Annual Outdoor Blessing of the Waters | St. Ignatius Orthodox Church

On the Sunday following the celebration of the Great Feast of our Lord’s Theophany and Baptism in the river Jordon (January 6) the parish of St. Ignatius gathers at a parishioner’s home on the shore of Lake Kegonsa in Stoughton, WI, to offer the prayers of the Outdoor Blessing of the water.

The men setting up the lake for the blessing.

The day always begins with the blessing of the home…

Fr. Gregory Jensen reading the Gospel of St. Mark 1:1-8.

Due to a warm winter this season only the hearty came out on to the lake…

Fr. Andrew (kishler) plunges the cross into the water for the third time. — Fr. Andrew (Kishler) plunges the cross into the water for the third time.

Fr. Patrick with Fr. Gregory (R) and Fr. Andrew (L).

The final blessing on the way back to the house and an afternoon of good food, fellowship and fun!

Why the blessing of the waters? Fr. Thomas Hopko explains, “Since the Son of God has taken human flesh and has appeared in the world, manifesting Himself in His baptism in the Jordan, all flesh and all matter is sanctified. Everything which is corrupted and polluted by the sinful works of men is cleansed and purified by the gracious works of God. All death-dealing powers of the devil which poison the good world of God’s creation are destroyed. All things are again made new. Through the ‘prime element’ of water on the feast of the (Theophany) the entire creation is shown to be sanctified by God’s Word through the same Spirit of God who ‘in the beginning… was moving over the face of the waters.”

Following the prayers we returned to the house for a delicious pot-luck meal and a joyful afternoon of fellowship.

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