On Sunday, October 20, the St. Stephen Serbian Orthodox Church parish in Lackawanna, NY thanked our Lord for the bounty we receive at His hands. Our Fall Festival encouraged our Church School children to be thankful to our Lord and Savior for all the benefits we receive from Him.
Surrounded by beautiful decorations of fruits, vegetables and flowers, artfully displayed by Popadija Sara Golic and her helpers Milena Drca and Andrijana Kapular, the children of the parish created crafts that were reminiscent of the fruits of the earth. Wearing smocks to protect their clothing, the children put on one layer of paint, and then ran off to their Church School classes. After class, they returned to complete their painting, and then were treated to cider and donuts.
Prior to the Church School events, Father Vladislav Golic, parish priest, led the children who participated in the Divine Liturgy, processing in front of the Deacon and the Priest, holding banners and icons which made their procession all the more solemn. Altar boys led the procession with the cross and candles; their training is reinforced annually with an October Altar Boy workshop. This year was no exception.
The importance of Christian Education and parish fellowship for our children cannot be overstated. It is only through participation in the Divine Services, and the Holy Mysteries, that our children understand their relationship to our Lord Jesus Christ, and ultimately to one another. God bless our children. May they always d
raw close to our Lord Jesus Christ, and may they continue to be creative and attentive students in their Church School classes. The rest of 2019 has many other activities, which supplement our Christian Education program, including our St. Nicholas celebration, the cutting of the Badnjak, and preparations for our St. Sava Program to be held in January, 2020.
All children of the parish are welcome in the Church School each Sunday.