A Historic Milestone: St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Gary Honored with a Historical Marker
In a significant tribute ahead of its centennial celebration, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana, a historically African American congregation, has been awarded a historical marker. The church, established in 1927 during a time of segregation as an Episcopal mission for the local black community, received this honor recently. The marker was installed last month, recognizing the church’s longstanding contributions to the area.
The initiative for the marker was led by Paula DeBois, the parish historian of St. Augustine’s, who applied to the Indiana Historic Bureau. “They deemed that our information was enough to be included in their marker program,” she stated. Remarkably, St. Augustine’s is the first Episcopal parish in the state to achieve this recognition.
DeBois expressed, “We’re a small church in an area that really gets a lot of negative press,” yet it continues to attract a diverse group interested in its history and cultural significance. “We are a beacon for our community, architecture, arts, and civil rights issues, and, in the last 10 years, we’ve been a beacon for the preservation community,” she added.
The church’s history dates back to a period when African American worshipers were not permitted to attend services at the local mother church. Courageous and visionary, the founding members established their own congregation just eight blocks away. This spirit of resilience and community has defined the church’s journey through the years.
Further growth occurred during the 1950s under the Rev. Wallace Wells, coinciding with the church’s involvement in civil rights and social advocacy, such as the desegregation efforts at Marquette Park. Its current structure, designed by renowned architect Edward Dart, was completed in 1959, and two years later, the mission received parish status.
Tyrell Anderson, a local preservationist, commemorated the church’s legacy by saying, “The St. Augustine’s marker is a reminder of what collective action can build — one bolt and blessing at a time.”
Today, St. Augustine’s Episcopal is part of the Calumet Episcopal Ministry Partnership, a coalition of six churches sharing clergy due to a decline in denominational membership. DeBois noted challenges similar to other Episcopal congregations nationwide, “We are just like any other Episcopal church, in the sense that we are shrinking and aging out.”
With history often at risk of being overlooked, DeBois emphasized the importance of remembering the church’s pioneering founders, stating, “I think it’s very important, in this moment in time when history is being rewritten, [to reflect on] the story of Saint Augustine’s and the founding members who were so brave and forward-thinking.”
“I think that story needs to be told.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
