Holy Trinity
Music; song written by Kathy Greenholdt; performed by Kathy (vocal, acoustic rhythm guitar) and Paul Coady (acoustic guitar); recorded by Paul Coady at Loud Cottage Studios
Holy Trinity - Lyrics
Sister Marie and God and me—
a holy trinity.
She loves a savior on a cross,
while I love differently.
And God loves the god you see.
I light a candle in my heart,
the temple of my truth.
Sister Marie and God bless me,
’cuz they are sacred, too.
And here we sit
upon our thrones.
Will you cast
the first of stones?
God is a spirit in my soul
and in Sister Marie.
We are the answers that you seek,
for you are part of We.
And here we sit
beside your throne.
When are you
a-comin’ home?
Artist Statement
In an Art & Synodality discussion, we explored the roles of women in the Church and also a desire for more joy and beauty at Mass in some parishes. Those topics inspired my songwriting, as did personal experiences attending Mass at my father’s parish in New Mexico. San Jose Mission de Picacho Church is a tiny adobe building with huge happiness inside. The parish is led by the cheerful-and-energetic Sister Marie-Paule Willem, who recruits area priests to say Mass. The sermons are always inspiring, offering the kind of down-to-earth advice that’s useful in everyday life. And then there’s Sister. She brings her tiny dog with her to Mass. She also plays guitar, leading parishioners in songs that alternate between Spanish and English. The music is hardly ever in tune. But it’s perfect and wonderful in every way, helping to create the beautiful, home-spun sense of joy and intimate community I’ve only ever felt inside Sister Marie-Paule’s church.
About the Artist
Chicago singer-songwriter Kathy Greenholdt wrangles with human desires, spiritual questions, and the natural world in brightly dark folk-rock. In 2002, at age 38, Kathy learned to play guitar and wrote her first song. Since then, she has issued eight collections of original music. Kathy grew up Catholic and, although her current spiritual views are more ambiguous, she remains drawn to the human beings who became Catholic saints. To that end, Kathy hosts a website — HalosAreHistory.com — that explores, through music, words, and images, the historical and philosophical contributions of her favorite female saints.