Ritualizing with the Poor: The Potter's Field Memorial Service
Titel:
Ritualizing with the Poor: The Potter's Field Memorial Service
Auteur:
Gopp, Amy
Verschenen in:
Liturgy
Paginering:
Jaargang 23 (2008) nr. 1 pagina's 15-19
Jaar:
2008-01
Inhoud:
Since 1869 the City of New York has been burying the indigent on Hart Island. There are now hundreds of thousands of deceased poor New Yorkers buried in what is commonly known as “Potter's Field.” A majority of them are unidentified, with only the generic names “John Doe” or “Jane Doe” marked on wooden boxes. There are also thousands of babies interred on this 101 - acre island—1,000 in each trench—stacked one on top of the other.1 The way the poor die is indicative of how they live; their lifeless bodies considered disposable, we consider them—as human beings—disposable too. For this reason, members of Picture the Homeless, an organization led by the homeless for the homeless, wanted to memorialize the many family members and friends they have known who are now buried in Potter's Field. Furthermore, their cofounder, Lewis Haggins, is interred there. Found dead on a subway seat, Lewis's body was taken by city officials, destined for Hart Island. Lewis was buried as “John Doe” in December 2003. His family was not notified of his death until eight months later. What follows is a description of the memorial service, “With All Due Respect,” March 23, 2005, created to remember Lewis Haggins and all those buried at Potter's Field.2
Tijdschrift beschrijving