Saturday Night at St. Simon's

I tried to post this last night but Blogger was not cooperating

Last night Saturday night the Lovely Mona and I went to Gamboa to St. Simon's Episcopal Church to participate in their Patronal Festival. The Bishop was there, of course. Padre Nelson Edwards and Wesley Scott have been doing a lot of renovation in the church; they replaced the Sacristy door, the renovated both rest rooms, and they made a new cross and new sign for the exterior of the building.

We started the service outside so that Bishop Murray could bless the new cross. It's October in Gamboa so the rain fell hard during the service. The rain was so loud on the zinc roof that Padre Nelson and I had to move from the chancel to the front pew so that we could hear the bishop preach! Bishop Murray went about the building blessing all the new stuff. After the service we had a delightful repast, with a chicken pie, one of the Lovely Mona's incredible salads, empanadas, and sorril, a drink made from the buds of a cousin of the hibiscus. It was made just right with plenty of ginger.

Here are some photos:

New Sacristy door


New sign


Blessing the new cross




The congregation witnesses the blessing



Censing the altar


Bishop Murray and Padre Nelson



Kitchen Crew



Padre Mickey and Homer Welsh



Mr. Greaves and Mr. Rodney (Mr. Rodney was our neighbor when we lived in Paraíso, as were the Welshes)



Mrs. Scott


Mrs. Welsh



Mariella Edwards, esposa de Padre Nelson