Wide Open Doors 175th Anniversary Event A Huge Success!

On Saturday, September 14, St. Paul's celebrated 175 years of ministry with a day-long open house called Wide Open Doors.

The day began with conversation, coffee, and goodies outside the church doors, greeting our neighbors and people on their way to the nearby Convention Center.

Morning Prayer was held at 9:00, according to the 1769 Prayer Book – likely the first Episcopal service spoken in Sacramento on August 16, 1849. Lessons were read from the original Grace Church 1861 lectern Bible.

The rest of the day was a fabulous diversity of music, a tour of the building, and a presentation on St. Paul’s history. Many friends of the parish as well as passersby stopped in to listen for a while, look at informational posters and the organ and stained glass windows. In the church parking lot, more than two hundred people enjoyed a free lunch of Chando’s Open Grill tacos.

The day ended with a service of Compline from the New Zealand Book of Common Prayer.

Special "thank yous" go to Doug Clay for spearheading the 175th Committee and to Mark Debelka and the Diocesan Security Team who helped with security for the event.

On August 18, a celebratory worship service was held in conjunction with the church's 175th Anniversary celebrations with Diocesan Bishop Megan Traquair presiding. The event began with a procession of clergy and church members from the site of the first Episcopal service in Sacramento through downtown to St. Paul's current location, stopping for presentations at the site of its first two church buildings at 8th and I. Read more here.

Read a brief history of St. Paul's here. Find many historical documents on St. Paul's Archive page.