Fellowship and Fun
As I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, have you ever noticed how technology has made us a bit impersonal with one another? It certainly has its benefits in that we can order things quickly, get information fast, and communicate with others in new ways. But it’s also made the quality of that communication suffer a bit, in that there is no substitute for actually being with one another and talking to one another.
That’s one of the things I’ve loved the most with church festivals I’ve gone to over the years. As a kid, we had the annual festival at Our Lady of Victory, where winning $20 made me feel like the richest person in the world at a couple of Bingo games. As the years went by, I’d continue to go and as a priest all of the parishes I’ve been at have had festivals of some kind. And what is the main thing which each one that I think is the most important is the fellowship and community-building that takes place. People come together, they talk, the catch up on things, they share moments with one another. It’s something I see in a little way at the end of every Mass here at Saint Joes.
This year we’ll be having the celebration this upcoming Saturday. Family Fun starts at 2:30 and our main event is at 6 pm., with a chicken dinner and Bingo. Some of the family events included pumpkin painting, a punch wall, wine pull and we’ll also silent auction and Inflatable Archery hosted by our Cub Scout Pack. Hopefully you’ll be able to join us next weekend!
It’s been a real labor of love from Jordan and a number of volunteers who’ve been working so hard. But the best thing about the Harvest Festival is the people. Community is so important, Jordan has done such a great job building up the festival and doing so many other things at our parish to help connect people and have great events year-round.
Saint Joe’s truly isn’t a parish where people shuffle in and out quickly; it’s, as one parishioner put it, a “small town” kind of feeling, and I’ve felt so welcomed here now for over a decade.
A heartfelt thanks to Jordan and our staff and our many volunteers for their incredibly hard work in preparing it, and thank you for your support of the festival.
Have a great week!
Fr. Paul
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September 2025