St. Luke’s Acolytes Share in a Celebration of Faith

With a spirit of adventure and a love of serving, seven members of St. Luke’s traveled to the National Acolyte Festival: McKenzie, Zachary and Emmory Pickett, Laura Aquirre, K Gustafson, Myrick Matthews and Luke Fodor. The gathering offered a joyful glimpse of the wider church and the people who bring its worship to life.

“It was amazing to see just how diverse our church is,” said Myrick Matthews. “Acolytes come in many ages, colors and speaking many languages.”

Bishop Matthew Cowden’s sermon offered a memorable image of carrying God’s light into the world. He recalled having acolytes extinguish the altar candles, then carry their still-burning candle lighters out through the congregation—a reminder that our worship sends us forth to serve.

Emmory Pickett shared a lighter reflection on following in the family tradition: “When I was little I wanted to become an acolyte because I watched my siblings playing with fire, and now that I have learned how to swing the thurible, I can’t wait to play with more fire.”

The group also made a pilgrimage to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, learned to use chopsticks at a Vietnamese restaurant, and relished Anglo-Catholic worship at St. Paul’s, K Street. Together, these experiences made for a trip rich in faith, fellowship and discovery.

Faithfully,
The Rev. Luke Fodor