St. Mary, Star of the Sea Royal Rummage canceled

About a year ago, hundreds of shoppers packed into the Father Edward Pick Fellowship Hall at St. Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church. When the Royal Rummage rolled around on Longboat Key, shoppers unfailingly descended in a bargain-fueled fervor. 

But this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep events on ice, the Royal Rummage has been canceled and there are no plans to reschedule the event. 

For now, it would be impossible to host a sale anytime soon. All items that had been donated to the church were donated to a parish in Wauchula, said Women’s Guild President Sue DiNatale. It will go to the parish’s migrant workers, she said. 

“Masses and everything are the same, but the bigger things like the rummage sale we’re not doing just because with social distancing, there's no way,” DiNatale said. “It takes an enormous amount of people. There’s just no room.”

Though larger events are on hold, the church is slowly starting to come together outside of services once again and groups such as the Women’s Guild are continuing their charity work.

They recently collected about 250 packages of diapers and more than 800 items of clothing from the congregation and donated them to a pregnancy center. There are developing plans for a food drive in March, and DiNatale and other leaders are brainstorming ways to give out the prizes from the canceled annual fashion show. Whatever they do, they’ll keep it safe and largely outdoors for the time being as vaccines are slowly doled out. 

“It’s something that people can still donate or do things but still social distance and feel comfortable about what they participate in,” DiNatale said.