Mother Butler Center Holds Fall Bazaar Fundraiser

The annual bazaar raises money for the center's programs, including its food pantry, and promotes the canonization cause of Nicholas Black Elk.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Philanthropy

Folded red and blue beaded ribbon skirts and a basket of golden pastries on a wooden table in a bright church hall with a prairie sky through the window. — The Mother Butler Center in Rapid City held its annual fall bazaar, one of its largest fundraisers, to support its food pantry and ongoing programs. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Mother Butler Center held its annual fall bazaar, one of its largest fundraisers, with proceeds supporting its ongoing programs including the Mother Butler Food Pantry. Deacon Bill White promoted the canonization cause of Nicholas Black Elk at a booth during the event.

Why it matters

The bazaar sustains operations at a center founded in 1950 to serve Rapid City's Indigenous community, nearly all of whose activities serve Native American residents. Its volunteer-led model keeps fundraising costs low for local food and community services.

The Mother Butler Center was established in 1950 to serve the local Indigenous community, and its silent auction featured dozens of items. The total revenue raised by this year's bazaar has not been reported.

The players

Mother Butler Center

A Rapid City parish-based center founded in 1950 that serves the local Indigenous community, with most activities serving Native American residents.

Nicholas Black Elk

A Lakota catholic figure who served the church on the Pine Ridge Reservation for over three decades and is credited with bringing more than 400 Native Americans into the Catholic faith, now the subject of a canonization cause.

Deacon Bill White

A deacon who promoted Black Elk's canonization cause at the bazaar and traveled to Rome in June 2026 to confer with the Roman postulator.

The details

Tables were lined with ribbon skirts, homemade pastries, and silent auction items, with volunteers from the parish staffing the event while vendors handled their own booths. Auction lots included a dinner cooked by Father John Hatcher and Father Hung Nguyen.

1950: Mother Butler Center established to serve the local Indigenous community.
Nov. 1, 2026: Annual fall bazaar held at the Mother Butler Center in Rapid City.

Roadmap

The canonization cause for Nicholas Black Elk requires two confirmed miracles attributed to his intercession before advancing further. The Positio is the next stage in that process, which Deacon Bill White is working to advance through consultations in Rome.

Residents who want to support the Mother Butler Food Pantry can contribute through the center's fundraising events such as the annual fall bazaar. Volunteers from the community staff the bazaar, so participation directly sustains the center's programs.

The takeaway

Community fundraisers like the Mother Butler Center bazaar often depend on volunteer labor to keep costs down and direct more money to direct services. Supporting events like these is one practical way for local residents to help sustain Indigenous-serving programs.