Sunday, September 7, 2025 will be the 251st anniversary of a remarkable event at Carpenters’ Hall: the opening prayer for the First Continental Congress.  That Congress was a seminal moment in the uniting of the often fractious colonies in figuring out how they might free themselves from imperial tyranny.  But the prayer was given in hopes of also uniting the sometimes fractious religious congregations represented by the congressional delegates.  After some debate, the prayer was given by the Rev. Jacob Duché of nearby Christ Church.  His prayer was a resounding success, reportedly leaving representatives in floods of tears, and inspired them to work together towards forging a great and fair new nation.

In celebration of that original prayer, we will visit four nearby historic congregations: Mother Bethel AME Church (Rev. Carolyn Cavaness), St. Peter’s Church (Rev. Sarah Hedgis-Kligerman), Old Pine Street Church (Rev. Jason Ferris) and Old St. Joseph’s Church (Fr. Francis Hannafey). The tour concludes at Carpenters’ Hall, where the current rector of Christ Church, Rev. Samantha Vincent-Alexander, will recite Duche’s original 1774 invocation. 

Special thanks to our friends at Carpenters’ Hall and the participating congregations for sharing their space and knowledge for this tour.