Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Episcopal Church

Can you point to a time in your life when an experience has lived better in your memory than when you were actually living it? To some degree, that has been the case for my family’s recent vacation. We spent about two weeks travelling around the Great Lakes, visiting seven different National Park Service sites. Like with past trips, I took lots of photos, and I’ve been sharing photos and stories through my social media accounts. Unlike past trips, I waited to share the photos and stories until after we got home – and that has turned out to be a blessing.

In some ways, this was a difficult trip. With so many stops, it felt like we were always rushing to the next thing, without enough time to rest. We were camping, and though we were blessed with mostly wonderful weather, we had to deal with a lot of nasty bugs. And, of course, being in constant close contact with the same increasingly tired people led to a few grumpy days. If I’m honest, I did occasionally question whether the trip was worth all the effort; however, as I’ve been posting photos and stories, the best parts are standing out much more powerfully in my memory than the challenges. We got to see so many wonders of God’s creation, and to learn about some incredible parts of our nation’s history. Even with the difficulties, I am now unquestionably grateful that we made the trip.

As I’ve reflected on the trip, and how experiences sometimes live better in memory, I have also been reminded of a favorite passage in one of my favorite books: The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. In the passage, Lewis suggests that heaven has a way of working backwards, so that “where present experience saw only salt deserts memory truthfully records that the pools were full of water.” I find great hope in this observation, because it speaks to how God is working for healing and redemption even when we are unable to perceive it. May we take courage from this idea, so that we may journey on through the challenges we face – until, at last, we will be able to see that God truly is working in all things for our good. Amen.

While the Continental Congress debated the issue of independence from Britain, laboring people were already fighting for their rights in the fields and the streets. It did not take long for the wealthier and more conservative members of the Congress—a coalition of merchants, lawyers, and slave-holding Southern planters—to express alarm at the outspoken and often clamorous participation of the less prosperous segments of society in the revolutionary process.

John Adams, James Madison, and others expressed their fears of what they called “riff raff,” “the rabble,” and “the mob.” They believed that the “lower orders,” once they had mobilized, could bring forward a type of “excessive democracy” that would disrupt the previously “stable” and “balanced” political system that wealthy men with property had always dominated.

And yet, it was the less wealthy sectors of American life—small farmers, shopkeepers, craftsmen, journeymen, apprentices, mariners, laborers, and Black people (both slave and free)—who were the mainspring of the Revolution. The men met in local assemblies, fought in the militias or at sea, and marched the length of the Eastern seaboard, while the women furnished the American army with supplies while continuing to keep civil life humming.

In this illustrated lecture at Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church, history researcher and writer Michael Schreiber will describe how many “lower-class” and laboring people contributed in exciting ways to the American Revolution. He will show how recent research has uncovered the activity during the Revolution of a number of people who were members of the Gloria Dei congregation and subsequently buried or memorialized in the churchyard.

This program is hosted by Preserve Old Swedes, the non-profit organization that preserves and interprets Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church and its graveyard. A portion of the proceeds will help us preserve this National Historic Site for current and future generations.

From the Annals of the Swedes on the Delaware by Rev. Jehu Curtis Clay regarding Rev. Jonas Lidman (1719-1730)
The next pastor appointed for the church Gloria Dei, (Wicaco,) was the Rev. Jonas Lidman. His appointment was in the following terms, viz: “We, Ulnea Eleanora, by the grace of God, Queen of the Swedes, &c &c make known, that as by the promotion of the Rev. Andrew Sandel, the office of pastor in the church of Pennsylvania is become vacant, we have appointed for the same our well-beloved Master in Philosophy, Jonas Lidman, ordering all concerned to act accordingly.

“Stockholm, 2d of May, 1719.”

