On Sunday Feb. 11, members of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church gathered to plan the celebration of the building’s 100th birthday. The congregation joined in the fellowship hall after attending the 10:10 a.m. service to plan the event through food and fun!
Members of the church brought a large spread of dishes which were served buffet style.
While eating, The Devereux’s performed a short educational play that discussed the lineage and life of the church. Through the skit the audience learned that the building was built in 1918. The Church’s doors were opened to the public in 1921. After the skit, the congregation discussed the church’s upcoming celebration in smaller groups.
Favorite hymns, connections with the church’s history, and the roots of the mission and ministry were discussed.
For those who are unfamiliar with St. Mary of the Hillls Episcopal Church, it was named after Elliot Daingerfied’s painting, Madonna of the Hills. Daingerfield is a renowned painter who found great enlightenment and inspiration in Blowing Rock. The painting can be seen above the church’s altar.
100 years is an incredibly long time. To add a dose of perspective to how much has happened in the life of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, listed below are a few major events that the church has experienced.
The church was upheld through the red scares, the end of World War I, the Spanish Civil War, World War II, the Vietnam War, the creation of the United Arab Republic, the USSR’s first spaceman, the Civil Rights Act, the First Super Bowl, Mao Tse-tung’s death, the War between Iran and Iraq, the Gulf War, Hong Kong’s return to China, Clinton’s impeachment, Columbine, September 11 (2001), the Euro becoming Europe’s official currency, the new organ’s installation, Barack Obama serving as the nation’s 44th president, along with many other significant historical events.
The congregation discussed the changes throughout the lifetime of the church, and looks forward to embracing the changes to come in the future.
For more information about the Centennial Celebration of the St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church call (828) 295-7323 or visit their website https://stmaryofthehills.org/home.
St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church is located at 140 Chestnut Dr, Blowing Rock, NC 28605.
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