Nan Gaddy, Herb Rentz & Lanna McMeekin 
Jenny Praser and Debra LeVay
WINNSBORO – The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of St. John’s Episcopal Church hosted their second Annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser on Feb. 10, to raise money to support seven community outreach projects: Samaritan’s Purse, Fairfield Middle School Personal Needs Closet, Angel Tree at the Middle School, Fairfield County Food Bank, Grieving Needs Foundation, Fairfield County Council on Aging Angel Boxes, and Episcopal Relief Fund.
This year the event was held at The Rectory, a 104-year-old Bungalow completed in May 1920 from a mail order catalog by The Aladdin Company of Bay City, Michigan. The model selected by the vestry was the Pomoa from the 1917 Catalog house plan #29 (Information is available online from Central Michigan/Clark Historical Library).
Artist Barbara Yongue’s art exhibit added an exciting dimension to the event and showed that The Rectory is a good venue for art exhibitions. Barbara exhibits her award winning art in numerous art shows throughout South Carolina. Barbara’s first love is portrait painting, although she is known for her beautiful landscapes of rural and coastal South Carolina, along with still life paintings of flowers.
Professional Chef, Robert Stegall-Smith prepared Shrimp Jambalaya, while vestry member Walter Deierlein prepared his famous beef brisket along with homemade rolls by Janet Brakefield. Other delicious food was prepared by the Episcopal Church Women.
The King Cake, a traditional part of a Mardi Gras celebration, was provided by Herb Rentz. The celebration of Mardi Gras marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian church with a time of prayer and preparation to celebrate Easter. The Lenten season originated in the 4th century of the church. The season spans 40 weekdays beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending during Holy Week with Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and concluding with the Saturday before Easter.
St. John’s Episcopal Church services led by Fr. Slaven Manning are scheduled as follows :
- Ash Wednesday, February 14 at 6:00 p.m.
- Palm Sunday, March 24 at 11:00 a.m.
- Maundy Thursday, March 28 at 6:00 p.m.
- Good Friday, March 29 at noon
- Easter Sunday, March 31 at 11:15 a.m.
St. John’s Episcopal Church is located at 301 West Liberty St. (at the corner of Liberty and Garden St.), Winnsboro. Phone 803-635-4398.
Lynn Douglass and Alice Rice 
Barbara Yongue with one of her paintings.
