The St. Peter's Catholic Church Family Picnic and Homecoming has become a major event every summer in Coplay.

This year's event, held Aug. 4 on the church grounds between Fifth and Sixth streets and Center and Coplay streets, was complemented by sunny skies and warm weather.

A new addition this year was a polka Mass led by the Schanta Band and a large group of singers in the church's choir loft.

Crowds also came out to meet Anita and Herbert Nagl of Prebensdorf, Austria, visiting the United States for the first time with their son, Christian, and his fiancee, Julia Schindelka.

After being greeted by Monsignor John Martin, the church's pastor, the couple found themselves at the center of attention. They were introduced to the crowd by the Schanta and Joe Weber bands after which Anita Nagl went on stage to sing an Austrian song.

The couple led a dance in their honor and then picnic guests waited in line to greet them.

Children enjoyed a moon bounce, blow-up rides and a tractor train which was busy for hours running through a canopy of large bubbles.

Food at the picnic included cabbage and noodles, ham and steak sandwiches, homemade New England clam chowder and the church made pierogies, of which more than 1,450 dozen were sold.

The festival serves as a major fundraiser for the church.