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FARMINGTON — St. Joseph Parish in Farmington and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Jay will host the Catholic Rural Life Festival on Friday, Sept. 13, and Saturday, Sept. 14.
Most events at the festival are free of charge, and it’s open to all.
This year, as part of the festival, a keynote panel on “What is Catholic Rural Life?” will be held at 9:45 a.m. Saturdya, Sept. 14, in the main room of the parish hall at St. Joseph Church, 133 Middle St. The panel discussion will help explain the concept of Catholic rural life and why the two parishes prioritize it.
“Our fragmented, modern urban society risks losing the inherent interconnectedness of nature, culture and worship,” said Max Becher, who is the director of parish social ministry at both parishes and will participate in the panel discussion. “The Catholic Church has consistently articulated society’s need for a thriving rural culture, and this teaching has been given increased emphasis in recent decades.”
At 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, the Rev. Paul Dumais, pastor of both parishes, will host a traditional flatbread demonstration in the basement of St. Joseph Church. A native of Madawaska, Dumais has been recognized for his work in spreading the popularity of buckwheat pancakes — known as ployes — the traditional flatbread of the Acadians. Dumais will cook ployes alongside an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to showcase that many food items are enjoyed across countries and cultures.
“The festival is both a celebration and a conversation about the relationship between nature and grace, between the temporal cycle of seasons and the liturgical life of the Church,” said Dumais. “We hope that the hundreds of people who have enjoyed the festival in the past will invite family and friends this time around.”
The farm-to-table supper, featuring five courses and products from more than 10 local farms, will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the main room of the parish hall at St. Joseph Church. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the supper.
The festival begins with an opening Mass at 5 p.m. Friday at the St. Rose of Lima Parish camp on Boy Scout Road in Livermore. A potluck supper follows, with live music and a community bonfire. Participants are welcome to enjoy the grounds for free camping. There are toilets available, a common building, and a covered picnic area.
Saturday’s events begin at 7:30 a.m. with morning prayer in St. Joseph Church, and coffee in the church basement.
They wrap up at 7:30 p.m. with a free contra dance in the parish hall’s main room. Contra dance is a folk dance made up of long lines of couples. It has mixed origins from English country dance as well as Scottish and French dance styles in the 17th century. Live music and free instruction will be provided.
To reserve tickets for the ticketed events (craft beer tasting and farm-to-table supper), call the parish office at 207-897-2173 or visit strose.weshareonline.org. To view schedule updates or for more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/catholicrurallifemaine.
In addition, the parish’s bread guild (Ora Breads) will sell loaves and scones at the Farmington Farmer’s Market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. The market is about five blocks away at the corner of Main and Park Street in the district court parking lot.
All Saturday events are at St. Joseph Parish. The schedule includes:
8:30 a.m. — Canning Tomatoesworkshop with Annamaria Beal in the church basement; Medicinal Herb and Tea workshop with Emily Goepel in the Knights of Columbus room of the parish hall (bring a mason jar if possible, but not required).
9:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. — Children’s morning program in the parish hall’s downstairs classrooms.
9:45 a.m. — “What is Catholic Rural Life?” panel in the parish hall’s main room
11:30 a.m. — Mass in the main church.
12:15 p.m. — Lunch (free)
1:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m. — Children’s afternoon program in the parish hall’s downstairs classrooms.
1:30 p.m. — Folk Art Exhibit with Seth Goepel in the parish hall’s upstairs classroom; traditional flatbread demonstration with Dumais; Living Church Feasts in Home with Emily Goepel and Maureen Martin in the Knights of Columbus room of the parish hall.
2:45 p.m. — Screening of “Growing Local,” a film by Maine Farmland Trust, in the Knights of Columbus room of the parish hall.
3 p.m. — Craft beer tasting with Cushnoc Brewing Co. ($10 suggested donation, tickets required) in the church basement.
4 p.m. — Kombucha tea brewing workshop with Deirdre Becher in the Knights of Columbus room of the parish hall (bring a mason jar if possible, but not required).
5 p.m. — Evening vespers with choir in the main church.
5:30 p.m. — Farm-to-table supper in the parish hall’s main room (ticket purchase required).
5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. — Kids’ supper in the parish hall’s downstairs classrooms ($5 per child/$20 per family).
7:30 p.m. — Free contra dance in the parish hall’s main room.
