St Barbara’s Church Parish Festival - 2010

Our festival this year, in my opinion, was perfect. As I looked for words to describe its success, I quickly thought of the word synergy. Synergy is a Greek word which, literally translated, means ‘to work together’. The concept behind the word centers on this illustration. If a donkey can pull one thousand pounds and another donkey can pull one thousand pounds, together they can pull not two thousand, but four thousand pounds. Much can be achieved in life, in our families, in our community and in our parish when people work together, pull together for a common purpose and goal.

Synergy just doesn’t occur by osmosis, it just doesn’t occur by wishing for it. It can only occur through good leadership - a leader who can rally people, show the way, guide by example and offer support and appreciation. Our festival has been blessed again this year, as in the past several, with the great leadership of our festival chairperson, Jeff Hanks.

Jeff in his humble way has been the ‘Gorilla Glue’ that puts everything together and holds everything together that allows synergy to occur. Actually, Jeff’s entire family — from his wife Laura to their children Amanda and Adam — though not officially titled co-chairpersons, served as pillars to hold Jeff up and keep him going through the days of preparation and “presentation” of our festival.

With the good leadership of Jeff in place, synergy occurred and volunteer after volunteer came forward to take on other leadership positions. Stephanie Mele did the usual great job as kitchen coordinator, Cil Eagan and Cathy Raco served in impeccable form as co-chairpersons of the games, and from that point came literally a flock of people serving in every capacity imaginable that further allowed our festival to be a success.

As with any event, leadership, planning and volunteer workers are critical to success. However, one more item is needed and it is an item that without you can’t exist, and that item is the gift of patrons. Both Friday and Saturday we were blessed to have a tremendous group of guests, and to that group on behalf of our parish, I say “Thank You” for coming to our festival and sharing your time and treasure at our affair.

God has once again offered his sunshine on this parish. May the success of this festival and the synergy that occurred continue to be a part of the fabric of St. Barbara Parish.

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Parish Festival 2010