WAPAKONETA — The Petersburg Parishes will host their seventh annual Fair Trade Sale on Saturday, Nov. 3, and Sunday, Nov. 4, in the St. Joseph Church Parish Life Center, West Pearl and Blackhoof streets, Wapakoneta. Hours for the sale are Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, 8:30 to 11 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m. Shoppers may use the Blackhoof Street parking lot to access the Parish Life Center. The event is open to the public and all are welcome.
The Fair Trade sale provides an opportunity to purchase beautiful, handcrafted items from around the world. They include: jewelry, clothing, home décor, keepsakes, Christmas decorations, etc. The sale also includes coffee, tea, spices, chocolate, and the famous Mother Brunner bread, baked fresh in St. Henry.
“We’re really excited about the many new items that shoppers will see at the sale. If you have a gourmet in your family, we’ll have amazing spices,” said Rachel Barber, from the Petersburg Parishes. “If you have a chocolate lover, we’ll have several dozen varieties. If you have someone who loves coffee or jewelry or Christmas decorations or a one-of-a-kind carving—you need to come to this sale.”
Purchases at the fair trade sale support farmers, artisans, and laborers as they seek to build better lives for their families. The monies from the sale help people in the developing world send their children to school, build wells, and participate in projects that strengthen their communities.
The Petersburg Parishes work with SERRV, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support worldwide. SERRV collaborates with congregations of many denominations to host Fair Trade sales across the country. This year the parishes are also working with Linda Thieman, who makes frequent mission trips to Haiti, and with Special Families of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, the parishes’ twinning partner.
The Petersburg Parishes of Botkins Immaculate Conception, Fryburg St. John, Rhine St. Lawrence, and Wapakoneta St. Joseph are named for the now-vanished Petersburg settlement (between Wapakoneta and Botkins) from which the parishes emerged in the 19th century. They are served by the Rev. Sean Wilson, pastor, and the Rev. Jarred Kohn, associate pastor. For more information, call 419-738-4924.
