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St. Alban's music director Aaron Tan organized the first-ever Rochester Hymn Fest, where St. Alban's and 5 other area Christian churches, gathered April 28 to sing hymns together chosen from their different congregations' traditions.
The event was held at Sts. Luke and Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church in Rochester, also known as "Two Saints" church on 17 Fitzhugh Street. The church was packed, with well over 150 participants singing in this ecumenical service.
A coffee hour reception was held afterward, with participants saying they looked forward to doing it again, and hoping it could become a biennal event in Rochester. We certainly look forward to making that happen!
For St. Alban's Ordinariate Catholics, the event provided an opportunity to give witness that ecumenical unity, in obedience to Jesus's prayer for his Church, can be ultimately realized. The Ordinariate is a form of ecumenism realized, as we are the home of the Anglican tradition within the Catholic Church. We are called to build bridges and personal relationships with our Anglican brothers and sisters, and Christians of all denominations, so we can together carry out the work of the Gospel and follow Jesus Christ more faithfully, listening with obedience to his holy Word.We were glad to make new friends at the Rochester Hymn Fest, and look forward to more ecumenical endeavors with our fellow Christians in the Rochester area!
You can see some of the photos here.
If you're inspired by the work of St. Alban's, we invite you to help support our mission and expand our reach for Jesus Christ in the Rochester region. If you'd like to get personally involved, we invite you to contact us today.
