Juneteenth

Various locations

Beloved of St Mark’s, 
Our faith teaches us that all are ‘One in Christ,’ and that we are to be ‘our brother’s keeper’; and so, as we reflect on our lives of faith while living in the United States of America, we must remember that our journey has been far from perfect, and is still far from being perfected.  But a moment worth celebrating is when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865 to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, and thereby liberating the last enslaved persons in the country.  The sin of slavery still has lingering and rippling effects in our society today, which need our addressing; and one antidote to that sin, is to embrace and celebrate the freedom of all people, and work towards an ever more perfect union.  Celebrating Juneteenth is a step in the right direction, and a sign of God’s reconciling love in the world.  
 
So, as Juneteenth, the celebration of freedom for ALL Americans, approaches, I encourage you to join our siblings from across the diocese for this occasion.  And if you, like me and my family, will be away and traveling at this time, I encourage you to seek out a Juneteenth celebration wherever you are.  
 
Yours with hope and joy,
Benjamin + 

https://episcopalvirginia.org/event/juneteenth-joint-service-and-community-celebration/

Juneteenth Joint Service and Community Celebration

All are invited to the sixth annual Community Juneteenth Celebration, hosted jointly by St. John’s, St. Philip’s, St. Peter’s, and Calvary Hanover Episcopal Churches, with financial support also from St. Paul’s.

In addition to celebrating Juneteenth as the day of African American freedom, the event celebrates the history of the historic Black Episcopal churches of the Richmond area and the collaboration with St. John’s, which was instrumental in the founding of St. Peter’s.

Schedule

  • 8:30 a.m. – Gather outside St. John’s Church
  • 9:15 a.m. – Outdoor land acknowledgement, pouring of libations, and singing
  • 9:30 a.m. – Celebratory parade from St. John’s to Peter Paul Development Center
  • 10:30 a.m. – Worship service inside Peter Paul, with guest speaker Michael Paul Williams
  • 11:45 a.m. – Dance performance by the Audacious Diamonds inside Peter Paul
  • 12:15 p.m. – Picnic lunch, fellowship, and children’s activities, including a bounce house, outside St. Peter’s

Bus transportation is available from Peter Paul Development Center to St. John’s from 8:00 to 9:15 a.m.; then for people who choose to ride instead of walk during the parade; and again from Peter Paul Development Center to St. John’s from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.

This community event is open to all without charge. For more information, contact the Rev. Bill Queen at 804-643-2686.