International Bazaar kicks off
retreat house’s fall series

By Mary Ann Wyand

Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House staff members kicked off the fall program series with an international celebration in Indianapolis last month.

Rick Wagner, director of the archdiocesan retreat center, said Fatima’s first annual International Bazaar on Aug. 5 featured handmade arts and crafts from countries in Central America, South America and Africa.

Fatima staff members welcomed more than 200 patrons, he said, and admission donations raised $500 to help people in need.

Wagner said the donations benefit Fatima’s Genesis Fund, which provides financial assistance for people who cannot afford retreat fees. They also help The Lord’s Pantry and Anna’s House, ministries serving the poor in Marion County that are operated by Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ parishioner Lucious Newsom of Indianapolis.

“We ended up with 19 vendors,” Wagner said, “and over half of the vendors are ministries supporting outreach projects and fair trade practices. … The vendors were pleased, and we have the second annual bazaar on the books for Aug. 4, 2007.”

The International Bazaar was a fun way to help artists from Third World countries sell their wares at fair prices, he said, as well as invite new people to visit the retreat center and learn about spiritual programs offered throughout the year.

“We wanted to get some new folks on the grounds,” Wagner said. “We’re always looking for ways to do that, but at the same time we feel like it’s important as an agency of the archdiocese that we also provide outreach. A great way to do that was to join hands with other ministries.”

Colorful artwork and crafts from Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador and Kenya included crucifixes, rosaries, religious artwork, jewelry, pottery, toys, scarves, shawls and purses made from wood, clay, dried berries, gourds, flowers and plant or animal fibers.

Fatima’s ministry theme is “Celebrating the Art of Spiritual Renewal,” and Wagner said the International Bazaar coincides with the retreat center’s goals of promoting the Catholic faith, helping others and sharing the beauty of creation on the scenic wooded grounds at 5353 E. 56th St.

“We really wanted it to be ministry-driven and mission-driven,” he said about Fatima’s first bazaar, “so we wanted to have people who were reaching out in spirit-filled ways.”

St. Pius X parishioner Connie Tellman of Indianapolis and her daughter, Beth, a sophomore at Santa Clara College in California, were among the vendors selling the work of artisans from Central America.

Their Artesanias Salvadorenos booth featured Salvadoran artistry and promoted economic justice through fair trade policies.

“Fair trade is a special certification,” Beth Tellman said. “You know when you’re buying something that it’s [a] fair trade [product], that the worker was paid a living wage, that money goes back to the community for education and sustainable development, and that it’s environmentally friendly.”

Her father, Dr. William Tellman, is an Indianapolis dentist who has participated in medical mission trips to El Salvador with St. Pius X parishioners for about 10 years.

Connie Tellman volunteers as a board member for Global Gifts in Indianapolis, which promotes social justice in Third World countries by marketing artwork at appropriate prices.

“Last year, we went [to El Salvador] as a family then I went back with Bill in February,” she said. “I just had the idea of helping the artisans there. Their work is so beautiful, and they’re so proud. It’s just a way to help support them and give them dignity.” †