Key points:
- The Rev. Colleen Bookter, a United Methodist pastor, annually marches in New Orleans parades as part of Fat Tuesday festivities.
- Her role in a dancing krewe is “a chance to be silly and sassy and celebrate community,” she said.
- Fellow United Methodists in the hurricane-tossed city agree that Mardi Gras can be family friendly and bring joy in a dark time.
The Rev. Colleen Bookter, pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in New Orleans, is finding and sharing joy — sometimes in her black clerical robes, and during Mardi Gras in a red skirt, gold top, glitter and fishnets.
Bookter is a member of Sassyracs, a Mardi Gras dance krewe created in 2021. The name is inspired by a famous New Orleans cocktail, the Sazerac.
“Dancing along the Uptown Mardi Gras parade route is pure joy! Dancing with the Sassyracs is a wonderful creative outlet and a chance to be silly and sassy and celebrate community outside of my pastoral role. I try to bring that same energy and joy into my ministry, too,” she said.
She decided to try out for the dance krewe after being urged by one of the mothers who has a child enrolled at St. Luke’s preschool.
“She kept inviting me to join a dance krewe,” Bookter said. “I’m not a strong dancer so I didn’t give it much thought. But then I realized one of my good friends joined the same dance krewe, and I took that as a sign.
“Now I’m hooked.”
She added that there’s nothing like hundreds of people in the crowd “cheering you on and dancing along with you.”
“It’s like a light in the midst of darkness, joy in times of despair,” she said.
A pastor’s life is full of challenges and joys — deaths, illness, births, weddings and, in New Orleans, hurricanes.
“It’s almost somewhere between a spiritual practice and an act of resistance to step into joy, week after week, dancing in the streets — even when you’ve just left the bedside of a beloved church member,” Bookter said.
“It reminds me that life is a gift worth celebrating and to replenish my soul for the demanding work of helping bring Christ’s Kingdom to Earth as it is in heaven. And it also challenges me to think about how that joy might be extended to others,” she said.
Her church members have been nothing but supportive, she said.
Michelle Daigle, bookkeeper for St. Luke’s, is a big fan.
“Colleen has such a fun and positive attitude, but she works very hard for long hours in her ministry. She never seems to tire,” Daigle said.
“Her being in the Sassyracs is so awesome to me. It gives her some involvement in the community but also a way to have fun for herself. I hope she continues to march for a long time.”
The Rev. Callie Winn, part-time pastor at Algiers United Methodist Church in New Orleans, is another fan.
“If Colleen's joyous Sassyrac dancing gives others even half the happiness it has given me, then it is more than just a side-hustle, but a ministry all its own!” Winn said. “What a wonderful way to take love and laughter, life and light to the streets and to the people!”
Bookter said there are about 60 members of Sassyracs ranging in ages from 20 to grandmothers.
“I do enjoy watching fellow dancers that I’ve known for a few months find out I’m a pastor,” she said. “They are always a little taken aback.”
Some of the members of the dance krewe confide in her and share difficult times they are going through. Some ask for prayers.
“They may not be comfortable stepping into a church, but because of the relationships that we have formed, they know that they have a safe space with me,” she said. “It has been a beautiful way to share love and compassion beyond the walls of the church.”
Bookter said after sharing her joy of dancing with a couple of church members, both of the women — in their 60s — joined a dance krewe.
“For Christmas, instead of giving me a traditional pastor gift like a poinsettia, they gave me a pair of black sparkly shoes for me to dance in for the Mardi Gras parades. I felt so loved and supported!”
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Bookter knows some people think Mardi Gras is about “total debauchery.”
“And if that is what you are seeking out, you can certainly find it. But for so many in our beautiful city, Mardi Gras is the time to gather with friends and family, young and old — kids throwing footballs, grandparents hosting parties, people of all walks of life staking out a spot along the parade route or dressing up in homemade ornate costumes.
“It’s a time to celebrate community and our unique culture. It’s quirky, and it's beautiful!”
Kristin White, another member of St. Luke’s, explained Mardi Gras is a season of joy and fun before the beginning of Lent.
“Sometimes people think becoming a Christian means they have to be serious and can’t have fun. They need to know the love and joy of faith. Rev. Colleen exudes that joy! There is a time for laughter and a time to dance. I’m glad we have a pastor who shares those gifts with others,” she said.
Gilbert is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn., who covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina for UM News in 2005.
News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org.
