Ann Blue Awarded the Order of the Diocese

Long-time St. Catherine's parishioner Ann Blue has been awarded the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster for "extraordinary service, leadership, wisdom and committed ministry to God’s mission in the world."  Ann is the current head of the Altar Guild. She sings in the church choir and has been writing a column for the St. Catherine's Courier for over 30 years.  Among her other contributions, Ann has served as a church warden and was one of the founders of the Paul's Place Soup Kitchen.  The award was presented at Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver) on November 6.  On November 20, St. Catherine's Church members gathered at a potluck supper to celebrate with Ann. St. Catherine's salutes you, Ann, for a well-deserved honour.

Annual Church Bazaar - Nov. 26

On November 26, 2011, the St. Catherine’s Anglican Church Women (ACW) will hold their 102nd annual bazaar in partnership with the women of Trinity United Church. This long-standing tradition once helped to fund construction of the original St. Catherine’s Church building and continues to fund both the church and the ACW’s mission in the wider community.

One hundred years ago the annual bazaar made front page news in the Coquitlam Star (December 8, 1911) with this story:

“Easily the most successful sale of work which Coquitlam has yet seen was held in the Municipal Hall under the auspices of St. Catherine’s Church Ladies’ Society and the able direction of Rev. H. Fane Edge, who was as usual, the moving spirit of the day.

 “Crowds attended the bazaar which was so financially successful that at the end of the afternoon the tables were cleared of their goods and a hundred or so young men bemoaning lack of appetite for supper.

 “At times the crush was so great that the buyers surging around the stalls were pushed out into the street, and a rush for shelter from the pouring rain resulted in the room upstairs being requisitioned by the crowd for a social hall. Every one had to take their turn in this upstairs room eventually, except, of course, Mr. Frank Pambridge, who stuck so close to the stall where the most palatable eatables were displayed that he might have been glued there. His front position, so to speak, was several times hotly contested by others of the young men about town, but naturally nothing short of an ax could move Frank when some thing good to eat was within his reach.”

Mark your calendars and plan to be part of the continuing tradition at the St. Catherine’s-Trinity Annual Bazaar on November 26.