With Mr, Lidman, or about the same time, came the Rev. Samuel Hesselius. We find them both present at a meeting of the congregation on the first Sunday in Advent, (about the first of December,) 1719, and also the Rev. Andrew Hesselius, of Christina. On that occasion the above letter of the queen, announcing the appointment of Mr. Lidman to the Wicaco Church, was read; and also letters from Bishop Swedherg to the Swedish congregations in general, and to the church Gloria Dci in particular. The bishop had, on the recall of Mr. Sandel, recommended Mr. Hesselius as his successor, who was accordingly appointed by the king, with Mr. Lidman as assistant in all the congregations, to aid where most wanted, and to succeed in any that might become vacant; but afterwards he had respectfully advised the queen to appoint Lidman as ordinary pastor, because he had taken the degree of Master in Philosophy, allowing Hesselius to be pastor extraordinary of the church, and assistant to the other churches. The congregations promised their best endeavours to support both the pastors.

1720. A meeting was held on the 27th of March, for the transaction of business, at which four clergy men were present the Rev. Provost Andrew Hcsselius, the Rev. Mr. Lidenius, of Racoon and Penn’s Neck, mid the Rev. Messrs. Lidman and Samuel Hesselius. The provost proposed that the last named clergyman should take charge of those portions of the congregation residing at Kalkonhook and Neshamani. This was objected to by the lay members present, upon the ground that the Swedes living in those places might thus become “weaned” from the mother church at Wicaco. It being understood that one clergyman was competent to the duties at Wicaco, it was then proposed by Mr. Lidman, that as the people at Manating* [Supposed to be Morlatton, four miles above Pottsgrove, on the Schuykill] were at a great distance from the church, they, perhaps, would be glad of his services there, and that he would cheerfully relinquish to him so much of the salary as was furnished by that part of the congregation. Marcus Hulings, [This is Marcus Hulings, was my great-grandfather, his daughter Magdalena having married Matthias Holstein, my grandfather], and other ” respectable” inhabitants of that part of the country then present, earnestly seconded this proposition, promising to contribute, to the extent of their means, towards his support. It was accordingly arranged that the Rev. Samuel Hesselius should settle at Manating.

At the annual meeting in 1722, the same clergymen were present, with the exception of the Rev. Samuel Hesselius, At this meeting “the provost preached an excellent sermon on the duties of ministers and parishioners, to live in reciprocal concord, and by faithful cooperation to promote the kingdom of Christ on earth.” The subject of providing a Swedish school for children was considered, but there being some difficulties in the way, it was concluded that they “would themselves instruct their children, alter they had learned to read English.”

In 1723 Mr. Lidmnn complained of the insufficiency of his salary to his support, and wished to receive some benefit from the church land at Wicaco. It was resolved to fence it, to divide the part lying between the Moyamensing and Passyunk roads into two parts, and to let them as pasture grounds; but “to reserve seventy trees for the use of the congregation.” Two years afterwards it was resolved “to let the ‘pasture ground next to the church, to some honest person, for the relief of the pastor.”

In 1725 it was proposed by Mr. Lidman immediately to repair the church roof on the south side, which was quite decayed. The congregation promised attention to it. Two years afterwards (1727,) we find the outer doors and pews requiring speedy repairs. The next year the same thing was advised of “the windows and shutters of the church.”

In 1730 the Rev. Mr. Lidman informed the congregation, that he had received a letter from Bishop Swedherg, notifying him of his recall by the king, and his appointment to a “good parish in Sweden.” He suggested the propriety of “presenting by him to the king, and to Bishop Swedberg, some articles of peltry, as marks of gratitude for the favours received.” To which the congregation cheerfully agreed. He preached his farewell sermon on the 24th Sunday after Trinity.

A Word from the Rector

Lunch Packing for Those in Need

Missions Committee

Colonies to Country Organ Recital

POWER Interfaith - Center City Cluster Meeting

Political Empathy and Religious Pluralism

Radicals, Rebels, and Riff Raff

POWER Interfaith's Affordability Campaign

10 Minutes of Prayer on Zoom

Musical Meditation

Movie Night in the Graveyard

Jazz & Joe

The History of Gloria Dei (Old Swedes’) Church

U2charist

Blessing of the Animals

History Committee

Sunday Eucharist

September Lectionary

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