GEORGETOWN—It was a message of hope at a time when people needed hope the most.
With public Masses suspended, Father David Leopold, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Georgetown, offered parishioners a “drive-thru” blessing on Easter Sunday, complete with music provided by the Folk Group.
“After the suspension was extended beyond Easter, we decided to acknowledge the arrival of Easter with an outdoor blessing from 10 am to noon that abided by the restrictions,” Father Leopold said. “Each time cars came through, I tried to bring the spirit of hope that Easter evokes, asking for God’s blessing. People need hope in the uncertain times in which we are living.”
While Father said the prayer, Father John Inserra, parochial vicar, blessed the cars from a distance with holy water.
Members of the folk group provided music and performed on the lawn nearby.
“I was so grateful that they volunteered and stayed the whole time,” Father said.
Some of the more than 50 cars had family members and a few bicyclists also came through. Several non-parishioners who witnessed the blessing decided to stop by, which made the event evangelical. The morning began with a few cars but toward the end, the entry was backed up. The priests stood by a table with lilies, daffodils and hyacinths, and a basket was set up, where people could make a donation to the church.
In a letter to parishioners titled, “We Sure Could Use a Little Good News Today,” (from a song by Anne Murray), Father wrote, “We have and always will have the best news possible—Christ Has Died, Christ Has Risen, Christ Will Come Again!”
“Easter season is just brimming with good news,” Father said. “The parishioners were appreciative and had their spirits uplifted that they were able to come out and receive the blessing and know that the church is open every day for private prayer from 7:30 am to 8 pm.”
(To see a slideshow of the Easter blessing, visit Sacred Heart of Georgetown’s website at www.sacredheartgeorgetownct.org.)
