Diocese of Newark: Yesterday, Today & Forever
Learning Our Past, Embracing Our Present and Inviting You into Our Future
Your Sesquicentennial Celebration Committee has been hard at work since last November planning events to mark 150 years serving northern New Jersey. We meet monthly, mostly via Zoom, to talk about and make decisions regarding the many upcoming activities.
Committee Members include:
- Gail Barkley, Trinity and St. Philip’s Cathedral Newark / Florence Li Tim-Oi
- Scott Bennett, The Saviour Denville / Constance
- Nerissa Boccino, St. Peter’s Morristown / Harriett Tubman [Co-Chair]
- Bishop Hughes, Diocese of Newark
- John King, Staff Liaison (St. Andrew Harrington Park) / Bendict of Nursia
- Nina Nicholson, Staff Liaison (St. George’s Maplewood) / Evelyn Underhill
- Cynthia McChesney, Staff Liaison (Christ Short Hills) / Evelyn Underhill
- Andy Olivo, St. Elizabeth’s Ridgewood / Benedict of Nursia
- Jerry Racioppi, Holy Spirit Verona / Florence Li Tim-Oi [Co-Chair]
- Susan Rennie, St. Peter’s Morristown / Harriett Tubman
- Diane Riley, Grace Madison / Evelyn Underhill
- Michele Simon, St. Paul’s Englewood / Augustine of Hippo
- Cathie Studwell, St. Bartholemew Hohokus / Benedict of Nursia
We have created two flyers for you to share with your congregation. Please hang these on bulletin boards where they can be seen and shared. One flyer is about the September 21 BBQ and the other flyer lists the dates for all events. There is also a bulletin insert combining the two flyers.
Here is additional information about each event:
BBQ at Cross Roads Camp & Retreat Center – Saturday, September 21 from 10 AM to 4 PM
The Cross Roads staff is excited to host members of the Diocese for a fun and festive BBQ. Activities will include family style cookout, arts & crafts, bouncy house, swimming pool, kickball, volleyball, archery, hiking, high ropes, as well as tours of the Cross Roads' facilities. To register, visit the 150th Celebration BBQ link on the diocesan website. The cost is $20 per person, or $60 for families with four or more people. Children under 5 eat free. Plan to carpool or schedule a bus from your Regional Ministry Network. You don’t want to miss this event!
Diocesan Convention – Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9
The Diocesan anniversary is in November, and this year’s Diocesan Convention will officially kick off the Sesquicentennial Celebration. Members of the 150th Anniversary Committee are working on an Impact Project that will showcase the many accomplishments of our Diocese throughout its history in Northern New Jersey. We will also celebrate the work being done today and look forward to our future.
Speaker Series – January/February 2025
In place of the bishop’s usual winter book study for 2025, there will be a speaker series with two sessions on Zoom and two sessions in-person (location TBD). The dates are all Tuesdays, January 21 and 28 plus February 4 and 11 from 7-8:30 PM. As more information becomes available, it will be added to the 150th Anniversary section of the diocesan website.
Concert – Friday, May 16, 2025 at 7 PM
Along with members of the 150th Celebration Committee, music ministers from within the Diocese are planning a concert to take place at a location TBD. It will include information about the diocese’s past, present and future and an array of music. In addition, a hymn is being commissioned specifically for the Sesquicentennial Celebration and musician/composer Mark Miller of Drew University has been selected to compose this new piece of music that will be available for all congregations later this year.
Worship Service with new Presiding Bishop – Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 11 AM
To close out the “year of celebration,” a worship service is being planned to take place at St. Peter’s Morristown. The service will include Eucharist and the preacher and celebrant will be the newly elected Presiding Bishop, who will be chosen at The Episcopal Church’s General Convention in Louisville, KY later this month
Pilgrimage – Summer 2025
Work is being done to plan an out-of-state multi-night pilgrimage during a summer month in 2025. As more information becomes available, it will be added to 150th Anniversary section of the Diocesan website.
Information will continue to be added at the 150th Anniversary section of the diocesan website. Check there for any updates. If you have any questions along the way, feel free to reach out to any members of the Committee, or co-chairs Nerissa Boccino (nboccino@gmail.com) or Father Jerry Racioppi (rector@holyspiritveorna.org).
