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The One Hundred Fiftieth Anniversary
Album
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O God,
make the door of this house wide enough to receive all who need
human love and fellowship, and a heavenly Father’s care; and
narrow enough to shut out all envy, pride and hate.
Make
its threshold smooth enough to be no stumbling-block to
children, nor to straying feet, but rugged enough to turn back
the tempter’s power.
Make it
a gateway to thy eternal kingdom.
Thomas
Ken |
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The Feast of Saint Peter and Saint Paul
(transferred)
27 June 2010
Icon of Saint Paul, Patron of the Parish
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The principal celebration of the 150th anniversary
year of Saint Paul's Church, Salem, took place on Sunday, 27 June 2010. The
day began with the parish celebration of the Sunday Eucharist.
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Jared Stamm singing the Prelude: The Holy Eucharist
"There's a wideness in God's mercy" |
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In the
afternoon, parishioners, friends, and members of the local community
gathered at Saint Paul’s for an ecumenical and community celebration of the
parish sesquicentennial. Don E. Kerr,
former organist of the parish, played a recital on the church’s historic
organ. In his introduction of Mr. Kerr, Father Kriss noted his leadership in
the restoration of the organ. Mr. Kerr commented on each of the pieces he
played by the Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and invited the choir
and congregation to sing the verses of the hymn, Allein Gott in der Höh,
between Sweelinck’s variations on the hymn tune.
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Program
for Recital and Evensong (pdf file)
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Fr Kriss welcomed everyone Don E Kerr at the organ Mr Kerr gave background
and introduced Mr Kerr remarks on Pieterszoon
and his music |
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A choir of
more than 20 singers sang the music of the service of Evensong which
followed the recital. Saint Paul’s parishioner Jared Stamm conducted the
choir and parish organist William Briggs accompanied the service on the 1855
E. & G.G. Hook organ. Singers in the choir included parishioners, friends,
members of other local churches, and members of the communities of New
Skete. They sang Preces and Responses by William Smith of Durham (17th
century), an anthem by Geoffrey Shaw (20th century), and plainsong psalms
and canticles.
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The Choir |
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The preacher,
the Reverend Canon Robert Limpert, told the congregation that church
buildings are signs of the Kingdom of God. He said that for 150 years Saint
Paul’s Church in the earthly Salem has been a place where people have had a
foretaste of the heavenly Salem through the sacraments of Baptism, the
Eucharist, and Holy Matrimony. He closed his sermon with Thomas Ken's prayer
for the church door.
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Fr Kriss and Fr Limpert
William Briggs at
Al Cormier reading
The Sermon
before the service
the organ
the first lesson
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The retired
Bishop of Albany, the Right Reverend David S. Ball, attended the service and
gave the blessing. Town Historian Al Cormier and Methodist Pastor Debbie
Earthrowl read the lessons. Also present was one of the former clergy of
Saint Paul’s, the Reverend Jere Berger.
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Bishop Ball with former The Rev Debbie Earthrowl Fr Jere Berger
senior warden
Winnie Riggle
with members of the choir |
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The celebration continued with a sumptuous reception in
the old rectory next to the church. Featuring both catered and home-made
foods, and local wine, the reception spilled out on to the porch and rectory
lawn and continued into the evening.
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Monks of New Skete
John Mielke and Doris Bedell
Fr Limpert and visitors
Enjoying a warm evening
Kathy Gould |
Renovations
Thanks to generous bequests from the estates of Mabel and
Blanche Smart, the parish has been able to embark on a program of major
renovations to the church property. The work will be ongoing through the
year, but the slide show below documents some of the work that has been
completed in the church building.
Photos on this page by Nancy Twaddell, Ian Wiltshire, and Gary Kriss.
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