The Rev. Absalom Jones Remembered at Voorhees University Service

Voorhees University observed the Feast Day of Absalom Jones with a service of Holy Eucharist on Tuesday, February 11. The Right Reverend Ruth Woodliff-Stanley served as celebrant, and the Right Reverend Shannon MacVean-Brown, bishop of the Diocese of Vermont, was the preacher. During her homily, Bishop MacVean-Brown shared that she has ancestors in South Carolina, many of whom were raised on the Lang Syne Plantation in Calhoun County, and some were buried at what was then St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Fort Motte. The bishop has long communicated with her cousin in South Carolina to learn more about her family history, but had not had the opportunity to meet him in person until the day of the service at Voorhees. During the service, he presented her with a bound history of their shared family members. After the service, the two cousins, along with Bishop Ruth, visited St. Matthew's to see the graves of their ancestors.

The Reverend Absalom Jones was America’s first black priest (1746-1818). Born into slavery in Delaware at a time when slavery was being debated as immoral and undemocratic, he taught himself to read, using the New Testament as one of his resources. Read more about this important figure in the history of the church at this link.

A video of the service, and Bishop MacVean-Brown's sermon, is available on the Voorhees University Facebook page at this link.