Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Episcopal Church

Dear People of Gloria Dei:

This newsletter is coming to you a couple of days early in preparation for Holy Week. As you may be aware, Holy Week is when we particularly remember Jesus’ death and resurrection – and it holds the most beautiful services of the church year (you can look at some of the details below!). And, while preparing for this special time, I have been reflecting on world-ending threats from outer space. That may sound a bit incongruous, but two relatively recent movies – Don't Look Up and Project Hail Mary – seem to have some valuable messages for Holy Week.

Released on Netflix in 2021, Don't Look Up uses the threat of huge asteroid to explore how contemporary political polarization and distrust of experts might prevent us from responding effectively to a world-ending crisis. While hilarious, this dark satire also reminds us of our brokenness – making it a great film for the end of the Lenten season. In contrast, Project Hail Mary (which was published as a book in 2021 and just arrived in theaters) sees the world come together in a last-ditch attempt to save our sun from a space-borne parasite. The stakes are at least as high as in Don’t Look Up, but this story is driven forward by creativity, love, and sacrifice – making it a great film for the beginning of the Easter season.

I think that Holy Week offers us, among other things, the choice between the worlds of Don’t Look Up and Project Hail Mary. The selfishness and pride and cynicism of Don’t Look Up are reflected in Pilate and the religious leaders who would rather crucify Jesus than see their power challenged. This path leads to division and exploitation and, ultimately, to death. But, in Jesus’ willing sacrifice of his life, God shares in our desperate circumstances and offers us a new possibility, just as we see happen in Project Hail Mary; by the end of this movie, we see a kind of resurrection, in which hope triumphs over despair, faithful creativity triumphs over pride, and sacrificial love triumphs over selfishness.

My prayer for our community, in this Holy Week and the Easter season to come, is that we might have the courage to choose the better path. This might seem obvious, but it can be very difficult when so many people seem to be choosing the path that leads to death. So, please take time to let God’s grace shape your vision and imagination in the days and weeks to come - whether through good movies or beautiful worship services (and hopefully both!). Listen for the Spirit’s voice, for it is calling you more deeply into relationship with the risen Christ, and with each other, and with the world that needs to see a better way. Amen.

The oldest legible tombstone in the graveyard has been restored. It is located on the south side of the Church. We are now able to view the inscription on the back of the stone.

“Here lyeth the body of Peter the son of Andreas Sandel, Minister of this Church who dyed April ye 21 A.D. 1708, Aged 2 years & 4 months”
“Here also lyeth the body of Andreas son of Andreas Sandel who died Aug 13, AD 1711 aged 2 weeks & 2 days”
(Reverse)
“Job 8.9 We are but of yesterday & knownthing, Because our days apon, Erth are a shaddow.”
(The spelling is as it appears on the stone.)

***

Rev. Andreas Sandel was the second rector of Gloria Dei and served after Rev. Andreas Rudman. Andreas Sandel was born November 30, 1671 in Uppsala, Sweden. Rev. Sandel graduated from the University of Upsala, Sweden and was ordained July 18, 1701. He set sail for America on November 13, 1701 and reached Herring Bay, Maryland late in February 1702. From Maryland he traveled to Wilmington, Delaware to Rev. Bjork.

Extracts from the Journal of Rev. Andreas Sandel -

March 18 - Sandel accompanied H. Tollstadius to Philadelphia, thirty-eight English miles, and reached there that night, where he presented his commendatory letters and passport to Rev. Andreas Rudman. Rev Rudman thought it advisable for him to begin as rector asking him to preach on Palm Sunday, March 21st.

April 20 - Rev. Sandel moved into the Passyunk rectory.

July 12 - Prayer books were distributed at church.

July 29 - Rev. Rudman preached his valedictory sermon.

July 29 - Rev. Sandel married his first couple, Jonas Jonson, a Swede and Anne Amesby, as English woman, in English.

August 28 - Sandel became very ill with the ague and a burning fever, continuing steadily and unremittingly up to Michaelmas, but not leaving him for a long while afterwards.

September 20 - In a heavy rain he went down to Christina to say the banns for Mag. Bjork and his sweetheart Stina Stalkop who afterwards were jointed in marriage October 6. Rev. Sandel was very ill during the intervening time suffering from a severe pain below the breastbone, causing him great difficulty to be able to marry them.

