Matt Maher at the University of Saint Francis Fort Wayne

So, yesterday was bag pipes, reggae and Mexican hip hop. Today is Matt Maher. That is quite the cornucopia of music!

Matt Maher is one of the most famous and popular Catholic musicians around. He travels the world performing, with his group and with others. In Toronto, during World Youth 2002 he sang for the pope. Even more impressive, his song, “Litany of the Saints” served as the official Papal Evening Prayer. Matt was joined in singing by a crowd of 700,000.

He has been performing around the world ever since. However, he works at keeping perspective, of not becoming a celebrity. That includes missing awards and recognition when the events clash with his parish responsibilities. I cannot imagine that but then I suspect he is a lot more consistent in his faith than I am.

So how did he end up at the University of Saint Francis? Two of our students, peer ministers, heard him in concert last year. They then went up to him and asked if he would consider playing at USF and he said “yes!” They then contacted Jan Patterson, the Director of Campus Ministry, who has worked at arranging the concert.

The concert was well-attended. Besides students, faculty, and staff, the sisters came down from the mother house. Students from high schools and parish schools joined us. It was covered by Christian radio stations, Protestant and Catholic.


Matt Maher at USF: "I'm Alive Again"

With the first song it was clear the concert was a success. Students began clapping, singing and dancing. It was also clear that this was not a rock concert but a worship service with rock music.


Matt Maher at USF: "Your Grace is Enough"

With each new song the students became more involved and participatory. The energy was powerful. High schoolers, college students and older adults were rocking and praising. In between songs Matt talked about his faith in a way that was celebratory and full of thanksgiving. He was not preachy, just passionate.


Auditions for "Sister Act III?"

The sisters came down from the mother house. They got into the spirit of the concert. I tried to video them but the lighting was too dark. I have only the briefest of clips, dark and not in focus. However, it captures their enthusiasm and joy. Matt described the sisters in the back row as “beautiful” and he was right.


Matt Maher at USF and Everybody Jumps!

By the end of the concert everybody was up, everybody was dancing and jumping. The clip reflects the enthusiasm of the audience. It also captures the guitarist breaking a string and the drummer and bass player realizing they had to fill in a little. Watch the end of the clip, the audience is really into Matt and the music and they are clearly happy to be there.

Finally, after the concert Matt and the band spent time with the audience. Matt then graciously agreed to be interviewed. He spoke of his musical gifts, his faith and the influence of Saint Francis in his life. It was a great night and I look forward to Matt visiting our campus in the future.


Matt Maher at USF Talking About Music, Faith and Francis

So, that was my weekend. It was so stimulating, so full of surprises and joy. I know small cities can be boring, lucky for me, I live in Fort Wayne!

My Fort Wayne: Viva Fort Wayne Fiesta

Viva Fort Wayne Fiesta: A Little Music and Dance

After a day of fife and drums, bag pipes and African and Caribbean rhythms there was only one more thing to experience, Mexican music! Downtown at Headwaters Park the local Mexican-American community, along with communities in Michigan, Ohio and Chicago were celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. This was the Viva Fort Wayne Fiesta. The food was great. Dancing was everywhere and not all ametures. Dance troups included: The Andino dancers from Ecuador, Ballet Amaneceres de México, and the Indianapolis Ballet Folklorico. The music got people up off there feet. I had never head Mexican hip-hop before.

Probably the most unusual part of the day was the Chihuahua races. They were not taken seriously. The races were an excuse, along with the Jalapeño Eating Contests, to make money. And that money, well 100% of it, went to Jorge Gonzales, a 16 year old in need of a kidney transplant. 16 different agencies, communities around the Midwest, all united to help this young man. It is clear, I have every reason to love my city!

So that was my Saturday. Three different festivals, different music, different food, and all were welcoming. Tomorrow…the Matt Maher concert at USF. THIS is a great weekend.


Viva Fort Wayne Fiesta: And Some More Dance

My Fort Wayne: The African/African American Museum

I took a tour of the African/African American Museum. It was a perfect day. People were happy and the sounds of music permeated the building. The museum is ten years old. It is beautiful, powerful and growing.

The first floor begins with a poster of our President, there is no question that people here are proud of President Obama. The next room is the African Room. It has artifacts from West Africa. The room connects to the Passage From Africa Room. Here there are artifacts of the slave ships. From the ceiling hang models of slave ships. It is a sobering room. Behind this room is a gift shop and then two rooms with paintings from local artists.


African-African American Museum: Passage to America

The second floor has a number of exhibits. This includes a room of Fort Wayne African Americans who have changed the city. There is a room dedicated to athletes. There is one dedicated to Audubon. The paintings for birds are replicates done by a local artist.


African-African-American Museum: The African Room

I had questions and volunteers were happy to answer my questions. However, when they could not answer my questions they referred me to one person, Hana L. Stith, the curator and founder of the museum. She is a fixture in the city culture. She is a mover and a shaker, she is a blessing.

