PUBLICATION AVAILABLE:
CROSSES IN A GOLD FIELD: A 150 years history of Emmanuel Church and Grass Valley, by Gage McKinney. Copies are available at The Bookseller, 107 Mill St., Grass Valley, (530) 272-2131.

EVENTS:
It was a wonderful month. Thank you to all of you who participated and helped make it happen.

TEA HONORING EMMANUEL BRIDES – Hosted by St. Catherine’s Guild and other ladies of the Church, this event was in honor of all brides who exchanged their vows at Emmanuel, or who were married by Rectors of Emmanuel over the past seventy or so years. Over 80 brides were invited.

TIME CAPSULE -- Our Youth Commission sealed a selection of items in the capsule on Sunday, 24 April.

PASTIE LUNCHEON -- A number of out of town guests from as far away as the United Kingdom, along with former Rectors of Emmanuel were present. The program included the Grass Valley Men’s Choir and Gage McKinney, author of CROSSES IN A GOLD FIELD: A 150 years history of Emmanuel Church and Grass Valley. Mr. McKinney spoke on Emmanuel’s Cornish roots, as well as its150-year special relationship with the Methodist Church.

CELEBRATORY SERVICES, Sunday, 24 April -- Father James Sigler and Father Richard Tumilty conducted two very special celebratory services in recognition of the 150^th anniversary of the founding of Emmanuel Parish. These services utilized the Common Book of Prayer from 1855.

As part of our Sesquicentennial celebration, we commissioned the composition of a choir anthem by the noted English composer, Richard Shephard. The text is from Psalm 118, and the publisher is St. James Music Press in Kentucky. Shephard is head of the choir school of York Minster, England. The work had its initial performance at the parish celebration on April 24th.

OPEN HOUSE -- The entire community was invited to attend an Emmanuel Parish Open House hosted by the congregation. Food and beverages were served throughout the afternoon. A birthday cake was cut at 2:30 p.m., followed by the sealing of a 25-year Time Capsule by the Emmanuel Youth Group at 3 o’clock, next to the Sigler Memorial Bench. Docents were available in the church to explain the background of church artifacts and memorials as well as sketches of the families whose names appear on the Church’s stained glass windows. Emmanuel’s historical canonical records and registers, dating back to 1855 were available for viewing for those who wished to inquire about family members. Mr. Gage McKinney was also present to personally sign his book: Crosses in a Gold Field.

last updated 7 July  2005