Leicester Church celebrates 200 years

LEICESTER, Mass. – Christ Episcopal Church in the Rochdale neighborhood of Leicester celebrated 200 years in the community on Sunday.

Known as the “little church on the hill with the red doors,” Christ Episcopal has been a fixture in the community since it was consecrated on May 26, 1824 by Alexander Griswold, bishop of the Eastern Diocese.

On Sunday, the congregation gathered for worship services at the historic church, which included prayers, hymns and receiving Holy Communion.

Over the course of two centuries, Christ Episcopal remained relatively unchanged, with some changes to the interior, such as the creation of a central aisle so that brides could walk down.

Church historian Chip Leis said it was a special day that welcomed many people, including the bishop of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, the interim rector of Christ Church and a former rector of Christ Church who is also a retired bishop. from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

“It’s special because we’ve been here for 200 years,” Leis said. “We were here for our 175th celebration and now we’re here for our 200th, so 200 is really special. It only happens once in a lifetime, so we invited as many people as we could think of past and present to come celebrate.”

The church has had 51 clergy members over its 200-year history, including many deacons and lay people who have administered services over the years.

Christ Episcopal Church is the oldest Episcopal Church in Worcester County.