Article submitted by By Brian P Aufmuth
On Friday, July 19th, St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Simpsonville celebrated their annual church picnic in celebration of their Patron Saint, Saint Mary Magdalene. This is the fourth year St. Mary Magdalene has hosted this picnic and it has become one of the church’s most popular events with over 700 parishioners coming together this year for an evening of food, faith and fun.
“Hospitality and service to our parishioners and community are a very important part of our church mission,” said Father Theo Trujillo. “This event is a great opportunity for us to celebrate as a parish family, spend time in fellowship and make new friends.”
Teens in Confirmation preparation served drinks, snow cones and popcorn while Scouting Ministries manned games for the younger children. “One of my favorite parts of this event is seeing how engaged in volunteering the youth are,” said Father Rhett Williams. “It takes a collaboration of ministries, staff and volunteers to pull an event like this together. We truly couldn’t do it without them.”
In addition to the games, children were able to enjoy face painting, bouncy houses, inflatable slides and a variety of crafts including making bracelets and nativity scenes.
As children danced to music and played games, the Knights of Columbus grilled up a meal of hamburgers and hot dogs along with a variety of desserts and side dishes that were donated by each family.
Following dinner, and as the sun set, Father Trujillo addressed the attendees and provided a blessing. Families then grabbed some more popcorn and gathered on the lawn in chairs and on blankets to watch a movie together on a large outdoor screen.
“It was a tremendous evening of fellowship and we were blessed with beautiful weather. This picnic has become a wonderful tradition for our church and we look forward to doing it again next year,” concluded Father Trujillo.
St. Mary Magdalene offers 2 daily masses, 7 weekend Masses (2 in Spanish) and monthly Polish and Filipino Masses. With over 4,500 in weekly attendance, St. Mary Magdalene is the largest Catholic church in South Carolina. Learn more at www.smmcc.org.♦
