European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 06, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday August 6/1994 wearing a sacrificed Chicken around her neck a woman covered in mud dances at the festival of St. Jacques in Haiti. Spirit filled voodoo thrives As religion among haitians by the associated press As the United states and Haiti seemed to Edge to Ward the Brink of Battle last month thousands of haitians gathered to invoke Ngoun the voodoo god of War. Thousands of believers travelled in crowded buses and trucks to Plaine do Nord in Haiti for the festival of St. Jacques on july 25. During the festival believers bathed ii pools of mud which Are said to contain Ngoun s Power. They also danced to the beat of Drums and sacrificed animals to Llie god. The practices Stem from the traditions of african slaves who were taken to Haiti centuries  slaves lost most of their native culture but were Able to pre serve the spirit based religion they Call voodoo. When their French masters gave the slaves Christian symbols to worship the transplanted africans saw their own gods in the icons. In a picture of Mary with the child Jesus they found Erzulie the spirit of love and Guede the god of death. In the image of St. Jacques on a White Steed sword uplifted they saw Ngoun. The Serpent in the Garden of Eden was the Snake god Ambala. The essence of voodoo is the belief that spirits can enter a person. Forces of nature objects substances and rites a trough of mud a Waterfall candles rum animal sacrifice Are intermediaries with the spirit world. _ african Drums beat a sensual rhythm and sacred dances Are performed specific to the spirit being called _ by the Hunan or Mambo voodoo priest or priestess. One dance imitates the wings of a Large Bird another evokes the movement of a Snake. _ _ _ voodoo is not concerned with an afterlife As Chris a haitian boy stands in mud that believers claim contains the Powers of Ngoun the voodoo god of War. To Tia nity is but with resolving daily problems in a culture that has suffered More than its share. Through sacrifice and Possession believers Hope a god will punish their enemies bring them Money cure their illnesses improve their lives and even show them the future. Preschool for aids victims finally finds Home Charlotte . Tap one of the first pre schools in the country to be devoted entirely to Chil Dren affected by aids has found a Home after organizers spent two years knocking on Church and synagogue doors. _ _ members of a lutheran congregation voted recently to House the Center which will provide free Day car for children and programs for both parents and their kids. It s been a Long difficult Road for us said the Rev. Richard Allen of St. Ann Catholic Church one of a half dozen churches that have worked with Charlotte s metro Ina aids project to find a site for the respite care Center. The Center called agape Park was turned Down by three churches that lacked sufficient space parking or interest. Holy Trinity lutheran Church then accepted the Center which is scheduled to open in september. Agape Park plans to offer a support Center for the parents of aids affected children and Art therapy classes snacks a special playground and other pro Grams for children from birth to school age. There Are members of our congregation who Are still sceptical  Allen a Church Lay Leader. The mention of the aids virus or disease still con Cerns a lot of  but we Are trying to educate them. We re wanting to embrace Thisbe re All excited about the possibility and  priest leaving catholics because of celibacy Rule from the associated press Oshkosh wis. A roman Catholic priest who says he never Felt called to be celibate plans to switch to the episcopal Church. The Rev. Paul Feider said in a letter to members of the sacred heart Parish where he has been serving since september that his switch stemmed from the Catholic Church s celibacy requirement for priests. Episcopal priests Are allowed to marry. A statement from the roman Catholic diocese of Green Bay praised Feider s 17 years of work for the diocese. It is regrettable that he has not resolved his personal dilemma in accordance with our Church practice the statement said. Abducted mormons rescued Salt Lake City police in Guatemala City posed As mormon missionaries to Rescue two Teal missionaries who had been abducted at gunpoint and held for $53,000 Ransom. The rescued missionaries were identified As Robin Laura Reed of Lodi calif., and Rosalba pea Cobilla of Panama City Panama both 22. They were kidnapped in late july while walking Home from a basketball game on the outskirts of Guatemala City. A Man in a compact car pulled alongside them on a dirt Road Drew a revolver and forced the two women inside Monica Barrios a spokeswoman for the Guatemala City police told the Salt Lake Tribune. Then the kidnapper called the lds latter Day saints Mission she said. He demanded to speak to the president of the mormon Church and he demanded 300,000 Quet Zales $53,000 in  the kidnapper directed that the Ransom be left by two missionaries inside the North Entrance to san Carlos University that same afternoon. Two police officers donned dark trousers White shirts name tags and ties and walked shoulder to shoulder up the sidewalk to the University said John Norton a missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day saints in Guatemala City. The officers dropped off the bags while armed officers waited behind Bushes near the Entrance. They arrested 23-year-old Estuardo Salvador Giron Orellana when he came to pick up the Money. Police said he led officers to the missionaries who were unharmed. The two women were exp fed to resume their Normal activities Norton said. Church gives up Bingo Joliet 111. The excited Call of Bingo echoed through the gym at St. John s Church for the last time recently. / the Bright lights and High stakes of Tive beat casinos As Well As Competition from other Bingo Halls doomed the weekly fund Raiser at the Church. Bingo has been very Good to St. Johns said Clarence Meyer the 81-year-old Bingo chairman. But the riverboats have Hurt  in the Early Days after Bingo was legalized in 1971, the weekly games in the Church s school gymnasium pulled in an average of 300 to 400 players sometimes As Many As 600. But the average attendance has dropped to 180. Since last september the weekly Bingo games " have made the Church a total of Only $6,000. This compares to $35,000 to $40,000 in annual profits Bingo generated in previous years. Life without parole backed Casper Wyo. The Wyoming Church coalition is endorsing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the legislature to create the criminal sentence of life without parole. The Rev. Mike Parr of Lander United methodist Church said the penalty would give juries an alternative to the death penalty. The amendment to be voted on during the general election in november would make it impossible for someone sentenced to life  parole to have his or her sentence reduced. Parr said the Church coalition has Jong Bee opposed to the death penalty and sve comes the proposed alternative sentence