Father John Antony, pastor of St. Raphael Church in Springdale (standing fourth from left in back row), wanted his parishioners to appreciate the diocese’s treasured Catholic churches instead of looking outside the state borders. He decided to host an Aug. 18 “backyard pilgrimage.” Forty-one parishioners departed by bus and headed for St. Boniface Church in Fort Smith and then went to St. Mary Church in Altus. Their final stop was St. Edward Church (above) in Little Rock where they attended Mass and joined the parish for a barbecue dinner and bingo. At each stop, pilgrims learned about the parish’s history and participated in a scavenger hunt.
