2008 Spas Picnic

Every year in Aaugust we celebrate one of the feasts of the Holy Trinity with our Spas picnic which is on or near the feast of the Transfiguration. We have the Divine Liturgy at our chapel at Cathedral Gardens. We also have a cemetery and a picnic area there. This also goes back to a tradition that is centuries old. People used to go to visit the graves of their loved ones and have picnics there.

When I arrived at the chapel, I saw something in the cemetery, but I was not sure what it was. So I grabbed my camera and investigated. From the top of the hill I saw something moving and then I realized that it was a deer. By the time I aimed the camera, it was almost in the woods, but I did manage to get three shots.

Only one photograph was taken of the service and that was of Michael reading the Hours before the Divine Liturgy. I have been very fortunate. We were down to two Readers and at Pascha Albert and Michael started serving and they are now training to be Readers also. Michael is at church before I arrive. I don't know if he is there before Fr. John. I think that he is. I try to arrive an hour before Divine Liturgy to get things ready. Even before I was ordained a deacon, I tried to do this. Besides getting my vestments ready, I need to prepare the Gospel and the Epistle, make sure that everything else is in order, etc. Michael takes care of the candles. He now reads the Hours if the other readers are not here yet.