How do Franciscan Sisters celebrate Mardi Gras?

At St. Francis of Assisi parish in Greenwood, MS Mardi Gras is our Parish’s biggest annual fundraiser. The celebration begins Friday evening! Boxes of stored decorations are transported from St. Francis Mission to the Civic Center. Here we gather with other brave volunteers to transform a gym-like space into an elegant dining area.

We do what?

On the stage Sister Kathleen creates atmosphere with a backdrop for the brass band.

This looks like fun, but what did you say I do with it?

Saturday evening arrives and the ticket holders arrive to claim their tables. Everyone is greeting friends and taking pictures before the lights go down.

Sister Kathleen is up for this!!!

A table centerpiece replicates the tree branches in New Orleans hung with beads.

The buffet line is being set up. Our cook at St. Francis school is the chef for this event. She always prepares an excellent meal. This evening we will be served: rice with gumbo or red beans; chicken wings– either BBQ, smoked or spicy; BBQ meatballs; Muffaletta sandwiches; assorted cheeses and crackers; and trays of beautifully arranged fruit. Beverages include coffee, water, sodas or whatever you care to bring in.  For dessert there is the traditional New Orleans King Cake and amazing homemade bread pudding with rum sauce.

Settling in for an evening of good friends, good food and good Southern music.

As the evening closes out and the wee hours of morning come upon us, we join our faithful St. Francis parishioners clearing and stacking the tables and chairs, taking down all of the items we had put up, and boxing them up again for next year. We needed to be out of the rented space by 6:00 am so as the saying goes, “Many hands make light work” and for some reason it all came down faster then it went up! Heading outside we saw our cars were covered with a thick layer of frost. It was cold and didn’t take us long to fill the vehicles with the boxes and return them to St. Francis. From the selling of the first ticket to the storage of the last box it is a witness of the dedication of all to St. Francis of Assisi Mission and a grand celebration of Mardi Gras!