Advent Calendar Day 20--Religious Services

Gotta love the "indifference to schooland Bible School (didn't like) comments...LOL
     God Bless my Mom for saving little bits and bobs of our childhood and beyond. We each had, what she called, "Baby Boxes," which then turned into elementary school boxes....teenage boxes....and even some adult items were collected and saved.

     Growing up Hughes, religion played a big part in our holiday celebration. In fact, religion played a BIG part in our lives. We were members of Hiland Presbyterian Church in Perrysville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. A short walk from our home on Washington Drive and right across the street from Dad's first medical office. 

  

     Frankly, church was our social life. Mom was an active participant in the theatre group, The Hiland Players; Dad was first a Deacon and then and Elder in the church government; and the three Hughes Kids did it all--Sunday School, Summer Bible School, Choir and every weekend a church activity that was offered. My first summer camp experience was at church camp, Camp Crestview, located north of Pittsburgh.

     No surprise that I was involved in the religious services of Hiland....as a member of the Carol Choir. I can remember walking up to church for weekly rehearsals and the fun we all had. No surprise that many of the members of the choir were also my school friends and neighbors. 

    I can remember the little choir robes we wore--cream colored with a purple neck piece that had to be latched with a snap at the back of the neck, which was somewhat hard to manipulate as a kid. We loved to play with those neckpieces.....attached to the neckline was a long, thin, straight piece that would rest over our chests ending about the waistline....sort of resembled a cross when you looked at the neck piece and the long straight piece...you get the picture...lol To drive the choir director nuts, we would push the interior of the bottom of the cross up into itself---the neckpiece had a front and back---just before we were to enter the sanctuary.

Red stars mark the two "secret" doorsEntrance for the ministers and choir
     Entering the sanctuary was kind of cool. The choirs entered the service through double doors beside the altar....I always thought it was a "secret" entrance...adding the the intrigue of being in the choir. 

     The children's choir would line up on the steps, in front of everyone and I could always count on Mom and Dad sitting up near the front with smiles on their faces. I can't remember how long I sang in the choir....probably just through elementary school....frankly, I really don't have a "true" choir singing voice. Undoubtedly, I realized this by the time I was in junior high aka middle school. Good memories! 

Other Hiland Presbyterian Church Blogs on Flipside

-HILAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH--Ken's Memories

-HILAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH--Memories from the 1950's

-HILAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH--Twelfth Night

Updated October 2022

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