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2025 is an exciting year for us at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church in Philadelphia. We are celebrating the 325th anniversary of the consecration of this National Historic Site. 

We invite you to join us on Sunday, June 1, 2025 as we mark this special event with a day of festivities. Activities include:

10:00 am – Celebratory Service: The congregation of Gloria Dei will be celebrating the last Sunday of the Easter season (which is always a time of joy and thanksgiving). During the service, Rev. Dr. Christopher Micklewright, rector of Gloria Dei Church, will reflect on the church’s history and will lead the congregation in prayers of thanksgiving for the past and hope for the future. 

11:30 am – Picnic in the Hall and Grounds: Following the service, the Gloria Dei Church congregation will host a picnic in Riverside Hall and on the grounds. Parishioners will grill a variety of main dishes and contribute sides and desserts. 

11:30 am – Museum Display: For one hour only, join historian and archivist Jeanette Woehr in Riverside Hall as she uses our most treasured articles to bring Gloria Dei’s history to life. Among them: lightning rods that Benjamin Franklin installed on this church in 1752  … and Andreas Rudman’s Naturalization Papers signed by William Penn in 1701.

11:30 am – Wine Raffle and Gift Table: Here’s your chance to win a special bottle of wine or two in our wine table raffle. Also, stop by our gift table for beautiful items that support our preservation efforts … including authenticated, limited edition prints of Bill Terney’s 2012 painting of Gloria Dei Church.

12:00 pm – Graveyard Tours: Our nearly 350-year graveyard is the final resting place for thousands of extraordinary people. Learn about them by using our free self-guided tour app. Our historians will also showcase two recent fascinating underground discoveries: the c. 1675 blockhouse and Peter Gunnarsson Rambo’s grave.

1:00 pm – Scavenger Hunt: Kids of all ages will enjoy connecting the past and the present with this fun event. Our graveyard has been in continuous use since 1677, and its graves contain a wide variety of symbols and carvings dating from the 18th century to today. Wander the grounds to find and learn about them.