By THÉRÈSE MARGOLIS

After skipping its 2020 edition due to the covid-19 pandemic, Mexico City’s Christ Church Anglican Parish hosted its annual Christmas bazaar inside the gardens and auditorium of its Lomas de Chapultepec installations on Saturday, Dec. 4.

As always, the community-oriented event was open with a gala parade of pipe music by the Saint Patrick’s Battalion Pipe and Drum Band.

And while there were somewhat fewer stands than in previous years — also because of the pandemic — there were plenty of items on sale to make for perfect holiday gifts, from hand-loomed sweaters and Christmas ornaments to homemade jams and imported French cheeses.

There was also a tombola with gifts for every age, and a raffle with prizes ranging from well-stocked Christmas baskets to meals for two at the some of the city’s finest hotels.

Bookworms spent much of their time sorting through the plethora of used books in the bazaar’s make-shift bookstore, and hungry bargain-hunters could grab a roast beef sandwich and some home-cooked sweets, along with a piping hot cup of tea, in the auditorium café.

More than 500 people showed up for the fair, which was officially hosted by the parish’s new rector, Elisabeth Anne Sinclair.

As always, the proceeds from the bazaar will go to help Christ Church’s charities, including the parish’s own Santa Juliana de Norwich health and wellness programs for low-income persons living in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico and the La Divina Providencia home for mentally and physically challenged children and adults in Texcoco, State of Mexico.

The bazaar, which has been held every December (except in 2020) for more than 150 years, constitutes one of Christ Church’s major fundraisers, bringing in about 150,000 pesos a year to be used to sponsor outreach programs.

Christ Church in Mexico traces its beginnings back to 1871, when English-language services were first conducted on a regular weekly basis at various locations throughout the capital city.

Finally, in 1895, the first cornerstone of a neo-gothic style church was laid at Artículo 123 in downtown Mexico City, and the structure was opened for regular public worship on Pentecost Day three years later.

But years of aging and the devastating effects of the Sept. 19, 1985, earthquake finally forced the congregation to move to its current location in Lomas de Chapultepec.