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History Blog

300th Anniversary Celebrations

May 5, 2021 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Neither power outage, nor poor WiFi connectivity, nor traffic jam on I-95 could keep St. Georgians from celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Parish of St. George’s April 30 – May 2, 2021! A big thank you to the Rev. Deacon Ed Jones for capturing the spirit of these celebrations. He wrote an article in The Free Lance-Star. You can read the article here.

On Friday, we began our celebrations with An Evening with Bishop Curry. This Zoom conversation was moderated by our Rector, the Rev. Joe Hensley, and the Rev. Deacon Ed Jones. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church – the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry – spoke about love and the Episcopal Church. Additionally, he challenged us as Christians to be imitators of Christ. It was a truly unforgettable evening. You can view a video of the conversation below.

Next, on Saturday, we celebrated the Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of St. George’s. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw attended and read a proclamation. The Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, also provided a special blessing. St. Georgians young and old – and some with four paws! – gathered on the street outside our building for the special service. We also unveiled the plaque which honors our designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Below is a video of the celebrations.

St. Georgian Earl Baughman was onsite to take photographs of the celebrations.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Our Sunday morning worship included a special sermon from Bishop Curry.

Thank you to everyone who helped make these celebrations possible!

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, History Blog, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, Rector's Blog, Sermon Blog, We Serve, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: 300th anniversary

Announcing St. George’s 300th Anniversary Commemoration Events

April 23, 2021 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Fredericksburg, VA – St. George’s Episcopal Church announces two upcoming events as part of their 300th Anniversary celebrations. On Friday, April 30 at 7 pm, they will host The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, for a Zoom conversation. On May 1 at 11 am, St. George’s will welcome The Rt. Reverend Susan Goff, Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia, and Mary Katherine Greenlaw, Mayor of Fredericksburg, for a special commemoration. ASL Interpretation will be provided for both events.

Hosted by Rev. Joe Hensley, Rector of St. George’s, and Rev. Deacon Ed Jones, former Editor of The Free Lance-Star, An Evening with Bishop Curry on April 30 will explore how we are called to be bridge-builders and people of faith, hope, and love as we look to the future of the church and nation. The evening will include a Q&A with Bishop Curry. Advance registration is required at: https://bit.ly/stgbishopcurry.

Bishop Curry will also preach at the 10 am livestream service on Sunday, May 2.

May 1 marks the 300th anniversary of when the legislation which created St. George’s parish officially went into effect. To celebrate, Bishop Susan Goff will provide a special blessing and Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw will issue a proclamation. The outdoor ceremony in front of the church at 905 Princess Anne Street will include an unveiling of the parish’s new National Register of Historic Places plaque. This event will be livestreamed on YouTube Live: https://bit.ly/StGYouTube.

For more information about St. George’s Episcopal Church, visit www.StGeorgesEpiscopal.net.

 

 

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, Grace in Action, History Blog, Ministries, News Blog, Parish Life, Rector's Blog, We Serve, Welcome, World Mission, Worship Tagged With: 300th anniversary, news, press release

Historian David Marsich to Present for St. George’s 300th Anniversary Lecture Series

June 30, 2020 by St. George's Leave a Comment

David_Marsich

Historian David Marsich of Germanna Community College will present a live stream webinar on Tuesday, July 21, 2020 at 7:00 pm ET as part of St. George’s 300th Anniversary celebrations. The webinar is offered free of charge with donations gladly accepted. Advance registration is required at: https://bit.ly/stg300thMarsichLecture.

David Marsich is the Assistant Professor of History at Germanna Community College. His lecture is entitled “St. George’s in Context: A Primer on Early American Religious History”.  The lecture will examine the history of the parish in the context of colonial American religious history; including the religious history of the colonial church as a supporter of slavery. Marsich is a Ph. D student at George Mason University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky. Prior to joining Germanna, he worked at historical sites, including Jamestown and the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. He has published peer-reviewed scholarship and is a frequent speaker on early American history.

The July 21 webinar is the first of a three-lecture series. Dr. Erin Devlin of the University of Mary Washington will look at the history of the church amidst racial strife and the civil rights era. John Hennessy, chief historian at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, will close the series by examining the role St. George’s played during the Civil War years.

