On Saturday, January 31,the Feast of St. John Bosco, more than 280 parishioners enjoyed an evening of fun, inspiration, and entertainment in honor of our parish patron saint. After the 4 PM Mass, they gathered in the Bell Tower for pizza, salad, and cookies. At each seat, they found a small gift envelope containing a laminated holy card of St. John Bosco and a Miraculous Medal. Melissa Barber-Tarolla, Director of Discipleship, served as the event’s leader, coordinator, and Master of Ceremonies, welcoming everyone. Pastor Father Matt Byrne offered a blessing for the meal and delivered opening remarks, emphasizing how much we can learn from St. John Bosco.
While people finished eating, they watched a video about St. John Bosco on four large monitors placed throughout the area so everyone could see.
Next, the audience was treated to a delightful magic show by Larry Morgan of Morgan’s Mysteries. The magician had many young, willing, and enthusiastic volunteer assistants for his tricks. They, too, delighted the audience. Magician Larry left us all with smiles and questions about how he did that.
After the Magic Show, Melissa invited participants to enjoy other activities in various rooms: a putting competition, coloring, bracelet making, Bingo, and Music with Michael (our Director of Worship) in the Church. There was also a beautiful Marian Shrine in the Atrium off the lobby for quiet prayer.
Throughout the evening, 50/50 raffle tickets were available for purchase, with proceeds supporting our El Salvador ministry.
The program concluded with dessert, the raffle drawing, a thank-you to all the volunteers who made the evening a great success, and a closing prayer.
Special thanks to Father Matt, Melissa Barber-Tarolla, the Family Fest Planning Committee, Precision Multimedia, all of our volunteers, and the local restaurants who donated gift cards. Thank you to all who came. May St. John Bosco continue to inspire us to live our lives for God every day.
You can see more photos on our Facebook page.
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