Waters of Moraine blessed for safety
Members of St. Andrew Orthodox Church had an outdoor service not in spite of the cold Sunday, Feb. 18, but because of it.
The church has made a tradition out of blessing the waters of Lake Arthur at the park each year, to coincide with the day Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, said deacon Wayne Truckley.
The service had to be rescheduled from its initial January date when the church normally blesses the water, but the church still made a point to have the ceremony a month late. Truckley said this was the first year St. Andrew took on the ceremony on its own.
“We want to start it up again, get a little interest in doing it every year,” Truckley said.
The service was typical for St. Andrew, Truckley said, but it took place outdoors at the Pleasant Valley Beach on the South Shore at Moraine State Park. Blessing the water, Truckley said, is an effort to make the lake safe for its users over the coming summer season.
Truckley said the service will be followed by a blessing of the boats before summer, which is also a ceremony meant to bless with safety the users of Lake Arthur.
“We’re going to start it and see if we can get people interested in it, then later on help with the blessing of the boats,” Truckley said.
