Blessed Sacrament Chapel held annual picnic

Karah Wilson, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.
·1 min read

Aug. 7—Blessed Sacrament Chapel at 602 Sycamore St. held its annual picnic Saturday at the parish.

The picnic, traditionally held on the first Saturday of August, began as a celebration of the day the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, said Sister Jeannette Fennewald.

The event has been known by several names, including the Emancipation Day Picnic and the Catholic school picnic.

"This is significant to the Black community because it started out as a Black parish," Fennewald said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the picnic had numerous activities on-site, including Bingo and vendors.

"When the pandemic hit, we had to scale back," Fennewald said.

Rita Moorman, a member of the parish, said the event used to stretch from one corner of Sycamore Street to the other, and rides were set up.

Part of the changes made during the pandemic included adding a drive-thru option.

"We didn't sell sandwiches last year, we just sold the plates," Fennewald said. "People were asking for sandwiches, so we decided to add those this year."

This year, Blessed Sacrament cooked 48 chickens, 54 racks of ribs and 11 pork butts. For the plates, sides include baked beans and coleslaw.

Fennewald said that for years, the picnic was the only one in the area and people from the county and city would come to enjoy the day at Blessed Sacrament.

Along with the picnic, the parish hosts two fish fries a year, along with a free community-wide Thanksgiving meal the Sunday prior to the holiday.