On Sunday September the ninth the three members of the Bishop Mission Corp along with Father Jeff Reich and his family blessed the house on 207 Meridian St.. The house was blessed with Holy water as well as incense in accordance the Rite of a House Blessing. The Blessing started in the front yard and moved into the house where each room was then blessed. It was a fun blessing and each person had a smile and a laugh as the service moved along.

House blessings date back to the time of early Christianity in which prayers are offered to protect members of the house from evil spirits. During the blessing, a prayer is said and then Holy water and incense are flung about the room. Along with the Blessing of the House, Father Jeff blessed a Shrine which contains two Icons (an Icon of St. Benedict and one of St. Elias) and Cross with a depiction of the Last Supper.
This was the first house blessing that I had been to in which incense had been used. To me the incense made the service more special. The fragrance seemed to make the service more holy. Father Jeff did a terrific job of leading the service and we appreciate all the hard work he already put into our ministry! Pictures were taken during the service and they can be found under the photos section of this web site and they can also be found on our Facebook group page, The Friends of the Bishop's Mission Corps.

God Bless,

Thomas Bailey Ward