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ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (KWQC) – Christian worship with a unique modern twist is coming to Rock Island.
Beyoncé Mass “is a groundbreaking Christian worship service featuring Beyoncé’s music that celebrates the spirituality of black women,” according to organizers.
Beyoncé Mass creator, Reverend Yolanda Norton, says this service is still fairly new, so many people may not yet know what it is.
She says this service is like any other church service, just with Beyoncé’s music.
The Wednesday service will feature Beyoncé songs like “Survivor,” “Flaws and All” and “Emotions.”
“It’s just the emotion that grabs me, caught up in grief, lost in a song, this feeling like how black women are consumed by emotion, and how do we make sense of our interaction with our emotion. Because so often black women were told to bury those things. Because if you’re a bad omen about your emotions, then you’re the angry black woman… so what’s that means to simply name the reality that is painful to us,” Reverend Norton said.
Reverend Norton goes on to say that the service is not meant to worship Beyoncé, “we were just using that storytelling mechanism. So I think that’s both in line with what I see black churches doing lately , and an ability to do something new and energizing to engage people, who otherwise would not set foot in the church.
According to their website, Beyoncé’s first mass was held on April 25, 2018 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and was attended by over 1,000 people.
They also provided service from Southern California to Portugal.
April 13, 2022 Beyoncé Mass will be at Rock Island at Augustana College.
This service will take place in Centennial Hall at 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m. and it is free to the public.
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