This year, for Holy Week we did something new and different. As a whole family, we participated in a Holy Week Mission. It took place in a small Georgia town about an hour away and we stayed at the Mt. Carmel Retreat Center. There were many other families too, all totally around 100+ people. On Holy Thursday, we visited a trailer park where we carried around a large wooden cross and knocked on doors, asking for prayer requests. People could write their prayer needs on piece of paper which we stapled to the cross (on Holy Saturday, the cross was processed up and placed up front by the alter and the whole community prayed for them). Later, we all went to the Mass of the Lord's Supper together. On Good Friday, we again carried the cross asking for prayer requests, but this time in a busy shopping center and also used it to act out a small passion play along the side of the road. Later in the day, we visited the local parish and watched a very elaborate Passion Play! We also spent time that day in service, doing chores around the retreat center. On Saturday, we all brought all our clothing donations to set up "Christ's Closet" at the trailer park. There we gave away thousands of clothing items, hosted a big soccer tournament, BBQ, and Easter egg hunt for the residents. It was wonderful! The whole weekend was also filled with community prayer time, collaborative efforts for cooking and cleaning all the meals, a bonfire with Fr. Martin, and just great quality time with wonderful people! It was a fantastic family experience to draw us closer to Christ in preparation for Easter. We especially loved how the focus, this year, was not on bunnies, parties, eggs and fancy clothes, but instead on what Easter is really about!
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| Nicholas was a Roman centurion in our own passion play. |
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| The passion play performed at the local parish was very elaborate! It was quite moving! |
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| Soccer tournament at the trailer park |
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| Egg hunt at the Trailer park |
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| We returned home from the mission on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, the Easter bunny had left eggs in the front yard for the kids! We went to Easter mass right after this but unfortunately forgot to get an Easter family picture. |
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| Henry's preschool egg hunt |
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| A sweet little class! |
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