Parts of us are afraid and behind locked doors. Parts of our society are afraid and behind locked doors. Parts of our church are afraid and behind locked doors.

To this day I have no idea why the editor of ‘America’ asked me, the youngest and newest member of the staff, to write the story.

I grew up in the era of “Black is Beautiful.” But standing before ‘La Moreneta’ was different.

“Yes, some are H.I.V.-positive, but what is that?” asks Sister Agie. “They are precious children; they have their whole life before them.”

When you replace “God” with “Dog” in a lot of Bible verses, they became startlingly apt commentary.

My boys’ complaints about going to church and my refusal to capitulate to them are themselves a kind of ritual.