ABSALOM JONES SUNDAY

This Sunday, February 13, Episcopalians all around the nation will honor Absalom Jones, a former slave and the first black priest in the Episcopal church. We at St. Gregory’s will also join in with special features in our worship that will celebrate Absalom Jones’ inspiring life and legacy. At a time when our nation continues to be more divided than united, especially in terms of reconciling our racial differences, it is a blessing to come together and call upon the Holy Spirit to help us to hear this story with a renewed yearning for healing and wholeness.

Last year Fr. Andrew and Fr. Ben convened an ethnically diverse group of St. Gregory’s members to focus on how we can participate in the ongoing work of healing our racially-based wounds. Before moving into the “What can we do?” phase, we decided to spend time listening to one another’s stories about how race has impacted each of our lives. This was incredibly revelatory and moving and laid the foundation for our future efforts. Eventually, we developed a mission statement (see below), a name for the ministry (The Racial Justice and Healing Ministry), and now are working on how to engage our entire congregation in this endeavor. The celebration of Absalom Jones Sunday is the first of many efforts to come. We ask for your prayers, blessings, and participation as we embark on this sojourn of healing.

To find out more about this ministry or to be a part of the working group, please contact Fr. Andrew (asherman@st-gregorys.com).