EVENTS
Christ Church Episcopal in Harwich Port is celebrating 100 years serving the Harwich community with a host of special events planned to honor its history and founding.
It all began in 1925 when a group of 12 women met to formulate a plan to build a church. They had been holding services during summers in private homes and meeting rooms at Snow Inn, the Harwich Port Library and elsewhere. After a year of grassroots fundraising and a $5,000 gift by a French woman, the Marquise de Sers, the church building at 671 Route 28 was completed at a cost of $15,000. It was dedicated on August 29, 1926. Coincidentally, the church today is comprised by eight women who serve on the vestry.
This summer’s community-wide celebration starts with the popular lobster roll lunch with all the fixings on Friday, August 14 from 11 am-2 pm. Tickets will be sold at the door, cash or check only. “We’re delighted to bring back this popular lunch for an encore since many people enjoyed this summer tradition in the past,” said organizer David Truesdale.
The lunch will kick-off a silent auction featuring local restaurants, experiences and locally made specialty items. The auction will continue until 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 29 and winners will be announced on Sunday, August 30. Bids may be placed at the lunch, or on Fridays and Saturdays during Noah’s Ark Thrift Shop hours and after church.
On Sunday, August 30, all are invited to a birthday party on the lawn following the 9 a.m. worship service with free cake and ice cream from the Sundae School.
Those with ties to the church and its history are invited to place memorabilia in a time capsule that day to be sealed for future generations to enjoy. It will include a listing of the 100 acts of kindness that are currently underway by parishioners in the community.
On Sunday, September 13 at 1 pm, Dave Martland wirh the Charles J. Connick Foundation of Boston will give a presentation on the artistry and creation of the church’s stained glass windows. Connick’s works have graced St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, Trinity Church in Boston and churches around the nation and the world.
The year wraps up with a fundraising campaign to support three projects: the restoration of the stained glass windows; support for Habitat for Humanity and areas of greatest need at the church.
“We are grateful for the devotion of generations of residents and visitors, including the 12 founders, who have created a nurturing place for all,” said Mary Ellen Eichmann, co-warden.
Anyone with connections to the following women who founded Christ Church Episcopal may contact Deb Schwabe at 540-239-1189 or email Debschwabe1@gmail.com to share their family history:
Mrs. Anne Moore Thorburn Van Buren (Mrs. Harold S.), Mrs. Maude Porter Brewer Lang (Mrs. Howard W.), Mrs. Elizabeth “Elsie” Comstock Coddington (Mrs. Clarence H. M.), Mrs. Helen Smyser Kurtz (Mrs. John), Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth Snow Stockwell Taft (Mrs. Cyrus), Mrs. Caroline Squibb Sutphin (Mrs. Henry H.), Mrs. Dorothy Phelps West (Mrs. Davenport Atchison), Mrs. Bertha Rinaldo Eldridge Weld (Mrs. Richard), Mrs. Elsie Wesson Francis (Mrs. Carleton), Mrs. Kathryn Phillips Patton (Mrs. Phillip Stokes), Mrs. Alice G. Kales (Mrs. William R.), Mrs. Florence C. Petit (Mrs. William S.).
Summer worship hours are Sundays at 9 am. All are welcome to attend.
