AMISH IRELAND: Boy, I feel like a real opportunity was squandered by The Independent, a newspaper in Ireland.  There is a little-known Beachy Amish-Mennonite church there and I'd love to visit someday. The little settlement is known as "Amish Ireland."  But I have so many questions.  I'd love to hear about their cooking style, their schools, their outreach to the local community, but these were all just given superficial treatment by the reporter. I mean, the article is interesting and better than nothing, but, sheesh, I came away from the piece really wanting more! Click here to read The Independent's article. By the way, the writer kept talking about the Amish wearing a "veil", which I typically think of something of a "face covering", something I have never seen among the Amish.  So I am guessing the writer is referring to their kapp (head-covering).  What do you think?
AMISH BARN DISMANTLING: Â From poor journalism to good journalism, the Grand Rapids Press provided a wonderful photo montage of an Amish carpenter crew dismantling a barn near the town of Sparta last week. Â Excellent images to enjoy!
OKLAHOMA MENNONITE RELIEF: Â Read how one Mennonite church in Oklahoma is gearing up for the state's annual Mennonite Relief Sale. If I lived in Oklahoma, I'd be there!:)
ROSANNA THE AMISH ROCK STAR: Â Sigh, back to sloppy journalism. Â Rosanna wrote several weeks ago about the "slow money" campaign her farm has engaged in. Â The article refers to Rosanna as an "Amish rock star." Â I can guarantee you that Rosanna didn't push that moniker. Â She and I have both strived to educate the public about the differences between Amish and Brethren because so often the public just sees the plain clothing and lumps them all together. Apparently this reporter did the same. SIGH. Â But I wish Rosanna well on this worthy endeavor!
Carol Crowe Phillips
Kevin,
I am guessing the veil is the covering. We have Mennonite friends and attended a Mennonite church for a time. They call the kerchief like covering they wear a veil and talk about women being veiled instead of covered.
Carol Crowe Phillips
After reading the article, these sound like they are similar to the church we attended. A lot of the people there use facebook and have computers. Some even have TV's and watch movies like "The Lego Movie". The women wear the veil and female church members have to wear a dress. Non members can wear jumpers and skirts. Men wear T-shirts as well button front shirts. Watches are OK but most do not wear any other jewelry. Some women color their hair to cover grey. Most do not wear any makeup and if they do it is not obvious at all. They drive cars and even make movies. I know a couple of young men who have their own video production company. The veils look very similar. Some of the younger women even style the front of their hair and wear a small veil in the back. Some of the Mennonite men I know wear overalls frequently also. Some listen to music with instruments such as a fiddle or guitar also. A few even do classical dances in the privacy of their homes.