I did a double take at the trio of orange and black banners sprouting on the green lawn of Saint John’s Cathedral in Capitol Hill.
Haunted house. Spooky concert. Trick-or-treating.
Heaven be praised.
In a world where some churches engage in a public freakout about the demonic threat of jack-o’-lanterns and Snickers bars, this Episcopal congregation has the right idea about Halloween: The holiday is harmless fun for kids. Lighten up already.
So on All Hallows Eve — Oct. 31 if you’re not up on the Church of England — Saint John’s at 1350 Washington St. hosts its inaugural Halloween party. Haunted house at 6:30 p.m., a concert in the cathedral an hour later, then trick-or-treating for the kids.
Costumes are encouraged. You can also feel free to pray that a spectral pipe organist doesn’t float into the pews.
“I couldn’t stand to be in a world that didn’t have trick-or-treat,” said the Rev. Poulson Reed, the church’s subdean. “It’s a wonderful holiday of imagination, creativity and fun for children.”
We were sitting in his book-lined office, autumn light pouring through a window. It was a contemplative setting, and I asked Reed what he thought of Halloween bashing, a popular sport among some churches.
“I think the topic of Halloween is one on which Christians can disagree, and each church has to make a decision on how to celebrate this holiday, if at all,” Reed said. “But for me, as long as we can remind people of the Christian tradition of All Saints Day, which is the day after, there’s no difficulty in celebrating the fun of this holiday, particularly for children.”
For the record, Reed and his wife have a 2-month-old boy, their first child. Yes, the baby has a pumpkin outfit.
St. John’s has held Halloween concerts in the past, but this is the first year it will mount a full-blown event. The idea emerged from the church’s summer day camp, plus the realization that Capitol Hill isn’t the safest place for people to walk after dark.
“This is a way to reach out to the neighborhood,” Reed said. “We hope this is the beginning of a long and closer relationship between the cathedral and some of our neighborhood families.”
With its soaring stone walls and dark staircases, the 98-year-old cathedral can capture the imagination of child and adult alike. Not that the church plans to change its motto to “Come for the hymns, stay for the haunting.” But still, Halloween looms.
“It’s a great old building for these kind of things,” Reed said. “It’s a grand structure.”
Saint John’s Halloween festival kicks off a weekend of events, with celebrations of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. St. John’s will hold its annual requiem service Nov. 2.
But before the somberness, some levity, which today seems needed more than ever.
Reed understands that.
And that’s why we sat waxing nostalgic about Halloweens past. The subject of scary movies came up, and Reed allowed how “The Exorcist” gave him the willies as a kid growing up in Virginia. “I had nightmares for weeks after I saw it,” he said with a laugh.
I had to ask: What was his favorite costume?
“I remember being a cowboy one year, which I really enjoyed,” he said. “Of course, these days I just get to dress up as a priest.”
Hey, it’s Halloween. Who doesn’t look good in black?
William Porter’s column runs Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at 303-954-1877 or wporter@denverpost.com
