St. Mary patrons bring in the holiday spirit

Stockings, fully-decorated Christmas trees and wreaths decked the halls of St. Mary Star of the Sea Church on Saturday as it hosted its annual Christmas Bazaar. 

Church members and outside vendors set up booths throughout the church hall to sell their holiday-themed wares. 

Members of the church have met every Thursday since May to decorate trees and sew and crochet items in preparation for the event. Additionally, members made baked goods and donated items to be sold in the "Granny's Attic" section.  

"It's great fun," said Clara McGonigle, a co-chair of the event. "We all get together and work and we just have a good time talking and commenting on each other's things." 

McGonigle said there are a lot of popular items, such as homemade ornaments and blankets, but the crowd favorite is typically the fully-decorate Christmas trees. 

Money made from the bazaar and the church's annual rummage sale is donated to various area charities.