St. Anthony Catholic Church’s Sesquicentennial Celebration Year Parish Picnic

It is St. Anthony Catholic Church’s Sesquicentennial Celebration Year and they are hosting their annual parish picnic. The picnic will be on the church grounds in Lively Grove, Illinois, on August 3. Polka Mass is at 4:00 p.m. (music by Mike Wisneski of Polka Connection, and Laura Ryterski). A delicious chicken dinner (featuring their made-from-scratch German potato salad) will be served from 4:00-8:00 p.m. in the air-conditioned hall. There will also be a country store, basket stand, lunch stand, cold beverages, and other picnic concessions. For your listening and dancing pleasure, Southern Thunder will play from 7:30-11:30 p.m.

The quilt and cash bingo starts at 6:30 p.m., offering 21 hand-stitched quilts in a wide variety of styles (pieced, embroidered, and appliquéd). The last quilt of the night will definitely be going home with a lucky player. It was lovingly handcrafted by a member of the parish, a multitalented artisan, who, in addition to designing and stitching a variety of quilts, has also applied her artistry to basket weaving. This quilt not only carries her stitch work, but also her personal label.

Through the years, this picnic has had that “reunion/homecoming” feel, as many family members and folks who moved outside the area often return to enjoy an evening of relaxation, renewed friendship, and camaraderie. If you’d like to spend an evening in the country, the parish members invite you to join them at what they have lovingly dubbed “our little church on the prairie!”