A Wyes Peoples Journey from 1721 – 2021

Parishioners of Old Wye Parish, welcome!

Sunday, October 17th, 2021 [St Luke’s Sunday] marked the 300th anniversary of the dedication of Old Wye church. A 300th Anniversary committee was formed and continues to work diligently to bring a year’s worth of festivities to celebrate this monumental event. As chairman of this committee, I would like to let you know what we have planned for this yearlong celebration which will run from Oct. 17th, 2021 to Oct. 16th, 2022. Listed below is our roadmap, a guide for our 300 year journey.

  1. Colonial Sunday Services
    1. An initial 1721 style Sunday service, complete with time period appropriate music, costume and use of our original communion vessels, will kick off the year and will include several dignitaries. This service is to be followed by a light luncheon for the congregation.
    2. A concluding 1721 style service, conducted like the initial one, will be held Oct 16th, 2022.
  2. May Fair Celebration
    1. This event, planned for May of 2022, will include a May Pole dance, games and activities for both children and adults, live music, dance demonstrations, a petting zoo, light fare and several static historical displays relating to Old Wye Church throughout the ages.
    2. This will also be a “Homecoming” event for all who have & have had relationships with both Old Wye and St. Luke’s.
  3. Self Guided Tour
    1. A self-guided tour of the Old Wye campus has been established and showcases the many magnificent aspects of our church. This will be permanently available to the general public and is a significant way to tour Wye Parish in person or from the comfort of your home.
    2. The tour of the inside of Old Wye Church is included and the full tour is available on this website from a tab on the homepage Welcome to Wye Parish.
  4. History
    1. During the course of the year, we are planning a guest lecture series from historians who will give a chronological history not only of Old Wye Church but also of the colonial Anglican and Wye Mills communities.
    2. The history of Old Wye will be investigated and displayed thru our historic Vestry Cottage Book Collection, Vestry documents, Communion vessels and other historical archived objects that we possess.
    3. Our 300th Anniversary Committee sent a delegation to the Maryland State Archives to investigate what historical items are there so that we can further update the history of Old Wye and enhance our understanding of it.
    4. Our current 250th anniversary booklet will updated as our 300th anniversary booklet.
    5. A “Cemetery Census” has been completed so that our cemetery records are now computerized and will be the foundation for research into our “Parish Genealogy”.
    6. We are working with local school boards and home school families to bring school field trips to tour both the Old Wye campus and the Old Wye grist mill.
  5. Graphics
    1. An official 300th Anniversary logo has been designed which will help to forever commemorate this historical event.
  6. River Walk
    1. A parish event taking a mile and a half walk from the Boyd’s family Lob Creek Farm along the Wye River and concluding on the Old Wye campus.
  7. Commemorative items
    1. A variety of items commemorating our 300th anniversary; from bookmarks to prayer cards, Christmas ornaments to coffee mugs and maybe more.
    2. Items will be displayed regularly for the congregation to purchase and we are attempting to establish an “Online store” on our parish website.

We the 300th Anniversary Committee are working diligently to celebrate, honor and commemorate this monumental event in the history of not only Old Wye church, but in the community, the state and the country.  Only a handful of churches in the nation are older than the nation itself and we are fortunate to be part of one of them.  God’s love and infinite grace and a faithfully dedicated Parish has kept us in existence for the last 300 years. With his love and kindness, and the faithful dedication of our current and future parishioners, we hope to prevail for 300 more. Thank you, God bless you and may the peace of the Lord be always with you. Amen.

Thomas E. Radcliffe
Chairman
Old Wye 300th Anniversary Committee