Lilies

In 1882, my great uncle Edward Hovel became the first baptism at a newly formed Catholic parish in Manly, IA. It was then in 1882 and today the only Catholic Church in Worth Co., IA. Ed was baptized in a school, as no Church existed. Later that decade the first church would be built. In the 1930's a new church was built, and Ed helped lay the block for the foundation walls. I thought of this as my wife and I recently watched the movie "Lilies of the Field" on a streaming channel.

Ed Hovel, unknown photo date

The movie earned an Oscar for Sidney Poitier as Best Actor. Released in 1963 the movie was a creation of its time, and in a sense represented some cultural issues. My wife and I both realized how the main song in the movie, "Amen" references much of the Gospel readings since Christmas, and presages the Gospel readings of Palm Sunday and Easter. As much as some today seem to diss the movie there exist some important messages.

A quick summary of the movie. African-American man, Homer Smith, stops to add water to his radiator at a small rural convent in the American Southwest. He agrees to help the nuns in exchange for food and pay. The sisters have no money to pay him, yet he ends up staying longer to help with other projects. He takes the nuns to Sunday mass, which they used to walk the distance, and meets the priest who travels over 400 miles a week for masses at many parishes. The nuns are so poor one egg and one piece of bread was common for breakfast, and little for dinner. With pay from his construction work, he buys food for the nuns. Who knew that watching this would bring about what is occurring today in the Madison Diocese where a few priests say mass at up to five different parishes, and have to travel some distance. Lacking a church, or other building to use in the hamlet, mass is outdoors in the blazing sun and desert winds of the southwest US. Homer finds out from an agnostic diner that the nuns crossed the Iron Curtain to arrive in the US. Homer decides to help build the chapel, but leaves part way through due to a dearth of materials. Yet, he comes back. With assistance from local Mexican-Americans he completes the chapel. On a Saturday night, before the first mass in the Chapel, he leaves as the nuns, except for the Mother Superior, sing the Amen song. So what can we learn from this movie?

Mother Superior in front of walls of uncompleted building
that will become their chapel

First, the group of German nuns, at least the mother superior, see Homer Smith (they call him Schmidt) see him as the man to build them a "shapel" or chapel. There is not a hint of racism from these women, in this early 1960 era setting.  The incident of racism in the movie is when the white construction company owner refers to Homer, a couple times, as "boy", but he even agrees to hire Homer for work running heavy machinery. Homer agrees to two days a week, and when the construction company owner asks about the other days Homer says I am going to build a chapel. Through her sheer will and faith, mother superior got Homer's commitment to build them a chapel.

Second, Mother Superior did not like to say thank you to a person, believing the gift of Homer came from God, and God should be thanked. Interestingly, she takes some pride in Homer, and introduces him to the congregation of Mexican Americans who attend mass, which is outdoors due to no church.  When Homer departs saying he will not return, the nuns receive some inherent scorn the following Sunday from the congregation. But, Homer returns three weeks later, and finds that he too has to eat some of his pride. The nuns are happy to see him and feel vindicated in their prayers. 

Third, after his return, the residents of the area, poor farmers and ranchers, and shopkeepers, show up with donations of materials and desire to help complete the chapel. Homer wants to do the work himself, even putting up signs on the materials reading "Do Not Touch."  Later, he reluctantly watches as the town people take over, only to join in again when controversy erupts over wall height. They only have a few sketches by Homer to go by.  Homer enters in to settle the dispute and takes charge as the chapel is completed with the help of many of the congregation. Even the construction company owner shows up with some bricks, even though it is being built of adobe. He had wanted to avoid the nuns and the request for building materials, some of which he had already donated, as a write-off. The bricks are used to build the bell tower. An interesting part of the movie is when the seemingly non-church going diner owner shows up and talks about how the chapel and mass are assurance if their is a God. This is a play on Pasqual's statement, if we are not sure whether or not there is a God, a rational person would play it safe rather than risk being sorry.

Homer Smith teaching the nuns English

Fourth, Homer knows he will not get paid, but is doing out of respect for the nuns crossing the Iron Curtain. It is a good work on his part.  Homer, is a Baptist, and his idea of good works is not consistent with Protestant teachings.  Protestants do not tend to attribute good works as a way to get to heaven, whereas Catholics do. Catholic teaching is that being in good grace with God leads to good works. ON the other hand, most Protestant sects believe in faith alone as justification for heaven. The back roads from McFarland to Stoughton there is a small Evangelical Church with a message board that once took a swipe at Catholics when it read something to the effect that "Faith not works gets you to heaven." Pope Francis has written that "Jesus knows every one of our intentions and small acts of charity." (Dilexit Nos, paragraph 41)

Fifth, a mutual respect is created between "Schmidt" and the mother superior. There is no ill will shown by the Latin Americans (mainly Mexicans, and Mexican Americans) between them and Homer. There exists a gratitude among the nuns for the work of Homer and townsfolk. It is the opposite of rampant mid 20th century racism. The movie was released the same year as MLK's Washington march.

We often think of the large massive Cathedrals and churches as gifts to God, but small chapels and churches speak just as much to God, for it too comes from the heart of the local population. Here these farmers and ranchers, lead by Homer completed the Chapel he had started using some of the ruins of a prior building. The chapel was not only for the nuns, but they were creating a parish church, a spiritual gathering space. This inspires the Mother Superior to dream bigger, a hospital and school. Homer left the night before the first mass, as the nuns, all but the mother superior, were singing the Amen song he taught them.

Homer Smith was an itinerant handy man looking for himself. I think he found part of himself in helping the nuns in the desolate desert of the American Southwest build their chapel. My great uncle, literally helped build his home parish church in Manly, IA. Dedication and giving of one-self leads to gratitude, self-respect and a greater sense of love. When a task is done with love it is not a burden. That is the final message of Lilies of the Field.