Now that’s a union.
Midwood and Marine Park parishes celebrated the 184th anniversary of the borough’s Sunday School Union on June 9, as young scholars marched alongside alums, handsome crosses, and colorful banners.
“It’s a good time. We had our big picture of Jesus out on the road, which we absolutely love showing off,” said Kristene Krober, a Good Shepherd Lutheran Church parishioner and organizer of the verbose Sunday School Union Parade.
The parade included parishioners representing eight churches, half of whom began at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on New York Avenue, while the others embarked from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Avenue R.
They set out for Fraser Square, where the two bands merged into one group, before continuing along Kings Highway towards the Methodist Church at 37th Street.
From there, the marchers turned and strode back to the small, Kings Highway park where they’d met earlier. They held another service before heading back to their respective parishes and enjoying cake and ice cream, while the children played outside.
The parade, which in generations past benefited from a tremendous turnout, has dwindled significantly over the years and these days has to settle for between 125 to 150 marchers.
“When we were growing up, there were thousands and thousands of people,” said Joyce Verderosa, a Holy Trinity Lutheran Church parishioner and parade organizer.
The Sunday School Union parade isn’t the monumental traffic stopper it once was, so the marchers instead had to settle for a perfect summer day.
“We had great weather, that much we can say,” said Verderosa.
Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.
