St. Paul's to celebrate 100th year
One hundred years is a milestone for any organization, and one church in Yuma County is ready to celebrate.
On Oct. 18, St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Yuma will mark its 100-year anniversary, and there are plenty of events scheduled to honor the day.
St. Paul's rector, the Rev. Bill Krieger (also known as Father Bill), said members want everyone in Yuma to know they are welcome at all of the festivities.
"(The events are) open to anyone who would enjoy it," said Lucy Shipp, St. Paul's senior warden. "Anyone who has memories of St. Paul's is welcome."
The celebration will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a service at its old church at 645 S. 2nd Ave, where the English-style structure was built in 1909. The old church, now known as the St. Paul's Cultural Center, is privately owned.
A Sunday service and confirmations starts at 9 a.m. at the church's current location, 16th Street and 14th Avenue, which held its first service on Christmas Eve in 1962, Shipp said. Following that, Father Bill said there will be a pot luck lunch in the church's Kinsolving Room and courtyard, where the bishop of the Diocese of San Diego and others will speak.
Krieger said that will give everyone a chance to mingle before the rest of the celebration gets underway.
After lunch, there will a "Rite Quick" performance, which Shipp said is a comedy act that has all the clergy participating.
At 11:30 a.m., St. Paul's former rector, the Rev. Tom Phillips, will deliver a presentation on the well-known stained glass windows inside the church.
"The stained glass windows tell the story of St. Paul," said Shipp. The stained glass windows were installed in the church in 1975.
Father Bill said there is a different type of cross in the corner of each of the windows, and Phillips will share the story with people during the celebration. The presentation is expected to last 30 minutes.
From 10:45 a.m. to noon, there will be photos and artifacts available for viewing in the multipurpose room.
"People interested in the history of the church will be able to see those things," Father Bill said.
And because it has existed for 100 years, there are plenty of memories.
Member Frances Figueroa has been a part of the church for more than 50 years.
Active as a Sunday school teacher for many years, Figueroa said as one of the earliest churches in Yuma, it has a special place in the community.
Member Myrtle Stewart, who has also been a member for more than 50 years, said they've always had active members. And as a member of the Altar Guild, she has had a chance to get involved in many different areas.
Now, about 100 people typically attend the Sunday service, Father Bill said. In the fall, that number gets up to about 130, he said. They've even recently started a service in Spanish. He said that's drawn just less than 30 people, but it's gaining popularity.
As a special part of the celebration Sunday, Father Bill said they'll read from the 1892 version of The Book of Common Prayer. He said that's the same book that members used when the first church opened in 1909.
For more information about St. Paul's, visit http://stpaulsyuma.org/.
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Stephanie A. Wilken can be reached at swilken@yumasun.com or 539-6857.
