Young people of all ages, their parents, and older folks alike enjoyed roving the grounds of Jubilation! on August 9. The event, described as a day of praise and service marking 200 years of the C.PP.S., took place on the combined grounds of the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein and the Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein, Ohio.

Throughout the afternoon, participants could join in games and activities on the grounds, or lend a hand with service projects, such as making Precious Blood chaplets or crafting frames for sonogram pictures for expectant mothers. They visited vocation exhibits, took part in eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of reconciliation at the shrine, and enjoyed food provided by local youth groups.

Before sunset, Mass was celebrated outdoors, with Bishop Joseph Binzer, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, presiding. Fr. Gene Schnipke, C.PP.S., was the homilist. Several C.PP.S. priests concelebrated, including Fr. Larry Hemmelgarn, C.PP.S., provincial director.

The fireworks that followed the Mass were “amazingly better than we expected,” said Fr. Steve Dos Santos, C.PP.S., one of the event’s organizers. “The designer made the large cross on the island at the Spiritual Center the centerpiece of the display.”

Originally planned as an event for teens, Jubilation! quickly gained a family focus. Many area families walked or biked to the grounds to enjoy the event.

Stormy weather threatened the event later in the day, but Jubilation! was spared. “We were constantly looking at our weather apps to see what was happening,” Fr. Dos Santos said. “It was amazing to see the way the storm cells either dissipated or split and went around us.”

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