Marblehead Church Plans 100th Anniversary Year Of Events

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A yearlong celebration of the Church of St. Andrew in Marblehead's 100-year anniversary will kick off with a service and plaza picnic with music, kids' games and ice cream open to all area residents on Sept. 10.

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Massachusetts, will officiate the service at 10 a.m. with the picnic to follow at 11.

The picnic will include rock music from The Morrison Meows as well as a bouncy house, face painting and Terry's Ice Cream truck.

There will also be a special blessing of the church's new plaza, improved grounds and renovated worship space.

The church was founded in 1924 at 135 Lafayette Street near the Salem line on land bequeathed by Salem resident Isaac Chauncy Wyman, who had extensive real estate holdings, including the area where some of the Wyman Woods currently encompass.

According to the church, Wyman's vision was for a chapel to be used for services, for the spiritual education of children of all denominations, as well as neighborhood social activities. The original chapel, with some enhancements, still forms the worship space of the church, which has been extended over the years.

The church hosts a popular rummage sale twice a year as well as other community-based activities.

"St. Andrew's is also known for its warm community, as well as for its social justice outreach," Rev. C. Clyde Elledge, who has been the church rector since 2012, said. "It is a place of worship and of welcome, inclusion, fellowship, and inspiration for parishioners and friends from across the North Shore.

"We will be spending the year shining a light on those aspects of our community, and we invite the wider community to join us in celebration."

Over the next year, the church is planning historical liturgies and music, visits from previous clergy, historic photo displays and a Roaring Twenties party scheduled for June.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)