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It was hot! The kind of hot and humid that you can see in the waves coming off the pavement... so hot it took your breath away when you stepped outside. This was the day for our feast celebration, Peter, Paul and Be Merry, to celebrate the lives and ministries of the saints Peter and Paul with our sister churches.
The travelers in our progressive picnic began with a rich variety of appetizers, the delicious smell welcoming us into the parish hall of St. Peter's in Bon Secour. The morning flew by while we hugged old friends, met new ones, celebrated new graduates, discussed ways to serve our community, and of course shared recipes. We played games with the children by the old cemetery, while others reminisced about those who have gone before us. Then, with ice water in hand, we packed up the games and traveled onward.
Driving through the back roads of our smaller sister communities brought to my mind the old song "ln the highways” and the years of dedicated service of all the hardworking ministers who came before us. The smell of barbeque met us at the door of St. Paul's Chapel in Magnolia Springs. We joined the crowd of almost 100 brothers and sisters and enjoyed the beautiful old chapel and the music of the piano. White linens, china and silverware dressed the tables, making this stop a truly spectacular part of our traveling feast.
On to St. Paul's Foley, where the smell of cookies wafted through the building, meeting travelers as they arrived. The singing was glorious! The celebration concluded with dessert following a message that was encouraging, reminding us of the mission, sacrifice, and travels of St. Peter, St. Paul, and Rev. Stanford Persons, who faithfully traveled and ministered to each of their congregations.
We are looking forward to Epiphany and a new celebration together, in cooler weather, and a different season. Our hope is that the communities continue to gather and serve together, just as our namesakes and Rev. Persons taught!
Photo top: Watercolors of St. Paul's Chapel, St. Peter's, and the original St. Paul's Foley. Photo credit: Katie Goodson.
Photo bottom: Barbeque at St.Paul's Chapel in Magnolia Springs. Photo credit: Katie Goodson