“An important part of our 300th Anniversary celebrations is examining our history,” explained the Rev. Joseph H. Hensley, Jr., the twenty-seventh rector of St. George’s Episcopal Church. “Our goal is to look at the whole story, celebrating the faith, love, and good works of the generations before us while being honest that faith was used as justification for works that were the opposite of love.”

Older than the town of Fredericksburg, the congregation of St. George’s Episcopal Church was established in 1720 as “St. George’s Parish” by an act of the House of Burgesses when Virginia was still a colony. St. George’s played an important role in early American history, counting several notable revolutionaries as parishioners, including the families of George Washington, John Paul Jones, and Patrick Henry. White clergy and parishioners participated in the enslavement of African-Americans until the Civil War. A century later, the parish gradually abandoned racial segregation and has become more known for its support of equity and inclusion. From its iconic downtown steeple and clock tower ringing the hours, to its many acts of service in the community, to the prominent role of clergy and parishioners in the events of each generation, St. George’s has been at the heart of the Fredericksburg community for three centuries.

To register for the July 21 webinar, visit https://bit.ly/stg300thMarsichLecture. To learn more about St. George’s 300th Anniversary, call 540.373.4133 or visit http://bit.ly/stg300th.

Filed Under: Adult Formation, Fellowship, History Blog, News Blog, Parish Life, We Care, Welcome, Worship Tagged With: 300th, History

Black History Month Special Event – Untold Stories 2019

February 5, 2019 by St. George's Leave a Comment

“Looked for in the Hour of Danger – but Trampled Underfoot in the Time of Peace”

US Colored Troops during the Civil War

Friday, February 22, 2019, 6-8 p.m.
Rain date: March 1
A $10 donation (paid in advance) is greatly appreciated.

Tours are every 20 minutes beginning at 6:00 p.m. They begin at St. George’s Episcopal Church and end at Shiloh Baptist (New Site) with vignettes at the Presbyterian Church and Fredericksburg United Methodist Church in between. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

Each vignette will have local actors portraying scenes based on real people and their service before and after a particular war.  Included will be a look at the relationship between George Washington and Phillis Wheatley, the first U.S. female African American poet; a view of the “lost” Camp Casey near the present-day Pentagon that served as a training ground for the all-black 23rd U.S. Colored Infantry; a moment in a foxhole in France with Dr. Urbane Bass, a Fredericksburg physician who gave his life for his country; and, finally, a discussion with  local resident who served in the US Navy during WWII.

This is FoWB’s 2nd annual Black History Month Untold Stories event and is co-sponsored by the John J Wright Educational and Cultural Center and four historic churches in Fredericksburg.  Light refreshments will be served following the last vignette and guests are encouraged to visit with sponsor organizations at this time.

To reserve a spot for a tour, please sign up at the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield’s website www.fowb.org, where you may request which tour you would like to take.  Please note that space is limited so signing up early is advised!

Filed Under: History Blog, Interfaith, News Blog, Parish Life Tagged With: black history month, Fredericksburg, untold stories

St. George’s featured in Black History Month living history event

January 4, 2018 by St. George's Leave a Comment

Untold Stories of a Search for Freedom:

“Secret Codes, A Chatham Slave, and the Reverend Turner – Moments in Black History”

Friday, February 9, 2018, 6-9 p.m.
A $5 donation per person is greatly appreciated.

Tours are offered every 20 minutes beginning at 6:05 p.m, beginning at the Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 308 Hanover Street, just inside the Charlotte Street entrance. Visitors will then walk to St. George’s Episcopal Church and then to Shiloh Baptist Church, New Site.

“Witness” three untold stories of African Americans during and after the Civil War as they searched for freedom and civil rights. Join in commemorating Black History Month by participating in a living history event presenting three different vignettes at three historic churches in downtown Fredericksburg.

To reserve a spot for a tour, please sign up at the Friends of Wilderness Battlefield’s website www.fowb.org, where you may request which tour you would like to take. Time slots for tours are: 6:05, 6:25, 6:45, 7:05, 7:25, and 7:45 P.M.  Please note that space is limited with only 25 spaces per tour, so signing up early is advised!

Filed Under: History Blog, News Blog, We Serve

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