- November 24, 2024
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The helicopter was bigger than the parishioners of St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church had thought it would be, but the golf ball drop still went off without a hitch. The church's parish picnic, its first social event in about a year, began on March 18 with a helicopter dropping low over the parking lot to deposit golf balls as close to a target flag as possible.
"I have to say I was a little bit skeptical," Father Robert Dziedziak said. "I had never seen a ball drop before."
Prizes were given out to the owners of the golf balls closest balls to the flag, as well as a $10 consolation prize for Lenny DiStefano, whose golf ball fell farthest away. Parishioners mingled between the ball drop and the tolling of the bells at 6 p.m., when Dziedziak led a prayer service. He followed it up with a few jokes that got the parish laughing. Before parishioners turned back to their picnics, Women's Guild President Sue DiNatale presented Dziedziak with a cake and card from the whole parish to celebrate his one-year anniversary with the church.
Parishioners returned to their picnics and caught up with friends they hadn't seen in a while, or wandered into the church to bet on the raffle baskets put together by the Women's Guild.