St. Stephen's Celebrates 300th Anniversary with Historical Service

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Ridgefield continues the year-long celebration of its founding in 1725 with an Historical Service on Sunday, November 9, at 10 a.m. Special guest preacher will be Greg Farr, Director for Archives & Record Management of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. Mr. Farr was helpful in providing archival material for the creation of the newly published book Celebrating 300 Years of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, which will be available for purchase after the service.

The Historical Service will use the Anglican liturgical text of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which English colonists brought with them when they settled in North America. Even after the American Revolution, when the Episcopal Church created its own Prayer Book in 1789, the 1662 version remained a model. All music for November 9 was in use in the period around 1725. The service music (Responses, Sanctus, Gloria) by John Merbecke (c. 1510-c. 1585), was written in a simple, syllabic style designed for congregational participation. The opening hymn, still popular today, will be “O God Our Help in Ages Past” by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), a prolific English hymn composer.

At the post-service reception in North Hall, historical artifacts will be on display, including a pewter communion cup from 1725. In addition, the Rev. Dr. Whitney Altopp, rector of St. Stephen’s, will lead a tour of the church’s Carillon Chimes, a 1947 gift from Anne S. Richardson in memory of her friend and lifetime companion, Edna Shoyer. “All are invited to our Historical Service,” said Rev. Altopp. “It is meant to be a reminder that St. Stephen’s history, which is integral to Ridgefield’s history, is a blessing to all of us.”