'Return To Camelot' Starts July 11: St. Mary's Church Newport

NEWPORT, RI — St. Mary's Church is Newport will present 'Return to Camelot," a program mixing vintage film clips and live music performances remembering the Sept. 12, 1953 wedding of the nation's 35th and first Catholic president. The first presentation is July 11 and will be repeated every Tuesday at 3 p.m., until October.

The performance includes music and hymns from the wedding ceremony and the ‘first dance’ song at the reception at Hammersmith Farm, Jackie’s childhood summer home in Newport, the church spokesman said.

St. Mary's Church is a tourist attraction, and at Sunday Mass, many tour buses pull up at the corner of Spring Street and Memorial Boulevard. But except during services, the church is normally locked.

“We realized Newport’s many summer tourists have an avid interest in visiting the historic church and learning more about the Kennedy wedding," Father Kris Von Maluski, pastor at St. Mary’s, said. "However, we cannot leave it open and unattended due to safety issues. Therefore, the 45 minute presentation is being offered to allow visitors to tour the church afterwards, view pew #10, where Jack and Jackie subsequently prayed when attending mass when visiting Newport and kneel on the very kneelers used during their wedding ceremony.”

For information and tickets, click here. All proceeds from the presentation go to the restoration of St. Mary’s choir loft and newly refurbished Casavant pipe organ.

For more information and group tour requests, please call (401) 847-0475.