What is LOBSTERFEST?                                         

In the late-1980’s, the priest at St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Huntsville) realized that the parish family was ready to add an international component to our local and national outreach efforts. Because the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama was at that time in a “companionship” relationship with the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras, the Rev. William (Bill) Hudson began researching opportunities in that Central American country. He traveled to Honduras once or twice, and a couple of groups from this parish went down to help build an orphanage for girls. Some families in our parish still provide financial support for a few girls living there, ensuring them an education that will help them get good jobs when they become independent.

Fr. Hudson died unexpectedly in 1992, and the following year the Rev. Kee Sloan came to St. Thomas. He encouraged the parish to deepen our involvement in Honduras by sending a medical mission team to an isolated Honduran village that had no access to medical, dental and veterinary professionals. Most of the animals in the community are not household pets, but are an important part of their families’ livelihoods; hence the desire to improve the well-being of four-footed residents, along with the two-footed ones.

The first Honduras Medical Mission was planned for 1995. Even though each traveler was expected to pay his/her own travel, food and lodging expenses, it quickly became clear that the parish would need to raise an unprecedented amount of money to make this plan a reality. We “borrowed” the idea of flying lobsters down from Maine from an Episcopal Church in North Carolina, set up a bunch of committees, recruited a bunch of volunteers, and held the First Annual St. Thomas LOBSTERFEST on October 22, 1994.

While the impetus for the original LOBSTERFEST was raising money to support a particular ministry, the St. Thomas parish family actually has 3 goals for this annual event:

• To pull together the membership of a growing parish by including as many of the parish members as wanted to be a part of the event,
• To create a fun annual event that folks in the larger community would enjoy and connect with St. Thomas Church, and
• To make enough money to fund the Medical Mission (and ultimately other ministries as well).

Two weeks before the first LOBSTERFEST, we had fewer than 100 orders for lobsters. With a flurry of last-minute sales and a large dose of faith, we ordered 1200 to be shipped from Maine to Huntsville! While the first few LOBSTERFESTS didn’t single-handedly raise all the funding needed to send the Honduras Medical Mission, the first medical team went in June 1995 and at least one team has gone every year since. Not all of the team members or all of the church support comes from within our parish, but the St. Thomas Medical Mission has established strong bonds of affection and care with the people of Delicias del Norte, some of whom walk for six hours to get to their annual visit with a doctor or dentist. Over time, we have been able to see a significant improvement in the health of the villagers (and their animals), thanks to vaccinations, vitamins, etc.

By the time we were planning our second LOBSTERFEST, the parish family decided that we wanted to divide the proceeds equally between the Honduran Medical Mission and Habitat for Humanity of Madison County. We had actually begun building a Habitat home with several other area churches in 1995, and we have done so each year since. Thirteen families in Madison County now have safe, decent housing, thanks in part to LOBSTERFEST and its patrons. Since lobster sales have gradually climbed to about 2200 per year, recent LOBSTERFESTS have raised almost all of the funds needed for these two annual projects.

But LOBSTERFEST isn’t just lobsters! St. Thomas’ barbequed ribs and shredded BBQ have earned their own tasty reputation! The day always includes a Bake Sale by the women of St. Anne’s Guild, as well as a Craft Show, Silent Auction and Children’s Games. Live Entertainment goes on throughout the day, while you wait for your take-home food or eat in the Parish Hall (where someone else will clean up your mess!) A few years ago, a cookbook was compiled with recipes from parish members and friends. Proceeds from the sale of Candlelight Celebrations also support these ministries. Filled with recipes for casual, as well as fine dining, the cookbook has earned compliments from many!

The Fifteenth Annual LOBSTERFEST is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2008, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 12200 Bailey Cove Road in southeast Huntsville. We invite YOU to attend LOBSTERFEST, enjoy yourself, eat some good food and support four exceptionally worthy causes!