Hana was nice enough to grant me an interview. I did not know she was a graduate of the University of Saint Francis, or as it was known then, the College of Saint Francis. She attended the college when it admitted its first male student, times have changed.

Curator Stith takes a great deal of pride in the museum and she should. It is an anchor in the cultural corridor of Fort Wayne. It is visited by many students from northeast Indiana. It is gathering artifacts from the areas underground railroad. It discovers local talent and highlights that talent.


An Interview with Ms Hana L. Stith: Curator

This was the second stop on my cultural tour of Fort Wayne. Two down, one more to go!

My Fort Wayne: A Breath of Afrika Festival

After spending the morning and early afternoon at the Johnny Appleseed Festival it was time to go the Breath of Afrika Cultural Arts Festival.This was the first year of this event. As soon as you parked your car you were greeted by the sounds of African drums, Caribbean beats and the smell of BBQ. More importantly, you were greeted with laughter and hospitality.


Breath of Afrika: A little Bit of Dancing

The festival celebrates the contributions of Afrikans and Afrikan Americans to the larger American culture. The festival showcases the East Central neighborhood. The neighborhood felt like, well, a neighborhood. Children ran around playing, adults met in small groups and laughed and talked. When you looked north-west you saw the buildings of downtown, the cathedral and the lights to Parkview Field. When you looked east you saw the African/Afrikan American Museum. All this while folks were dressed in African clothes, children beat drums, people sold art and food and people danced. The festival had poetry readings, Stan Champion and Roots Rock Society, and an Afro-Caribbean group called Timbalaye. The festival was sponsored by the museum and Three Rivers Institute of Afrikan Art and Culture (TRIAAC). TRIAAC is the home of the Three Rivers Jenbé Ensemble. This is a local youth group that uses Afrikan drumming and dance to learn about culture and responsibility. They are great and their performances were well received.


Breath of Afrika: A Little More Dancing

There were tours of the museum. There were also tours of the building behind the stage, the Kachmann Mind Body Institute. It was clearly a great day, with friendly folks at a neighborhood festival.

My Fort Wayne: Old Fashion Rides at the Appleseed Festival

Cathi and I took our great, great nephew Andre to the festival. He had a great time. However, his favorite activity by far was the old fashion amusement park. It consisted of games, obstacle courses and rides, all hand-made using ropes and lumber. One of the rides was a little too scary for him, or so I thought. Cathi knew he wasn’t really scared. I was surprised when he complained that the other rides weren’t scary.


Johnny Appleseed Festival: Old Fashion Rides I

I loved walking thought the mazes with Andre to get to each ride. I could look behind me and see and hear marching bands. I could also look in front of me and see people playing on the shores of the St. Joseph River or watch birds gliding across its surface. What a beautiful setting for a festival.

Johnny Appleseed Festival: Old Fashion Rides II

My Fort Wayne: So Many Things To Do At The Appleseed Festival

What I like about the Johnny Appleseed Festival is that there are so many things to do and see there. You can shop, eat, watch, listen or ride. You can walk by a river or dam. You can be in a huge crowd or find a space by yourself. The sounds and aromas are powerful and I love it.

As we first entered the festival we came in contact with lots of music. We also came in contact with a group of folks making caramel corn. Not with a microwave or jiffy pop./ These were big fires, huge pots and the corn was stirred with both hands. It looked great and smelled better.


Johnny Appleseed Festival, Making Caramel Corn

Soldeirs were everywhere. That is not unusal. We have a fort so we are use to enactments. Ther were fife and drum corps folks marching thoughout thefestival. There were soldiers doing rifle demonstrations. However, my favorite was the cannon shot by the shores of the St. Joseph River. This is the river that comes down from Elkhart. A few feet away is a dam. So much to do and two more festivals to get to. Yep, I love the Fort.


Johnny Appleseed Festival: A Big Shot

My Fort Wayne: Johnny Appleseed Festival: People and Song

The weekend of September 18-19 was incredible. It is one of the reason I like fort Wayne. The city is a small city but it has a lot to do. On the 18th I attended the Johnny Appleseed Festival, Breath of Afrika Festival and Viva Fort Wayne Festival. I heard bagpipes, African and Caribbean music and Mexican hip[hop, all in one day! The following evening I attended a matt maher concert at the University of Saint Francis.. Yep, ya got to work at it to get bored in the Fort.

Johnny Appleseed is one of the most famous festival in a city known for it’s festivals. This was the 35th anniversary of the first one. We celebrate the festival at, naturally, Johnny Appleseed Park. It is named after Johnny because Johnny Appleseed, or John Chapman is buried there.

The festival is crowded. It is next to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, a dam and camp grounds. The festival has food, kiddy games and rides, goods for sale, marching bands and lots and lots of music. All while folks are in period costumes.


Johnny Appleseed Festival: Hay, Songs and People


Johnny Appleseed Festival: Crowd and Singing

There were fife and drum bands, bag pipe bands, folk singers, traveling music and just lots and lots of entertainment.

Johnny Appleseed Festival: Bag Pipes