SPOTSWOOD — Those attending Sunday’s service at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church this weekend may be surprised to see and hear things a bit out of the ordinary:
For example: “So many as intend to be partakers of the holy communion, shall signify their names to the curate at least some time the day before.”
Policies like that, common in the late 1700s, won’t be enforced, but will be spoken by a priest dressed in 18th-century attire at the 10 a.m. service, which kicks off a year of celebrations recognizing the church’s 250th birthday. The liturgy will be the same that was used in 1776, which was 20 years after the church was founded.
The church, chartered by King George III of England, was organized by about 30 local families in 1756. Construction on its first building was finished in 1759. The building was later replaced by the current facility in 1854. The church rectory, dating back about 100 years, also holds historical value.
A church committee has spent months gearing up for the anniversary and has several events planned. One such event is the Remembrance Sunday scheduled for Jan. 22, which will focus on what life was like in Spotswood and at St. Peter’s back in the 1930s and ’40s. Organizers have been meeting with longtime parishioners and collecting photos in preparation for the event.
Some of the other plans for the year include a guided cemetery tour, an old-fashioned church fair, and the preservation of the church’s vast archival material.
In the meantime, anticipation is growing for Sunday’s service, if only for the scene of the Rev. Charles Lochner and congregation members costumed in the dress of 1776 and speaking Elizabethan English.
“It’s really quite a big deal for a priest to put a wig on,” planning committee chairwoman Sally Runyon said with a laugh.
Runyon noted that local resident and retired teacher Peter Cirrotti has been conducting research and will deliver a homily on the life and times of the Spotswood area and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in 1756.