[Magdalen] Calvary, Pittsburgh

[Jim Guthrie]

On Sun, Jun 14, 2015 at 10:17 PM, Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:

> While I don't want to be swarmed, or pointed out as an example, if I go
> to a church and no one speaks to me, it's a pretty sure bet I will NOT be
> back. If it happens twice, you can be DAMN sure of it.

The worst (or at least most strange)  I've been to in the past couple of years 
was St Paul's Cathedral in
Buffalo.

I hasten to add that when we arrived, several African-American people greeted us
warmly. But when we hit coffee hour, it was a different story. No one spoke to
us, and when I tried to strike up a conversation (twice), they turned away.
What's more, while the church is racially mixed,NOT One of the African-American
worshippers showed up at Coffee hour, let alone those who greeted us so warmly.

What's THAT about?

And as I dropped a check in the plate, they put us on the mailing list, and I've
received all manner of "Welcome to St Paul's" and solicitations for
contributions and pledges and updates on their clergy search. Their mail has not
followed us to Scranton (so far).

OTOH, we had a great experience at Calvary Pittsburgh, perhaps enhanced by the
fact that the then Rector, Harold Lewis, remembered us from the Diocese of Long 
Island. And he seemed genuinely disappointed that we were just visiting rather 
than moved to Pittsburgh.

Cheers,
Jim