By Alfonso Aguilar
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/1/04)

"We are extremely happy with the participation of many hundreds parishioners in this celebration," said Father Ovidio Pecharromán, director of the Spanish Apostolate.

"The organizing committee deserves our recognition and applause because the picnic fulfilled the expectations of everyone," said Father Pecharromán, founder of the celebration.

The Picnic for Hispanic Catholic Families took place at Bluemont Park in Arlington and included a Mass, food, music, games, face painting, children theatre and sports, all in accordance with the picnic’s theme… "Faith, Family and Fun."

It is a tradition that during the Mass the mother with the youngest baby stands up, comes forward to the altar and the baby is held by the main celebrant as a symbol of new life. The mother was Ligia Flamenco and the baby a boy called Esteban, 2 months old.

Ligia and her husband Oscar Flamenco, parishioners of All Saints Parish in Manassas, came to the picnic with five of their eight children and many other relatives and friends.

"Thanks to our Church we re-established our relationship and God sent us many children, one of them, a seminarian in the Filipines, on his way to the priesthood," said Oscar Flamenco.

Another picnic tradition is that everyone brings something, from a bowl of rice to a fruit salad. As in many another Hispanic celebrations, Franklin Bautista brought the sound system. And everybody brought their faith and enthusiasm.

The picnic is organized by the Family Council of the Spanish Apostolate.