Parish Picnic

Since the first summer there was a “Holy Family” there has been a family picnic. The original one, at Hines Park in Northville, was held to celebrate the end of the school year and beginning of summer vacation. Families brought their own food and then the “Social Committee” provided games and activities. Various summer Sundays were tried throughout the years and it was discovered that most families were home from vacation the weekend before school began. Therefore the last few years the Sunday before the Novi schools started class for students has been designated “Picnic Sunday.”

Other things have changed as well: location for example had gone from Northville to Kensington and then to Lakeshore Park right here in Novi. Food has taken a real turn for the easier! Following the establishment of our own Holy Family Council, the Knights of Columbus offered to grill some items which would alleviated the need for family members to prepare all the food at home. Needless to say this idea has been very well received and the present-day menus has been expanded to include hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, chicken breast and corn-on-the-cob.

Games for children up to twelve years of age are provided by the Hospitality Commissions as well as some games for adults, such as the Water Balloon (formerly egg) Toss and Tug-of-War which return year after year by popular demand.

However, while some changes have evolved from the original picnic, one segment has not changed. The picnic always formally begins with Mass at the picnic location about noon in keeping with one of Father O’Brien’s favorite axioms, “First, pray together, then play together.” This the Hospitality Commission still strives to do.