There are no words that can adequately express Father Stephan and my appreciation for the love and generosity of the St Rose and St. Cyril parishioners who contributed their time, talent and treasure in making of our third annual picnic a huge success. The bulletin is not big enough to contain all the names of parishioners who are deserving of our thanks, but we know who you are –also, we must respect the wishes of many contributors to remain anonymous. This year’s picnic included scrumptious food – hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, and all the fixings for the perfect picnic fare. We also enjoyed delicious homemade ice cream, not to mention the interesting hit-and-miss engine used in the process. The dessert-baking contest far surpassed last year. The competition was intense, and we all were the beneficiaries of the outstanding baking skills of our parishioners. Many also enjoyed munching on the tasty popcorn and cotton candy. Our children thoroughly enjoyed the many games set out throughout the picnic area – a number of adults joined in as well. Everyone got a big kick out of the Knights of Columbus dunk tank – a special thanks to the men who were willing to take a very cold plunge for the sake of our kids. The Bounce House was a big hit again this year. Sister Ursula led the bingo games again this year, with some very nice prizes give out to the winners. We had two marvelous bands – the Thornapple Jazz Orchestra and Grumpy Old Men. Many were tapping their feet to the beautiful music, and we noticed a few dancing to the beat (maybe next year we can get a dance floor). We had approximately 300 people attend the picnic this year. That represents a significant increase from last year. As promised, no parish funds were used for the picnic. The cost was underwritten by a number of generous parishioners, along with donations of food, prizes and other items. Many volunteers contributed their time and energy to make the picnic such a success. That includes the crew that set up on Saturday, those who worked during the picnic, and those who helped clean up at the end. There was so much support, I had to do very little. (I couldn’t even take credit for the weather, as Father picked the date.) Once again, Father and I were blown away by the generosity of the parishioners of St. Rose and St. Cyril parishes. Please save the date for next year’s picnic: September 8, 2019, Once again, thank you and God bless you! Phil Green