All Souls’ Saint Nicholas Tour: A Tradition of Church Mice
Each year the theme of the mouse is a secret – only revealed when the doors open the day of the tour.
The All Souls’ Home Tour began in 1952. It was that same year that the tradition of creating handmade church mice to represent something special each year began as a fund raiser for church charities. After 61 years there still is a line outside the door that opens at 1 p.m. of All Souls’ Episcopal Church for the lucky 100 people to buy this year’s edition and add to their collection.
Some of the mice subjects include angels, British guards, bakers, hospice nurses, choir singers, Point Loma graduates, Scrooge and the list goes on, and on. The mouse tradition began with Elizabeth “Sport” Richards who had a vision that creating handmade church mice to be collector’s items would be a wonderful way to support the church’s philanthropies. An expert in needlepoint and hand sewing, she was joined in 1973 by Marian Rodgers. They were able to produce 100 church mice a year and created a following that continues today. Each year the theme of the mouse is a secret – only revealed when the doors open the day of the tour.
The current “Mice Lady” is Selma Vassall, who has been making mice for 25 years and is still assisted by Marian Rodgers.
The All Souls’ Saint Nicholas Home Tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, December 7. Tour five Point Loma homes, enjoy shopping at the Saint Nicholas Marketplace and lunch or tea at the café. The madrigal music of Courtly Noyse will be performed throughout the day at the church campus, located at 1475 Catalina Boulevard in Point Loma.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the tour. Visit www.all-souls.com to purchase tickets, or go to Walter Andersen Nursery, To the Point Café, Mission Hills Nursery or Ace Hardware in Liberty Station.
Category: Events, Local News
