From Philadelphia-It wasn’t flames that drew the city’s fire and emergency vehicles to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Sunday afternoon.
The fleet that lined Broad Street was being blessed, for the first time, in honor of St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters. The Feast of St. Florian is celebrated during the first week of May.
Firefighters and emergency responders and their families looked on from the sidewalk as the Rev. J. Connor Haynes read a prayer and sprinkled holy water on each of the vehicles, which represented the Mitchell, Neptune and Niagara stations, and the Endeavor Emergency Squad.
The blessing followed an evening service, known as an evensong, that included a firefighter’s prayer, choir music and moment of silence dedicated to men and women killed while serving the community.
“When we bless equipment, we’re giving thanks to God that we have it, we’re asking for his blessing of the equipment itself, and we’re asking for his blessing for the people who use the equipment. This is a way of our congregation participating in the life of the community,” Haynes, the church’s rector, said after the blessing.
More here-
http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/burlington/burlington-city-fire-trucks-receive-st-florian-blessing/article_460d5f35-c807-546d-8747-f7f91cc656a7.html
No comments:
Post a Comment