Hundreds of families traveled to the Warren County Fairgrounds for an evening filled with rides, food, craft vendors, live music and prayer. The Diocesan Family Festival, held June 10 in Front Royal, kicked off with a vigil Mass for the feast of Corpus Christi celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge.
In his homily, Bishop Burbidge shared that he recently had given his grand-niece her first holy Communion. “Right after Mass she said, ‘This is the happiest day in my entire life.’ That is the profound gratitude all of us should have,” he said. “We pray that in our diocese and in our lives, the Eucharist will be firmly believed, devoutly received and intensely lived so that we will one day be a heavenly family where we dwell with God forever and ever. Let’s promise to share our belief in and love for the Eucharist with others.”
After Mass, families munched on hot dogs, pupusas, ice cream or picnics packed at home. Children jumped on inflatables and screamed with joy on the carnival rides. “We came last year and had a great time so we wouldn’t have missed it,” said Erin Bender, a parishioner of Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville. “It’s an awesome event for the whole family.”
Greg and Kim Lynch, parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in Front Royal, felt comfortable letting their kids run around knowing how many members of their parish were close by. “This is what family life is — (having) fun, hanging out, giving them space to play,” said Kim. “There’s families of all sizes and all ages — there’s something for everybody.”
