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Churches to host, participate in America 250 events, including honoring an enslaved woman’s poetry

July 02, 2026

[Episcopal News Service] Episcopal churches nationwide are hosting and participating in events commemorating the United States’ 250th anniversary this weekend. While the commemoration is intended to be joyful and festive in nature, many Episcopal-led events will be more nuanced and reflective. The 250th anniversary celebration throughout the afternoon of July 5 at All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick, Maryland, for example, won’t shy from acknowledging the United States’ imperfect history. “It’s very clear to us here at All Saints, and to many members of our community, of the state that we’re in in terms of the ideals of our democracy and how far we are from God’s vision for all of humanity,” the Rev. Catherine M. Thompson, All Saints’ rector, told Episcopal News Service. “How do you balance those two things, a love of the country in which you live and serve, and a desire to live more fully into God’s vision?” All Saints’ celebration will begin with a concert that includes the premiere of Hollis Thoms’ “Mneme,” featuring the poetry of Phillis Wheatley, a West African woman enslaved during the period of the American Revolution who became the first published African American author. Her enslavers, so impressed with her work, got her book, “Poetry on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral,” published in 1773. She was freed shortly after her book was published. Wheatley’s poetry attracted the attention of Founding Fathers George Washington, who praised her work, and Thomas Jefferson, who dismissed her literary talents as “below the dignity of criticism.” “By me setting [Wheatley’s] poems to music and having a Black woman sing her words, we’re trying to say that her poetic talent is of value and is part of our society,” Thoms, an All Saints parishioner, told ENS. “Phillis Wheatley’s words are a part of our American history and American way of life … a part of this idea that we’re all striving for, that all persons are created equal.” Jouelle Roberson, a soprano based in Washington, D.C., will sing Wheatley’s poetry in “Mneme.” After the concert, members of All Saints’ truth and reconciliation committee will lead roundtable discussions on select writings and speeches from historical American figures of different backgrounds, including Logan, a Cayuga orator and war leader, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the Declaration of Sentiments and others. Participants will gather in small groups to discuss the readings and reflect on their significance today. All Saints’ celebration will conclude with a choral Evensong using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Rev. Jennifer Mariano, the church’s associate for pastoral care, will preach. “The United States is politically and socially divided, but we don’t have to stay stuck in this division. We don’t have to be like this,” Mariano told ENS. “We can move forward by God’s grace. The ideal that we are all created equal is still appropriate and worth striving for.” Many Episcopal churches share All Saints’ sentiment and will express similar messages during their celebrations. The following is a list of some Episcopal churches hosting or participating in community-led America 250 events. Check online locally for additional events. All times listed are local. New York, New York — The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine will host “Truth Is a Common Good: A Vigil for Our Unfinished Democracy” on July 2 at 6 p.m. The livestreamed vigil will incorporate readings, live music and time for reflection to “consider the ideals that have shaped our nation and the ongoing work of building a more just and inclusive society.” Washington, D.C. — Washington National Cathedral will host an interfaith service on July 3 at 10 a.m. The livestreamed service, taking place instead of the cathedral’s annual Independence Day concert, will include curated Scripture, readings and music from different religious and cultural traditions, as well as contributions from spiritual and civic leaders. The service also will honor “individuals who have shown extraordinary courage and bravery in service to our shared life together, affirming that the work of a more perfect union is never finished and never done alone.” Boston, Massachusetts — Old North Church’s Evensong service on July 3 at 6 p.m., and Choral Matins service on July 5 at 11 a.m., will include patriotic hymns, choral anthems and historic prayers for the nation. Old North Church has a direct connection to the American Revolution. The lighting of two lanterns on the church’s steeple signaled to Paul Revere that British soldiers were on their way to arrest colonial militia leaders. The lit lanterns ignited his “midnight ride” to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn the militia leaders. Omaha, Nebraska — Trinity Episcopal Church will host a celebratory prayer service on July 4 at 9:30 a.m. commemorating the “inextricable link” between the establishment of the United States and The Episcopal Church. Lorton, Virginia — Pohick Episcopal Church will host several events throughout the day on July 4, beginning at 12:30 p.m. with a bicycle ride around the Pohick Cemetery. There will also be a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a prayer service and more. Founding Fathers George Washington and George Mason served on Pohick’s vestry and supervised the church’s construction, which was completed in 1774 by enslaved and indentured laborers. East Hampton, New York — The commemorative communitywide service on July 5 at 10 a.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church will feature parishioners reading excerpts from speeches, writing, and documents from historical U.S. figures, including U.S. presidents, Emma Lazarus and Martin Luther King Jr.  New York, New York — The Rt. Rev. Ann Ritonia, The Episcopal Church’s bishop suffragan for Armed Forces and Federal Ministries, will preach at a festive livestreamed worship service on July 5 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. The service will take place while an international fleet of tall ships is in New York for various weeklong celebrations commemorating the 250th anniversary, including an Independence Day parade, public tours and a regatta. Trenton, New Jersey — St. Michael’s Episcopal […]