FARMINGTON
Catholics from rural parts of the state will gather in western Maine next month to eat, drink, worship and reflect.
St. Joseph Parish in Farmington and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Jay are planning a Catholic Rural Life Festival for Sept. 14-16. In its second year, the festival features a slate of events, dinners, and liturgies “designed to bring awareness to our call to be stewards of creation,” organizers said in a news release.
“The festival expresses Catholic faith and culture rooted in the rhythms of the natural world as well as the cycle of liturgical prayer,” said Fr. Paul Dumais, pastor of both St. Joseph and St. Rose of Lima. “There are elements of practical life and the arts along with a program for liturgical prayer and sacred music. We hope that the hundreds of people who enjoyed the festival last year will invite family and friends this time around.”
The event opens on Friday, Sept. 14, with a presentation of the Stations of the Cross at 3 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery on Park Street in Livermore Falls. The rosary will be recited at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Feast of the Holy Cross Mass at 6 p.m. at St. Rose of Lima, 1 Church St. (Route 4), in Jay.
Saturday features a Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite (Traditional Latin Mass) at 9 a.m. at St. Rose of Lima, followed by lunch at noon. A “Blessing of the Fields” including a solemn procession will be held at Castonguay Ayrshires Farm on 39 Richmond Hill Road in Livermore at 1:30 p.m. At 4 p.m., several events are slated: a free art exhibit and a Maine craft beer tasting will be held at St. Joseph Hall, 133 Middle St. in Farmington. Tickets to the beer tasting are $10, and proceeds will go toward providing food security for people in Franklin County.
At the same time, a traditional step dance lesson will be given in the basement of St. Joseph, and St. Rose of Lima will host a Mass.
At 5 p.m., the Festival Farm to Table Supper will feature food from more than a dozen local farms at the upper hall at St. Joseph. Tickets are $20 per person. A “Kids’ Kitchen” event will be held simultaneously in the downstairs hall. Tickets for that event are $8 each, but children 5 and under can attend for free.
At 7 p.m., Hidden Fifth will host at a Contra dance in the upper hall. Hidden Fifth features Deidre Becher, who has toured around the world with her family’s band, Celtic Spring. Deidre and Celtic Spring performed on NBC’s America’s Got Talent in 2007 and was one of the show’s finalists.
Sunday, the final day of the festival, will begin with a Mass at St. Rose of Lima at 8:30 a.m. followed by a waffle breakfast at 9:30 a.m. in the parish hall. Proceeds will benefit the Tri-Town Ministerial Good Neighbor Fund which assists local people in need of heating oil and fuel. Masses will also be celebrated at St. Joseph at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Prior to the evening Mass, there will be eucharistic adoration with a recitation of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. and confessions at 4 p.m. A lunch will be offered at noon at the St. Joseph booth of the Farmington Fair.
“I really think it’s about showing our presence in the community,” said Kathleen Pike, a parishioner from Jay. “It addresses rural life in Maine, and I’m a little bit passionate about that because I think we have a lot to offer in these towns, and I think that Church life is part of that, and we can have a better presence.”
For a complete schedule of events and updates, visit crlmaine. weebly.com or the festival’s Facebook page.
To purchase tickets for the three ticketed events — the craft beer tasting, farm-totable supper and kids’ kitchen — call (207) 897-2173. For more information, contact St. Joseph Parish at (207) 778-2778.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
