My first article published in a local newspaper

For nostalgia purposes, I decided to post my first byline in a local newspaper. It was during my senior year of high school when my article was published in The Derry News. It ended up in the religion section of the paper.

The first song, “Pride (In the Name of Love)” blasted through the speakers, as the crowd stood up in response to the music. People sang to the lyrics and voice of Bono and rocked to the cutting guitar riffs of the Edge. This description, on the surface, appears to be a U2 concert, but the above mentioned is actually a depiction of the U2 Eucharist service at Londonderry’s St. Peter’s Episcopal Church held on the evening of Jan. 27.

The purpose of the service was to raise awareness about the Millennium Developmental Goals, which are eight goals laid out by the United Nations ranging from eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, combating against HIV/AIDS, to achieving universal primary education.

Eric Hopkins, from St. George’s Episcopal Church in York, Maine, helped designed this type of service with Rev. Page Blair. Hopkins has traveled all across the New England area in places such as Framingham, Massachusetts; and Providence, Rhode Island bringing this service to a dozen churches. Hopkins says it’s about “getting connected to the bigger picture so to speak” and “ending extreme poverty.”

About 60 people of all ages gathered for the Eucharist that blended a Gospel reading, prayers, communion and songs in U2’s catalog like “40,” “One,” “One Step Closer,” “Beautiful Day,” and “Elevation” to name a few. Each song had its respective lyrics projected onto a wall, as well as images of poverty in Africa, important leaders in peace like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. Brief facts about poverty and disease were also displayed on the projector such as there are 1.2 billion people living in poverty, and every 30 seconds a child dies of malaria. The donations collected at the service went to PlayPumps International, a nonprofit organization which helps bring clean water to remote villages in Africa.

The church’s confirmation class played a major role in the service by providing readings, ushering people, helping set-up the event, and contributing ideas. At one point in the service, the confirmation class started a dancing train that recruited half the church into a warm, heartfelt celebration.

“This isn’t about if you’re Buddhist, Muslim, Christian,” says Robbie Fineberg, a sophomore at Londonderry High School and a member of the confirmation class, “its all about ending poverty.”

Marilyn Flore, a resident of Londonderry, said it was very successful in conveying the message and said “[The Service] was inspiring, and appealing to all ages of the youth.” Flore even added that she would like to see this kind of service performed with a real band.

“To sum it up in one sentence it was new, creative, informative, and successful in giving awareness to poverty,” says Cheryl Stromski, another attendant of the service.

Rev. Sara Rockwell of the St. Peter’s Episcopal Church went in expecting the worse but it ended up being better than she was hoping for.

“Its great that everybody can feel a part of it, says Rockwell, “Everybody can do something.”