We had two wonderful large gatherings at our parish this past week.
The Saint Helen Fest was a grand time! We had about 700 parishioners gather together and we did not let the weather dampen our spirits! We had wonderful activities for the young children, mini golf, face painting, and a fun house, to name a few. While we did not let the rain impact our gathering, we did learn about changes and ideas needed for next year. The biggest lesson was the need to put in place a much quicker plan to get the food. Our Fest committee, as well as our staff, have already met to discuss changes for next year. We will grow as we learn to do things differently as needed.
I am so appreciative of the role our youth played in setting up and assisting throughout the day, from beginning to end. They were most especially helpful in waiting for and delivering food for our parishioners. Thank you to all our outstanding Saint Helen Fest Committee members, parish staff, and parishioners who worked so very hard to implement such a wonderful gathering for our parishioners.
Then, this past Thursday, our Ageless at St. Helen ministry was rolled out to about 175 of our parishioners. The group first heard about the vision for the ministry as well as activities to be planned for the group. This was followed by a lunch that began the process of meeting new people, reconnecting with friends, and participating in the some of the ice breaker questions at each table. I look forward to the exciting things this ministry will do for our parish and each other.
God Bless You All,
Msgr. Tom