[Re-posted to clarify potential ambiguity in paragraph 5]
Contact: The Rev. Canon Andrew T. Gerns
Trinity Episcopal Church
234 Spring Garden Street
Easton, PA 18045
610-253-0792
Cell: 610-392-4112
parish@trinityeaston.org
On Tuesday,
September 14 at 5 p.m., Trinity Episcopal Church, 234 Spring Garden Street,
Easton, Pennsylvania, will open their church and their new addition to the
community for an Open House and then Bishop Paul V. Marshall of the Episcopal
Diocese of Bethlehem will bless and dedicate the space starting at 7 p.m.
At the
ceremony, the parish will also formally announce the naming of the Trinity
Primary School, which is being built in Sodogo, Sudan in the Diocese of
Kajo-Keji, Episcopal Church of Southern Sudan, in part with funds
raised by members of Trinity Church. Trinity tithed the proceeds of the
campaign toward the building of the school, according to the Rev. Canon Andrew T. Gerns, rector. [Trinity's contribution covers about one-third of the cost of the school; the remaining two-thirds comes from other members of the Diocese of Bethlehem.]
Trinity Church
serves the community not only as a house of worship and community of faith, but
also as a place of help and refuge for those in need. The parish’s Ark Soup
Kitchen serves 65-80 people every Saturday a nutritious, tasty meal. The parish
has housed twelve-step groups, community organizations, programs from youth and
the aged, and many others, and has a long history of outreach to the community.
The parish, which was founded in 1819, calls itself “A Church for all people”
who “discover, share and live God’s love.”
The new space
contains a new commercial-grade kitchen, new restrooms and a new classroom, and
makes the facility barrier-free. A stained glass window over the high altar of
the church was threatened if the wall collapsed was also restored. In addition,
improvements to the organ were made. The church repaved the parking lot, and
made other modifications to make the space handicapped accessible.
The generosity of the congregation’s members made this building and the school
in Southern Sudan possible. They raised nearly $450,000 during a capital
campaign in 2009. The parish tithed their gift so that $45,000 is going across
the globe, in Kajo-Keji County, Southern Sudan, a new primary school is being
built in a little Sudanese village called Sodogo. The Diocese of Bethlehem,
which includes Trinity, Easton, has a partner relationship with the Diocese of
Kajo-Keji, which contains the village of Sodogo. The new school will be named
for Trinity Church, Easton.
The new kitchen was equipped through a $25,000 grant from the Episcopal
Church's United Thank Offering. The grant was one of three, the largest,
awarded for projects in Pennsylvania. The UTO awarded 69 grants for 2010 for a
total of $2,163,740.93 for the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and
the Anglican Communion. The grants were awarded to projects in 43 Episcopal
Church dioceses, 11 companion diocese relationships and 15 international
provinces.
The Open
House will start at 5 p.m. on September 14, with presentations by community and
civic leaders at 6:30 p.m. Bishop Marshall will then lead the congregation and
community members through the building as the new and renovated spaces are
blessed, followed by a Holy Eucharist in the Church. A reception follows in
Conine Hall.
The building was financed through Merchants Bank of Bangor, PA. The
general contractor was the Alfero Company of Easton, PA. The architect was Jeff
Martinson, AIA also of Easton.
For more
information please contact The Rev. Canon Andrew T. Gerns, Rector at
610-253-0792 ext. 202 or via e-mail at rector@trinityeaston.org. You may also contact
Sr. Patricia-Michael at the Church office (610-253-0752 ext. 201 and parish@trinityeaston.org)
