Centennial Year Church Services

February 13, 2005 - Rev. David Garretson had been telling the Sunday School students for several weeks at their dismissal from Divine Liturgy that he would be visiting their "home away from home" on Sunday morning to bless their classrooms and pray for them and their loved ones. The day before Valentine's Day was the day on which the visitation occurred. Immediately below is the icon of Christ with the little children as it appears on our Iconostasis.

"Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess."

Deuteronomy 31:12-13

Above, Coffee Hour and a "Sweetheart" Cake Sale were put on hold temporarily as the blessing of the Sunday School building began on the ground floor. Below left, a core group from SS. Peter and Paul Church Choir sang the responses. Below right, then it was up the steps to the second floor to visit the students in their classrooms.

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Father David passed the display above left which greets visitors to the Sunday School classrooms on the second floor. He stopped in each classroom to bless it and pray with the students.

In his prayers (above right), Father David prayed for each student by name. Below left, the students eagerly handed Father David lists of names of living and departed loved ones which they had prepared in anticipation of his visit. Below right, Father David commemorates the names of loved ones from the students' lists.

You may click on the photo below right to view an enlargement.

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Above right, teachers venerated the Cross and received a blessing with Holy Water as well. There were no classes being conducted in the last classroom (below left). Rather, volunteers were busily at work counting and totaling the weekly contributions. Nonetheless, this room was the last stop on Father David's visitation. It too was blessed and Father David prayed with the volunteer parishioners.

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