Diaspora Shona mass as a religious-cultural occasion

Abstract

Zimbabwean music developed for Catholic services over the years following the Second Vatican Council is characterised by distinctive drumming accompanied by rattles, unmistakable to the local ear. It facilitates spontaneity in worship, as the celebrating community dances to the rhythm. This article explores African Christian spirituality expressed through vernacular music and dance in the celebration of the Shona Mass by the contemporary immigrants in England. It explores the African Catholic Eucharist as a creative “celebrative memorial” (Gibellini 1994:98). Thus, the article explores how the Church acknowledges and celebrates Africa out of Africa and how the celebration of Mass becomes a religious-cultural occasion which fosters the strong sense of family and identity essential to the survival of the African Catholic Diaspora family. It leads to the conclusion that theology in Africa is not always written, but is spoken, sung, danced and acted out as experiences of the Christian faith.