On Monday, October 26, we received a phone call announcing a pastoral visit from Bishop Guglielmone to Kingstree, SC. The bishop was to visit the diocesan shrine, the parish church, the Felician Sisters and Springbank Retreat Center on the next two days. All of these Catholic properties are in a 10 mile radius of Kingstree.
So on Tuesday, the Bishop came to the convent for an informal hour visit regarding the Catholic community and presence. He appreciated our positive comments about the ecumenical support in all aspects of our ministry. The Felician Center COVID-19 response since March was shared. The Bishop celebrated morning Mass for about 10 of us on Wednesday in St. Ann Church.
On Wednesday, October 28, the Learning Center hosted the Halloween October event socially distanced and masked. The children with an adult arrived at the pumpkin lane while spooky music played aloud. A motion activated witch's broom swept the hallway with freaky sounds and a treasure box filled with treats could be opened with an audio Halloween greeting, The children visited stations to create a spider, a web, a monster puppet, black cats and a Halloween puzzle. For each completed task, the children received a “treat: which included a Halloween door decoration, candy bags, cookie/donut/cupcake take outs, harvest activity books and other goodies. Volunteers, Emma Miller, Marion Wilson, Cathy McClary, Marian Fulton and her two granddaughters Jamaya and Jocelyn, Sister Carol, Sister Johnna, Sister Susanne and Kat Tisdale conducted all the activities. Rev. Don Muncie met the children on their exit with the reading of a pumpkin poem and distribution of a real pumpkin purchased from the Kingstree Community Youth fundraiser.
The sacred and profane celebrations gave the Felician Center a near normal opportunity.