Vol. 4 of the Colonial Records of the Swedish Churches in Pennsylvania is available for purchase from our Church office.. The subtitle of this volume is “From Lidman to Nasman 1719-1750”.

The book is a translation of various documents during this period. It starts with a letter from Queen Ulrica Elenora of Sweden to the American congregations in 1719 and ends with the Per Kalm’s summary of Gloria Dei burials 1720 to 1750. This was an unstable period. A clergyman would be here for a short time and then there would be a period of vacancy. The attendance was low. And there is a definitive answer for question “Where did the baptismal font come from?” These books translating the early records of the Swedish churches are our tercentennial project. The history of our early congregation is important not just for us but for the history of the United States and the World. The Swedish colonists were some of the only colonists in the history of the world who colonized with peace and humanity. We should each support this by project if at all possible. The books make great gifts for those who have an interest in local or colonial history.

The books normally sell for $25. There is a special price of $20 for Church members. Get yours by calling the Church Office, 215-389-1513. Reserve yours today.
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Gloria Dei featured on the Penn-Praxis web site.
On July 25, clergy from five historic Philadelphia congregations assembled at Gloria Dei Old Swedes Church in Queen Village to talk about their histories, neighborhood change and the impact of waterfront redevelopment. The congregations — located in Society Hill, Old City, and Queen Village — are members of a consortium known as Old Philadelphia Congregations. Participating were Reverend Joy Segal of Gloria Dei (Episcopal), Father Jim Von Dreele of the Seamen’s Church Institute (Interdenominational), Parish Associate Chuck Andrews of Old Pine Street (Presbyterian), and Brian Sullivan of Arch Street Friends (Quaker).

Click here to view a ten minute video clip from the meeting.
Click here to read the article by Steven Ujifusa, for PlanPhilly.