When there are rules in place restricting the number of people you have in a building, you move events outside. And when there is a wide-open frozen lake at your disposal, you use it.

Over the weekend, St. John's University and The College of St. Benedict held their first-ever mass on a frozen lake on campus. Lake Sagatagan was the perfect venue to host over 300 people for this event.

The mass setup included a makeshift altar on a platform, blessings by lamplight, and the priest wearing a stocking hat with his vestments.

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The schools have been doing what they can to be creative during the past year hosting mass services at the campus football stadium, on the church lawn, and now on a frozen lake. Students joked afterward that the school needs to get a large raft and host on the lake once the ice thaws. Father Kleespie wasn't sure how appropriate mass in swimming trunks would be.

We are coming up on the year mark of living life with COVID-19 restrictions in place. It has been absolutely incredible to see the creativity of people in the past year. A year ago, a church service on a frozen lake would have been a super unique, and almost crazy, idea to pull off. These days it is just using what is at a person's disposal to give others a little sense of normalcy, even if the only part that is normal is the fact that mass is held on a Sunday. Well done CSB and SJU! What a great idea.

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