Mardi Gras 2014

My husband, Bob, and I were driving back to the Albany area after a month in Sarasota, Florida and were thrilled to be in the vicinity of Fayetteville, NC the weekend of March 1^st.   The Cardinal Gibbons Council of the Knights of Columbus was sponsoring a fund-raising Mardi Gras on behalf of St. Gabriel’s School in Fontaine, Haiti.  After hearing about the event from Father Noone, we decided to extend our vacation by one day in order to attend.   What a fantastic decision that turned out to be!  The festivities took place in the social hall of St. Patrick’s Church on Village Drive in Fayetteville and began at 6PM on Saturday evening, March 1^st.   The hall was decorated “to the nines” in a celebratory New Orleans’ Mardi Gras theme.   We felt “ way down yonder in New Orleans”  when we passed a  sign for Bourbon Street and entered the hall to a five-piece musical ensemble playing upbeat New Orleans’ Jazz.    The band was dressed in white shirts with red ties and suspenders and many of the revelers were sporting costumes, bright-colored beads and masks.    

The food was all homemade and delicious and the menu; i.e., Jambalaya, Red Beans and Rice with Sausages, potato salad, corn bread, and king’s cake helped us maintain our New Orleans fantasy.  As we got closer to the buffet, we stepped outside the door and stopped at the wine and beer wagon to pick up some liquid refreshment.  Waiting in line for our food was a pleasure; we sipped our beers and visited with some parishioners who we discovered were “transplants” from the southern tier of NY State (Unadilla, NY) and of all places, the Bronx!   Bob and I felt right at home.    

Father Noone spoke about the Friends of Fontaine, gave a little history, and shared that our purpose is changing lives in Haiti through outreach and education.  He also showed a ten-minute documentary and explained how people could become sponsors and contributors.  

Throughout the evening, young adults from The Young Adult Catholic Ministry were involved in serving the food, calling out the door prizes and helping the youngest attendees at a special art activities table.  It was great to see the involvement of all age groups.  It was a wonderful evening for a wonderful cause and we felt blessed to be in attendance.