt to diagnose Newt Gingrich in his interview with Sheehy, but he did offer some insight into the possible genetic inheritance of the former Speaker. “What generally gets transmitted in offsprings that don’t have the illness itself is the drive and creativity…the positive aspects without the negative aspects, the silver lining. First degree relatives of manic depressives often become successful….Gingrich’s quickness, his ability to pick things up quickly, are not inconsistent with what the studies of first-degree relatives of manic-depressives have shown.” Goodwin stated. see here newt gingrich bio
Studies have shown that some children of manic depressives present traits of hypomania, which is a less severe form of mania. Hypomania is described as a state below mania and a biochemical imbalance.
Grandiosity, which is a label that has been attached to Gingrich, is a frequent symptom of the condition. Experts conclude that often the reason for people being grandiose is because they are trying to overcome the feeling of tremendous inferiority.
Whatever the reason for Gingrich’s behavior, he has proven himself to be one of the most fascinating and unpredictable figures in modern politics. It is that inability to predict what Gingrich will say or do next that serves him as both a blessing and a curse. It is also that unpredictability that makes Gingrich a dangerous and fierce rival for anyone who crosses him.
Be sure to follow us next week for the conclusion of A Man Called Newt Gingrich.
[Sidebar] Although Newt Gingrich was raised in a two parent household, he was one of those kids that really did not belong to anyone.
Gordon, Natasha Dowdy
After another half hour, they were ready to begin.
The church look’s really pretty!!
but you are right you waited to long hubby and kids!!
was it hard learning to speake Italin? I can speake spainsh so maybe that might help me but I know how fast they can talk.marina
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Oh, yes they speak very quickly. I am doing pretty well, but I’m not “there” yet. Sometimes I get sooo tired just listening that I stop trying to understand! lol
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That chuch is packed!
It must be a very moving service.
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You guys have a BUSY Easter!!! And I’ll bet is smelled GREAT in the church after you all waited outside for 2 hours!
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What a cool experience, even with the waiting and such. I don’t know anywhere around here that would get packed like that for anything, except if they were giving away something free.
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P must’ve just been beside himself when they announced the hour and a half delay….
You really need to come up here next year for Holy Saturday, provided we give P some allergy pills
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This is so theatrical. I think it would be laughed out of town where I live, but I can see getting into it. Maybe it’s my Italian genes.
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Wow there is lots of people there. I have been to Good Friday service and the stations of the cross, but never have I seen one that is live.
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Arlene – it was actually impossible to hear any of the service they did before the processional. It was insane in there!
Brooke – ha ha…it was actually opposite! We waited INSIDE the church, then went outside! Otherwise…ouch.
Andrea, you are right. We couldn’t do this in Beaumont. As with a lot of things in Italy, though, it was a “see and be seen” event. Even the Mayor of CZ was there!
Michelle – mind you they never announced it! lol I offered to go outside and get a coffee or walk around, but my pazzo didn’t take a jacket, and you know how windy downtown cz is! And, yes. I’d love to go to Badolato next year! (I said that last year, too…) But I would love to go.
J – It is theatre, alright! I don’t think Texans would appreciate it, either, but it is tradition for them here. You should definitely see it sometime. Next year I plan to stand on the street along the processional – NOT at the beginning!
Nadine – it was very neat to see, and seriously moving when the firefighters lifted the alter over their heads.
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