June 9 at St. Mary’s
Call it the triple bonanza of yard sales: Three local institutions – two churches and a synagogue – team up this coming Saturday (June 9) for a large tag sale on the Great Lawn of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Cold Spring. Along with St. Mary’s, the First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown and the Philipstown Reform Synagogue are participating in the event, to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the lawn, at the intersection of Chestnut Street-Morris Avenue (Route 9D) and Main Street (Route 301) in Cold Spring. Rain date is Sunday (June 10).
The sale will feature “gently used” bric-a-brac, jewelry, china, furniture and household items, children’s clothes, and more. In addition to allowing the public to snap up bargains and treasures as well as baked goods and home-cooked food (including delectables at an all-day barbeque), the three-in-one sale provides crucial income to the sponsors. “It’s no secret that religious congregations have to work overtime to keep the ‘welcome’ sign out,” host St. Mary’s noted in a news release on Monday (June 4). “These congregations minister to the needs of Cold Springers every day, and they make our village a wonderful place through their dedication to our community.”
The churches and synagogue are neighbors as well as friends and partners in the sale. The synagogue meets in the St. Mary’s Parish Hall and the Presbyterian Church, visible from St. Mary’s, stands but a short block away, down a side street. “Events such as these underscore the innate value of our faith communities coming together and working together; they demonstrate a true unity of purpose shared by us all,” said Diane Botnick, president of the Philipstown Reformed Synagogue.
“Communities of faith can accomplish much — the Food Pantry, Habitat and so much more — when we combine our efforts,” the Rev. Leslie Mott, the Presbyterian pastor, concurred. “We are better together than alone.”
Father Shane Scott-Hamblen, St. Mary’s rector, likewise described the tag sale as “a wonderful demonstration of fellowship and unity,” one with economic importance as well. “Small congregations have to become creative in finding ways to raise the much-needed funds to stay open and focused on their mission to serve,” he said.
Photo by L.S.Armstrong
