Christ Church Cathedral hosts week-long

Christ Church Cathedral hosted a virtual celebration to honor its African descent. It began on Monday, Dec. 26, and will be held until Jan. 1, 2023.

Virtual Kwanzaa

Christ Church Cathedral announced details of Virtual Kwanzaa, a cultural feast, as shared on its website, the Cathedral celebrates Kwanzaa to celebrate the cultural contributions of individuals of African descent.

The Cathedral’s Pursuing Racial Justice Committee sponsors this week-long cultural event. Each day Virtual Kwanzaa, A Cultural Feast, features a principle of Kwanzaa. Moreover, it features how it allows everyone to live out rich lives.

The principles include Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-determination, Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

According to Britanica, Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday. It is not a religious holiday, and although it resembles the eight-pronged Jewish menorah, this celebration is not connected to Judaism.

Moreover, the holiday celebrated immediately after Christmas is not related nor intended to substitute for the Christian holiday. Still from Britannica, this event is an annual holiday affirming African family and social values.

It is celebrated primarily in America from Dec. 26 until Jan. 1.

The Pursuing Racial Justice Committee at Christ Church Cathedral is a large and open group. As stated on the Cathedral’s website, it works to live out the baptismal covenant to “strive for justice and peace among all individuals, and respect the dignity of every human being” by working towards racial justice within its congregation and beyond.

Currently, the Pursuing Racial Justice Committee is working to support the Black Lives Matter initiative, prayerfully examining and challenging white privilege and examining how it can invest a portion of its assets in addressing racial inequities in its community.

It welcomes all and gathers at noon on the first Sunday of each month in Schuyler Hall.

About Christ Church Cathedral

According to its Facebook page, Christ Church Cathedral is at 1210 Locust St., St. Louis. The congregation seeks a deeper relationship with the Lord and each other in Jesus Christ.

As per its website, 26 individuals organized Christ Church four years before St. Louis was chartered as a city in 1823. They assembled for a service in a building. The structure had been previously used as a dance hall and a courtroom.

On Oct. 24, 1819, its worship service was the first for an Episcopal-Anglican congregation west of the Mississippi River. Nearly after 50 years, the congregation built a permanent church at its present location.

The U.S. Secretary of the Interior designated Christ Church Cathedral as a National Historic Landmark in 1994. Christ Church Cathedral, concerning its mission, strives to celebrate the Sacraments faithfully, proclaim the Gospel boldly, embrace diversity joyfully, and serve all passionately as a Cathedral.

Rev. Kathie Adams-Shepherd serves as the dean at Christ Church Cathedral, Rev. Dave Malek is the curate, Rev. Susan Naylor serves as the deacon, and Rev. Jeff Goldone is the associate priest.