SMARTSVILLE, CA (MPG) - Happily, Pioneer Day in Smartsville is back!  Good!  But what on earth have we just been through?

If we live long enough, most of us will experience periods of time where, due to circumstances not entirely controllable, we are forced to deviate from our chosen path.  How we respond is a measure of our character.  Several examples come to mind.

The Apostle Paul composed a series of letters that heavily influenced the New Testament while imprisoned in Corinth, and, more generally, anyone engaged in physically demanding work who becomes sick or injured must spend his or her time differently while recovering.

In spite of the hazards and restrictions of the past two years, we at SCRFI, the non-profit corporation for restoration of the former Catholic Church, have persevered with significant progress in our restoration efforts.  Aurel Onut with Byzantine Painting Studios, finished restoration of our sanctuary’s apse, Rio Morales of Montgomery Lifters did an amazing job repairing our back wall’s foundation, and James Stephens of Stephens Electrical Systems is now finishing the rough-in electrical for our church.  That time was well spent.

The part of our activity that we weren’t able to maintain was Pioneer Day,  our annual fund-raising festival.  But, we believe, the worst is now over and Pioneer Day 2022 will occur on Saturday, April 30, from 9 am to 4 pm.

Activities at Pioneer Day will be very similar to our 12 previous annual productions.  We will have live music on stage, mining tours, food as well as arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities, historic character portrayals at our Timbuctoo Theater, and opportunities to look inside the church to see our amazing restoration progress.  We think you will be pleasantly surprised.

For more information, see our website SmartsvilleChurchRestoration.org  or contact Kathleen Smith at [email protected] or at (916) 838-2757.