The Orthodox Chruches

Home

Index

Contacts

Directions

Calendar

Announcements

Trinity Episcopal Church
44 East Market St.
Bethlehem PA 18018-5989
610-867-4741

Trinity to Host Scottish Festival Service

Trinity Church has been chosen to host a Scottish "Kirking of the Tartans" service on Rogation Sunday, May 20th. at the late Eucharist.

The service will be the climax of a Scottish Heritage Festival sponsored by the Scottish Society of the Lehigh Valley in cooperation with Bethlehem's Celtic Fest, Inc., and the Clan MacMillan Society of the Northeastern United States. During the Festival, the Clan MacMillan Society will hold its semi annual gathering here in Bethlehem, and the Chief of the clan, George Gordon MacMillan, hereditary chief of Clan MacMillan, and his Lady, Jane MacMillan of Finlaystone, will be here from Scotland as official guests of the Gathering and of the Festival. At a Civic Banquet will on Saturday evening, the mayors of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton will present special citations to the honored guests.

At Trinity Church, bagpipes & drums and traditional tartans of many Scottish Clans will add color to a festive celebration of Rogation Sunday. This is a day in the Episcopal Church's calendar and that of both the Church of Scotland and the Church of England, when prayers are said for the God's blessing upon the spring planting of crops and gardens, and intercessions offered for the vast number of the world's population that lives with injustice, poverty, and hunger. Father Nick will preach an appropriate homily for the occasion and the choir will present special music.

This parish's choice as the site for the Scottish observance is the consequence of a history of warm hospitality extended over many years by Trinity to the Scottish Society for its Saint Andrew's Day observances, and of the fact that members of Trinity Church have been among the founders and leaders of the local Scottish Society. Father MacMillan and his late wife Sally were among the society's co-founders, and Terry Miller was for several years its president. Liz MacMillan Miller of our parish staff is president-elect of the MacMillan Society of the Northeastern United State and her husband is its treasurer.

Members of Trinity who have Scottish roots or connections are invited to show their tartans by wearing kilts or articles of tartan material or by bringing banners or flags of their tartans to be carried in the procession and to be blessed at the altar.

The parish will honor George Gordon MacMillan and Jane MacMillan at a parish reception following the church service.

--Fr. A. Malcolm MacMillan - May 2001

Trinity Episcopal Church
44 East Market St.
Bethlehem PA 18018-5989
610-867-4741