For 51 years, a booth at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus has represented the Catholic Church at the state’s largest fair.
The Lancaster-Zanesville Marian Center set up a booth in 1974 that continues to operate at the state fair, typically held each summer at the end of July and beginning of August. The booth was back again this summer at the Ohio State Fair, which ran from July 23 to August 3.
It was founded by a Lancaster couple, Rita Merk, 92, and her late husband, Dr. James Merk, who died earlier this year. More than five decades ago, the couple was enjoying the various booths at the Ohio State Fair when they encountered one rather alarming.
“It was a black tent, and inside, there were men dressed as priests, and they were singing the worst songs against the Church – terrible – so we left, and we went up to the office to complain,” Merk recalled.
“They said, ‘Lady, they paid $1,200 for that booth. They can do what they want. If you want to do something, you get a booth of your own.’”
And so, she did.
As divine providence would have it, one booth was left available for the coming year. Merk contacted a Marian group in Columbus for help with expenses.
They compiled enough money to rent the booth at the fair the following summer. The first Marian booth opened on July 27, 1974. The booth made enough money in donations each summer to open again every year since.
The Lancaster Knights of Columbus council donates $500 a year to help with the Marian booth expenses, which average about $1,270.
The booth is located inside the fair’s Bricker Marketplace. The backdrop of the booth includes a painting of God the Father, the Holy Spirit depicted as a dove and a cutout that leaves room for a large crucifix, which is situated in the space.
Sacred Scripture and statues of Our Lady of Fatima and St. Joseph sit on a stand in front of the painting.
Visitors can enter a drawing to win the statue of Our Lady, which is given to a selected winner each summer. The statue is handcrafted by Mazzolini Artcraft in Cleveland, the largest supplier, manufacturer and importer of fine Catholic statuary in the United States. The company handcrafts a statue each year for the booth.
Merk, who belongs to Lancaster St. Bernadette Church, is part of the parish’s Marian Society. The ministry meets monthly to promote prayer and Eucharistic Adoration. The society regularly leads the Holy Rosary before Mass on Sundays.
The booth is manned by members of the Marian group and parishioners in and around Lancaster, Zanesville, Perry County, Newark and Columbus. St. Gabriel Radio (central Ohio’s AM 820 station) staff and volunteers also serve at the booth, along with consecrated religious sisters and priests. Volunteers answer questions, pass out material and offer a Catholic presence at the fair.
Handmade rosaries, holy cards, pamphlets and books on the saints are available to booth visitors free of charge. All items are donated or purchased with money from donations.
Rosaries are made by members of the Marian center from 80-pound fishing line. The Children of Mary religious order, which has a convent in Newark, donated Eucharistic holy cards.
“In 51 years, we’ve never had to worry about having enough stuff. Seems like we’ve always been blessed with enough,” said Deacon Ed Christ, who serves as a deacon in the Perry County Consortium (Junction City St. Patrick and New Lexington St. Rose of Lima churches).
Christ, who is part of the Lancaster-Zanesville Marian Center, volunteers with his wife, Susan. The deacon has volunteered at the booth since 1979. He has witnessed the Lord’s unfailing providence in the time since.
“This year, we didn’t have any scapulars, or very few left over. … We only had just a little bit with not enough time to order any,” Christ explained.
A volunteer went to a priest, asking if he had a contact who could give them scapulars to distribute.
Christ recalled that the priest “came back and gave her a great big box of scapulars. He said, ‘A lady gave me these. I didn’t know what to do with them.’”
Throughout the years, several fairgoers have stopped by the booth to share stories of conversion or sorrows in their lives.
“Many times people will come up and they’ll say that they had a miraculous happening in their life, maybe, and they honor the Blessed Mother for that, and they feel that she’s come in their life,” Merk explained.
“We’ve had some people that are anti-Catholic, and you’ll get a handful of those every time, too,” Christ added, “but it’s nice because you know that you’re doing something good, because, if you’re weren’t, they wouldn’t come over and say something to you.”
Members of the All-Ohio State Fair Band, which features instrumentalists from more than 100 high schools across the state and performs each year, have also visited the Marian booth.
“About an hour after they get done playing, you’ll see a bunch of them start to trickle in, and we’ll get maybe 20 of the members of the band stop, and they’ll say, ‘Boy, you know, we were waiting to get done so we can come see the booth,’” Christ said. “They do it every year that they play.
“We get a lot of people that come back every year and say, ‘Boy, I’m glad to see you’re here.’”
Many youth have been attracted to the booth.
Christ noted young children have stopped by, saying they need a new rosary or holy card. With the rise of a generation not practicing any faith, encountering youth at the booth brings hope.
Some children come up, but their parents steer them away. Volunteers have seen parents tell their children not to believe it. Adults have also voiced their opinions.
Regardless of where individuals stand with the Catholic faith, volunteers at the booth offer a Christlike presence. They listen and explain their devotion to Jesus, Mary and the Catholic Church.
“We never argue with anyone. We’ll maybe say, ‘May God bless you,’ but we never argue,” Merk said.
“A man came out, and he said, ‘I don’t believe in any of this,’ and I said, ‘I will pray for you,’ and he came back later, and he thanked me. So, you see how God works.”