Last weekend, I had the privilege of taking some time away from Calvary to travel with my youngest daughter, Amelia, to Washington, D.C., for the annual Festival of Acolytes at Washington National Cathedral. Robert’s mother and Amelia’s grandmother, Celine, and Amelia’s cousin Nora joined us.
The festival featured the “longest procession,” with 700 acolytes—including at least 500 youth—filling the aisles and then the nave for the Festival Eucharist. Participants came from 15 states and a church in Brazil. Amelia and I were the only participants from Ohio in the procession.
Following the Eucharist, participants explored activity stations that included streamer making, limestone carving, and stained-glass bookmark making. Everyone also had an opportunity to “lay a brick” by adding a LEGO brick to the Cathedral model, a project that began in 2019.
Amelia shares, “I enjoyed being in the procession, and my favorite part was doing the stations after the service. I got to express my feelings through color, prayer, and God. They had a lot of stencils and fun tools to use.”
In future years, I hope to return with more of Calvary’s acolytes so they, too, can experience the joy of worshiping and creating alongside young people from near and far.
