With nearly 150 young attendees and lots of volunteer helpers, the SCUBA-themed Vacation Bible School at St Patrick’s Catholic Church was a success.

Hosted at the church, corner of Highway 120 and Carrolton Road, the VBS ran from July 8 through July 12. VBS staff member Tara Gervase said each day ran from 8 a.m. to noon, with youngsters starting with Mass at 8 a.m. and then enjoying the Vacation Bible School classes and activities from 9 a.m. to noon.

“We averaged about 145 kids, from Escalon and surrounding areas,” Gervase said, primarily children of St. Patrick’s parishioners.

Each VBS day included a time for crafts, a Bible story, Kid Vid videos, outdoor recreation and snacks. Attendees were in groups ranging from Sea Turtles to Jellyfish, Starfish to Crabs.

“My favorite part is when we’re talking about our God sightings,” explained Gervase. “I like to learn how the kids see God in their world; for one, it was watching baby chicks hatching, for others, it’s family members they’re thankful for.”

Along with the kids attending, which included those going into Pre-K to those going into fifth grade, Gervase said there were roughly 60 volunteers ranging from junior high school age on up to adult.

“It takes a village to pull this off,” Gervase admitted of the VBS, which was running smoothly on Friday, their final day together.

That day also included a wrap up program and a hot dog lunch for attendees and their families, hosted by the YLI and the Men’s Club of St. Patrick’s.

For the week, numbers in the various grade and age groups fluctuated some, with the third-grade group having the highest number consistently.