HH_121516

8 | December 15, 2016 | The Homer Horizon NEWS
homerhorizon.com
Christmas on the Prairie keeps up tradition
Third annual event
ushers visitors into
history of saint, land
Mary Stroka
Freelance Reporter
As St. Nicholas approached
Annunciation Byzantine
Catholic Church in a
horse-drawn wagon at dusk,
a choir of teenagers sang
carols and families lined up
along the way in front of the
entrance to the church.
They would then have a
chance to take turns riding
along with St. Nicholas in
the wagon in the spirit of the
holiday season.
This was one of the scenes
at the church’s third annual
Christmas on the Prairie Dec.
4 in Homer Glen. The event
was open and free to all visitors
to the church.
“[The event] is about who
we are,” said the Rev. Thomas
Loya, pastor of the church.
“St. Nicholas is part of the
riches of our church.”
Loya added the church
wishes to spread the message
of charity and share the spirit
of St. Nicholas, the church’s
patron saint, with the community.
“As a church, it’s our duty
to be stewards to the community,”
said Stephanie Lewickas,
a parishioner who helped
run the event.
She added that with the
church’s observance of Phillip’s
Fast, which focuses on
charity work and almsgiving
in the weeks leading up to
Christmas, the church also
follows the example of St.
Nicholas’ charity work.
“We hope that the spirit of
St. Nicholas that we’re bestowing
with this event generalizes
to kids and families
to encourage them to pay it
forward in the spirit of St.
Nicholas to others in our
community, as well,” Lewickas
said.
Lewickas said the event
planners decided to have a
raffle for the first time this
year. The raffle included
a St. Nicholas icon, books
about St. Nicholas’ life and
pysanky, which are decorated
eggs.
They also added a “Passport
to the Prairie” activity,
where children who walked
along the Prairie Path received
stickers at each of the
four stations where teenagers
performed skits about
St. Nicholas. The teenagers
taught the children about the
story of the girls St. Nicholas
gave gold to so they could
marry, and they explained to
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A crowd waits for St. Nicholas to arrive on his horse-drawn
carriage Dec. 4 at Christmas on the Prairie at Annunciation
Byzantine Catholic Church. Mary Stroka/22nd Century Media
them why he is the patron
saint of travelers, said Georgia
Peceniak, a parishioner
from Naperville.
The gold stickers tied into
the story of the gold coins
of the dowry story about St.
Nicholas, Lewickas said.
Peceniak helped children
make their own icons of St.
Nicholas with stickers that
they could take home.
“We had some [children] as
young as 1 [and] as old as 13
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[who made icons],” Peceniak
said. “To cap it off with going
to see St. Nicholas, how
much better could it be?”
Four folk musicians
played tunes throughout the
evening in the corner of a
large tent set up on the lawn
just outside the church. Ken
Kieltyka played mountain
dulcimer and an Irish drum,
Tony Janacek played guitar,
Kathy Folkerts played flute
and penny whistle and Lynn
Malnekoff played violin.
Malnekoff said the group
has been playing together
for 28 years after meeting
at the Old Town School of
Folk Music in Chicago.
They also play at Homer
Harvest Days.
As visitors entered the tent,
they could also see various
volunteers, some who led
them in making crafts that
were common in the frontier
era.
Anthony Diorio brought
his two children, Sophie and
Miles, from Naperville after
hearing about the event.
“Nice weather, nice people,
interesting exhibits,” Anthony
said.
Colleen Reidy of Lemont,
a volunteer at the event,
helped Sophie make a corn
husk doll.
“We can make all of our
ornaments this year,” Diorio
told Sophie with a laugh.
Across the tent, another
volunteer, Cathy Rehr, taught
both children and adults
about candle dipping, one of
the jobs children did on the
prairie.
“I enjoy teaching the kids
about candle-making history,”
Rehr said.
Rehr said that children like
doing hands-on activities.
She also does candle dipping
at Homer Harvest Days. Rehr
demonstrated the craft to
Nathan Tkach, a parishioner
from Tinley Park. Tkach said
he had helped out with the
skits that teenagers did along
the Prairie Path to show children
what St. Nicholas’ life
was like.
“[The church community]
is like another family away
from home — not much drama,”
he said.
Catherine Barenko, a leader
of the event, said the day
is designed to teach about St.
Nicholas, the patron saint of
children, and to showcase
“the man behind the myth.” It
is also an opportunity to see
the beauty of the prairie, even
in the winter, she said.
“We try to keep it a simple,
family fun Christmas thing
that’s not over the top,” Barenko
said.
Parishioner Irene Stachnik
also came out for the evening.
Two of her grandchildren,
Nicholas and Hana Lewis,
helped out with the skits. Her
son, Mitchell, brought his
two young children, Thomas
and Laila, as well.
“I get a kick out of seeing
the children excited about
seeing St. Nicholas,” Irene
said. “Everybody seems to be
having a nice time.”