EDMONDS — Father Matthew O’Leary was busy moving into his home after being named pastor at Holy Rosary Parish a year ago, but he and some friends walked downtown to enjoy the annual Fourth of July parade.

“One thing missing is our Holy Rosary float,” Father O’Leary remembers thinking.

So he asked parishioners to design and build a parish float for this year’s community parade.

“They took on the challenge, and they are working really hard,” Father O’Leary said.

Holy Rosary parishioners designed and built this float reflecting faith and patriotism for the Edmonds Fourth of July parade. The float won the parade's “best original float” award. (Courtesy Greg Schuler)

The float, combining faith and patriotism, features a small wooden church, complete with a cross, bell tower, rose window and “stained glass” windows made of aluminum foil. The design includes a planter and child-shaped mannequins, wearing Catholic school attire or Holy Rosary T-shirts, connected to a rotating platform surrounding around an American flag. Red, white and blue imitation carnations placed around the float’s perimeter add to the patriotic vibe.

No one will ride the float, but about 40 parishioners wearing Holy Rosary T-shirts will walk with the float during the parade, said parishioner Greg Schuler, who designed the float. He planned to tow the float with his pickup truck and operate a speaker system playing bells.

It’s believed to be the first time Holy Rosary has entered a float in the parade, Father O’Leary said. Update: The float won the parade’s “Most Original” trophy.

Holy Rosary parishioners pose with the banner and trophy awarded for the “most original” entry in the Edmonds Fourth of July parade. (Courtesy Holy Rosary Parish)

Father O’Leary said he envisioned a replica of Holy Rosary’s church from 1905. Schuler described the float as “a little bit island country,” with a church structure that channels a bit of the look of St. Benedict Church in Seattle.

Schuler, who also designed the woodwork in the parish’s recently completed adoration chapel, partnered with fellow woodworker Jim Pinsoneault to build the float inside Pinsoneault’s garage. Volunteers were planning to put the finishes touches on the float — installing the windows, the cross and the bell tower — the weekend before the Fourth.

“It’s just fun to get together with people,” said Pinsoneault, who has been a Holy Rosary parishioner since the late 1960s.

Above: Holy Rosary parishioners Jim Pinsoneault and Greg Schuler built Holy Rosary Parish’s float for the Edmonds Fourth of July parade. Below: Greg Schuler's plans for the float. (Photos courtesy Greg Schuler)

This isn’t Father O’Leary’s first experience with parish floats. As pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Battle Ground from 2004-2010, the parish missions in Ridgefield and Yacolt built floats for their community Fourth of July parades, he said.

It’s a great way to evangelize, Father O’Leary said.

“It’s wonderful to see so many people want to be part of the life of the community,” he said. “It shows people having fun with [the] church and the parish.”