It is August 8, 2010, and you are in St. Augustine Church in the black neighborhood of Treme in New Orleans. Like every year, a jazz Mass is celebrated not to honor any Saint, but Louis Armstrong, a native of New Orleans. It is part of the festivities of the Satchmo Summerfest; Satchmo was Armstrong's nickname.

The celebrant, Fr. Quinton Moody, is the promoter of the event and has the full approval and support of the Archdiocese. At the end of the Mass, the band leaves the main altar, where it just performed, heads to the door and passes by the altar where Fr. Moody actually said the Mass in the central aisle. You see him clapping, above, singing and dancing as he holds his small umbrella, imitating the dancers of the city, below first and second rows. A professional dancer, third row, is invited to make the event still more colorful.

Following their pastor's example and moving to the jazz rythm, the congregation heads to the door, fourth and fifth rows, where finally, band, priest and parishioners end in a street dance show, as appears in the two last rows.

The sacrifice of the Mass is desecrated by being used to promote jazz, dance and moral laxity. But this is what Vatican II told the Bishops to promote...

To watch a video on this event, click here.

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