News & EventsHomecoming Service - Sunday, September 23rd, @ 10:00A
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Dear Friends,
We are in the planning stages of St. Elizabeth’s Homecoming Celebrations. As you may know, Homecoming is an African American tradition. And, just as Joshua and the children of Israel marked their crossing of the Jordan River with a memorial, African Americans through the celebration of Homecomings have marked the passage of time and celebrated historic events and their advancement as a people. Homecoming, which has its roots in southern, rural Black churches, became increasingly important in the twentieth century, as migration to the north separated Black families. In the years surrounding World War I, World War II and the Korean War, southern Blacks migrated in record numbers to the North and West. These population shifts greatly affected familial, congregational and community ties. Homecoming helped to mark the return of family and friends who had moved from their ancestral homes. Homecoming involved a church service that drew not only returning family but also other members of the community together and commemorated the history of the church, prominent families and the community as a whole. Homecoming became the time to commemorate the past, reconnect with family, and the transmitted the rituals and history to younger generations.
Homecoming at St. Elizabeth’s accomplishes much of the same goals set by our ancestors. We come together and those of us who remember St. Augustine’s have tangible knowledge to provide to us and will give us the charge of passing this knowledge to our young people. We hope our young will be inspired and will carry on the works of St. Elizabeth’s especially in a time of such deep polarization in politics, religion, liberals and conservatives, globalists and nationalists, rich and poor. It is in dangerous times such as these, beliefs erode, history is forgotten, and communities become collections of individuals who only care for themselves and what is theirs’ only. My friends, the message of Jesus remains unchangeable: Love for the poor, oppressed and hungry; love for those who may be different.
At St. Elizabeth’s, we distributed 150 school book bags filled with supplies to the needy families in our community. We have restructured our ESL program to better meet the challenges of our non-English speaking community and to alleviate the numbers of our waiting lists. Twenty-five ESL students moved from at least one level of ESL to a higher level and several have enrolled, with our help, in local colleges. We have enrolled 50 new students and we are partnering with other non-profit agencies to support them in meeting their ESL goals. We are in discussion with Kean University to deepen our relationship, so we may offer additional educational and jobs programs. I share this information in the context of the continual major crisis facing historically Black Episcopal churches who lack support and funding from their Dioceses and the National Church. This includes St. Elizabeth’s.
To do what we do, St. Elizabeth’s needs, your continual presence, support and prayers. I look forward to celebrating our Homecoming with you on Sunday, September 23rd at 10:00 A.M. Each adult member is asked to make a $100 donation to the work of the church at that Service.
Our guest Preacher on that day will be The Rev. Canon Charles W. Simmons. He serves as the Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of New York. As the Canon for Ministry, he works with the Bishop to assure that the selection and formation of future ordained leadership within the Diocese meets the requirements and needs of the Church. Prior to joining the Bishop’s staff, Canon Simmons served at St. Andrew’s, Bronx, St. Gabriel’s, Brooklyn, St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, Old St. Paul’s, Edinburgh, Scotland, and St. George’s, Nassau, Bahamas. He and his wife Sheryl have one son Charles William Edward.
Yours Faithfully,
Canon Andy Moore
We are in the planning stages of St. Elizabeth’s Homecoming Celebrations. As you may know, Homecoming is an African American tradition. And, just as Joshua and the children of Israel marked their crossing of the Jordan River with a memorial, African Americans through the celebration of Homecomings have marked the passage of time and celebrated historic events and their advancement as a people. Homecoming, which has its roots in southern, rural Black churches, became increasingly important in the twentieth century, as migration to the north separated Black families. In the years surrounding World War I, World War II and the Korean War, southern Blacks migrated in record numbers to the North and West. These population shifts greatly affected familial, congregational and community ties. Homecoming helped to mark the return of family and friends who had moved from their ancestral homes. Homecoming involved a church service that drew not only returning family but also other members of the community together and commemorated the history of the church, prominent families and the community as a whole. Homecoming became the time to commemorate the past, reconnect with family, and the transmitted the rituals and history to younger generations.
Homecoming at St. Elizabeth’s accomplishes much of the same goals set by our ancestors. We come together and those of us who remember St. Augustine’s have tangible knowledge to provide to us and will give us the charge of passing this knowledge to our young people. We hope our young will be inspired and will carry on the works of St. Elizabeth’s especially in a time of such deep polarization in politics, religion, liberals and conservatives, globalists and nationalists, rich and poor. It is in dangerous times such as these, beliefs erode, history is forgotten, and communities become collections of individuals who only care for themselves and what is theirs’ only. My friends, the message of Jesus remains unchangeable: Love for the poor, oppressed and hungry; love for those who may be different.
At St. Elizabeth’s, we distributed 150 school book bags filled with supplies to the needy families in our community. We have restructured our ESL program to better meet the challenges of our non-English speaking community and to alleviate the numbers of our waiting lists. Twenty-five ESL students moved from at least one level of ESL to a higher level and several have enrolled, with our help, in local colleges. We have enrolled 50 new students and we are partnering with other non-profit agencies to support them in meeting their ESL goals. We are in discussion with Kean University to deepen our relationship, so we may offer additional educational and jobs programs. I share this information in the context of the continual major crisis facing historically Black Episcopal churches who lack support and funding from their Dioceses and the National Church. This includes St. Elizabeth’s.
To do what we do, St. Elizabeth’s needs, your continual presence, support and prayers. I look forward to celebrating our Homecoming with you on Sunday, September 23rd at 10:00 A.M. Each adult member is asked to make a $100 donation to the work of the church at that Service.
Our guest Preacher on that day will be The Rev. Canon Charles W. Simmons. He serves as the Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of New York. As the Canon for Ministry, he works with the Bishop to assure that the selection and formation of future ordained leadership within the Diocese meets the requirements and needs of the Church. Prior to joining the Bishop’s staff, Canon Simmons served at St. Andrew’s, Bronx, St. Gabriel’s, Brooklyn, St. Bartholomew’s, Manhattan, Old St. Paul’s, Edinburgh, Scotland, and St. George’s, Nassau, Bahamas. He and his wife Sheryl have one son Charles William Edward.
Yours Faithfully,
Canon Andy Moore
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St Elizabeth’s
305 N. Broad Street Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207 Weekend Service Times Sunday: 8:00am, 10:00am Full Schedule |
