Following our City of God outdoor Eucharist, we turned the focus of our picnic to sending Father Mike off on his adventure in style. We set up a Bon Voyage table with decorations that nod in the direction of his sabbatical trip to the British Isles.

 

 

Congregation members wrote well wishes on small tags that were dropped into a suitcase on the table display. At the end of the evening the tags were bound into a booklet to send with Father Mike on his journey.

 

 

During the picnic we enjoyed catered barbecue with all the fixings and sweet treats made by congregation members. We also enjoyed some karaoke and discovered hidden talents within the congregation. Later in the evening, members of our youth group presented Father Mike with a suitcase of small items that might be helpful on his trip including snacks, puzzle books, a sleep mask and neck pillow, hand sanitizer, and Airborne cold medication.

 

 

At the end of the evening, Deacon Cathy read the Traveler’s Prayer for Father Mike from the Book of Common Prayer. She then invited the congregation members to hold up their hands to bless the entire Galvin family who will travel with Father Mike for at least part of his sabbatical. She read The Irish Blessing. Godspeed, Father Mike!