A Brief History of Trinity Episcopal Church
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Over the course of its history, Trinity Episcopal Church has been spiritually directed by eighteen different rectors. Some were quite orthodox; others, seemingly heterodox. Some were quiet and demure; others, bold and vociferous. Some led democratically; others, autocratically. These eighteen men and women were most assuredly an eclectic group. Their role in shaping the character and future of Trinity Episcopal and its parishioners cannot be denied. They were our shepherds, guiding us, inspiring us, helping us to discover who we truly were, leading us ever onward. And now we begin the search for that new shepherd, the one who will lead us further and into a closer, deeper relationship with our God and Savior.
Editor’s note: Since Trinity’s founding in 1872, there have been several histories written by mostly unknown writers. We do know that one version was written in March 1956 by Adams Dodson. This present effort was undertaken in 2026 to update the 2006 version of Trinity’s history compiled by the late Marius Bressoud, a much-loved and longstanding member of Trinity. In his usual humorous and self-effacing manner, Marius wrote that his history was, “Undoubtedly incomplete, certainly containing inaccuracies, and involving a lot of reading between the lines.” In preparing this 2026 edition, the author reviewed, verified, and when necessary, revised Marius’s version. However, the admonition that this work is “undoubtedly incomplete, certainly containing inaccuracies, and involving a lot of reading between the lines” still stands, but now the onus is on me. Marius, I hope I did you proud.
~ Sandy Mesics, June 2026
Editor’s note: Since Trinity’s founding in 1872, there have been several histories written by mostly unknown writers. We do know that one version was written in March 1956 by Adams Dodson. This present effort was undertaken in 2026 to update the 2006 version of Trinity’s history compiled by the late Marius Bressoud, a much-loved and longstanding member of Trinity. In his usual humorous and self-effacing manner, Marius wrote that his history was, “Undoubtedly incomplete, certainly containing inaccuracies, and involving a lot of reading between the lines.” In preparing this 2026 edition, the author reviewed, verified, and when necessary, revised Marius’s version. However, the admonition that this work is “undoubtedly incomplete, certainly containing inaccuracies, and involving a lot of reading between the lines” still stands, but now the onus is on me. Marius, I hope I did you proud.
~ Sandy Mesics, June 2026
