Return to Camelot: The Kennedy Wedding Remembered

In honor of the Kennedys' 73rd wedding anniversary, one can re-live that special day, September 12, 1953, when Jacqueline Bouvier married then-Senator John F. Kennedy at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport.

The Return to Camelot presentation at 12:00 noon on Saturday, September 12 features vintage film clips, a live performance of organ music and hymns from the wedding ceremony, and the "first dance" played at the reception at Hammersmith Farm, Jackie’s childhood summer home in Newport.

After the presentation, which runs approximately 45 minutes, visitors are invited to tour the church, view pew #10—where Jack and Jackie once prayed while attending Mass—and see the original kneelers used during their nuptial Mass.

• Reservations for Return to Camelot are not required.
• Doors open at 11:45 am
• A free-will offering will benefit the St. Mary’s Hot Lunch Program, which serves community members in need on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Wednesdays of each month.
• Free parking is available in the church lots accessed via William Street, which runs 1-way down the hill from Bellevue Avenue.
• Accessible parking is located in the lot on the right side of William Street, adjacent to the former school building.
• The accessible entrance to the church and accessible restrooms are via the breezeway, located between the rectory and the garage.

The church, dedicated in 1852 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is also open to the public during the summer months, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information, please write StMarySecretary12@gmail.com or phone the Parish Office at (401) 847-0475, Mon. through Thurs. between 9 am and 4 pm (closed Friday).

Photo Source: Kennedy Library

Note: As Sept. 12 falls on a Saturday in 2026, only one presentation of "Return to Camelot" will take place.