March 23, 1702 - Sandel sowed barley-corn at the rectory, and also ½ bush, wheat. From Anders Bengtson he got ½ bush and from Maria Rambo ½ bush. Mons Kock, the son of Lars, plowed and harrowed using Sandel’s horses and implements. A hard rain set in at the end of the sowing.

March 31 - Sowed ½ bush of oats. He then went to preach at Kalkanhuken (Chester County) and after the service Mag. Bjork and wife came there with Carl Springer and then together they went to Passyunk.

April 11 - While walking to Church with Mag. Rudman, Sandel became quite ill and was unable to preach. This illness turned into pleurisy in the right side causing him to be confined until April 23.

September 29 - Michaelmas was celebrated. The night before a severe snow storm set in, and enough fell to last until noon of the following day. No one in the area can recollect such masses of snow at this time of the year before.

October 1 - Just about bed time a violent storm came up and the rain fell in torrents, nothing like it ever seen before. Mag. Bjork was visiting with Sandel.

February 1, 1704 - “In the name of the Lord, I set out to offer myself in marriage, (on the other side of river) to Maria, daughter of the late Per. Matson and arrived there after dark”.

February 2 - “In the morning, I told the object of my visit, and she said yes, as did her mother”.

February 9 - The new Governor, Jean Evans, a Churchman arrived. The banns were published for Rev. Sandel and Maria Matson.

February 12 - Rev. Sandel and Maria Matson were married at Wicacoa by Mag. Rudman. The Governor and a great many people were present.

September 27 - Rev. Sandel went to preach at Egg Harbor, as some Swedes lived there.

October 1 - Sandel preached at the house of Girsta Fisk, who gathered all the Swedes and some English. He made some remarks in English. After the service 10 children, 5 Swedish and 5 English were baptized.

November 4 - Rev. Sandel went to Christina to administer the communion to Mag. Bjork and his wife. He also preached there. Mr. Evans, an English minister preached at Wicacoa.

March 5, 1706- “Changes in the monetary system took place and many other enactments to go into effect on March 10 - Warm weather and grass begins to shoot.”

May 16 - “While at Christina it was rumored that the French were at the Capes and had invaded Hookilen. All the towns on the river were much agitated. In Philadelphia the excitement was very great, and the people armed themselves. The Quakers with their families and goods, fled to the woods. Gov. Evans gathered all the soldiers built earthworks and placed a few cannon. A sloop from Hookilen, brought word that the rumor was false.”

January 20, 1708 - “I was taken sick with pains below the breast, in the back, and every one of my limbs, and did not regain my health for three weeks. It has been very sickly in Philadelphia this winter with many have died. This has been a severe winter too.”

March 26 - “Water froze hard today. One of my parishioners, who went out to cut wood, took some small beer in an earthen jug, and when he wished to use it, found that it had frozen solid.”

January 31, 1709 - A new governor sent by Mr. Penn, Charles Gookin, an Irishman arrived.

May 14 - “The governor in Maratz died. Soon after his arrival, about Christmas, the former Governor, My Lord Cornberry was arrested for debt, although a great Lord and related to the Queen of England.”

Late in May there was a great hurricane doing much damage to houses and chimneys.

June 7 - The Sandel family moved from Passyunk to Benjamin’s Ferry, where they had built a house. Andreas and Maria Sandel children were Magdelena, Samuel, Benjamin, Peter, Andreas and one other.

Rev. Sandel took his leave from Gloria Dei on June 25, 1719 with his wife Maria and 2 children sailing back to Sweden.

On May 11, 1744 Rev. Andreas Sandel died in Sweden.

A Word from the Rector

Palm Sunday

Lunch Packing

Maundy Thursday

Meal Prep for St. Gabe's

Good Friday 2026

Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday

10 minutes of prayer on Zoom

Jesus Christ Superstar Tribute

Musical Meditation

Missions Committee

Sexton Sideshow Dual Release Concert

Jazz & Joe

Gravestone & Historic Marker Community Service Day

Amour et Mémoire

Congrats to Paula Minacci!

Guided Tour of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church

History Committee

Annual Meeting

Funeral for Jerry Buescher

April Lectionary

Sunday Eucharist

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