AUBURN – “It was a perfect day. The saints were with us.”

With those words, Irene Biron of Holy Cross Parish in Lewiston summed up Sunday’s Parish Picnic that brought hundreds of area Catholic families to Lost Valley.

Her favorite memories will be “the kids roaming around enjoying their games and rides, and the food was wonderful,” she said.

“And meeting all the people we know,” added her sister-in-law, Jeanne Biron of Lewiston.

According to Anita Baribault of Lewiston, “It has been a beautiful day. What more can we say?”

The picnic was one of the area events celebrating 150 years of Catholicism in the L-A cluster of parishes. It was the first year in which invitations went out to all Catholic churches in Lewiston, Auburn, Greene, Lisbon, Mechanic Falls, Norway and Sabattus.

The day’s events had all the trimmings of a traditional summer picnic – lots of food, games and opportunities to just sit in the shade or sun and visit. Young and old enjoyed hayrides in a wagon behind a big farm tractor. Dozens of youngsters played parachute games or ran up and down the steep grassy ski slopes.

A few kids cooled off under a hose sprayed on a small wading pool and a DJ provided music for dancing.

For the many of the crowd from 12 area parishes, it was all about the food.

A chili cook-off drew 17 entrants.

The award for hottest chili went to “Levasseur’s Hot Chili Chili Bang Bang,” prepared by Robert Levasseur of St. Louis Parish, Auburn. Doris Morin of Holy Family Parish, Lewiston, took honors for the tastiest entry with her “Doris’ Heavenly Chili.”

The most original recipe was “Wicked Good White Chili” made by Sandra Thompson of Sacred Heart Parish, Auburn, and Mike Racine of St. Joseph’s Parish, Lewiston, won the prize for best name – “Sailor’s Fury.”

A pig roast, barbecued chicken and roast beef were highlights of a long food table where picnickers sampled the chili entries, baked beans, corn on the cob and a large assortment of salads and desserts brought by many families.

It was the duty of Jeff Caron of Turner, a member of St. Joseph’s Parish, to start the pig cooking around midnight, and “baby-sit” the porker through the early morning hours of Sunday. The chicken barbecue was handled by Louis Bourgoin of Holy Cross Parish.

Mark Labonte, who headed a St. Joseph’s Parish committee, said attendance was approaching 700 by mid-afternoon. He and his wife Lisa had helped organize picnics for St. Joseph’s parishioners in recent years, as well as a joint gathering last year with St. Patrick’s Parish.

A couple of hundred people attended those events.

“I’m overwhelmed with the whole thing,” Labonte said. He estimated that it was the biggest social gathering of Catholics ever in this area.

“The whole idea is that community doesn’t stop at a church. It includes everybody from one end of the state to the other,” Labonte said.

Louise Fecteau enjoyed the day at the summery slopes with her 11 children, who ranged in age from 18 years old to five weeks. She is a member of Saints Peter and Paul Parish.

Galie St. Jean, 8, couldn’t think of anything to say about her favorite activity, but her sister Avery, 12, said she liked “climbing the mountain and the hay ride.” And Galie decided to chime in with “… and eat.” She said she liked the strawberries best.

Averie and Galie were at the picnic with their mom, Leisha St. Jean of Holy Trinity Parish, Lisbon Falls.