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Holy Spirit on Pentecost
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Our History
 
More than 75 years ago, an
Episcopal priest knocked on the doors of the houses in Verona to find out whether there were
enough Episcopalians in town to warrant the formation of an Episcopal
church. Despite being hauled off in a paddy wagon for soliciting, the
priest discovered that indeed a congregation should be formed. The first small
group of parishioners met on the second floor of a building on the corner of Grove Avenue and Bloomfield Avenue.
From there, they moved to a storefront on Bloomfield Avenue, right next to the Peckman River. Both buildings still
remain.
In the midst of the Great
Depression, this band of bold Episcopalians decided to beat the odds and
build a church. Despite tough economic times, they exceeded their
monetary goals and built a little church on Gould Street, next to a field of
beautiful wildflowers. The Church of the Holy Spirit was born.
During World War II, more than half
of the men Ð and some of the women Ð marched off to join the service. When
the Baby Boom hit Verona, the little church
outgrew its small footprint and children attended Sunday School across the
street at H.B. Whitehorne School.
The congregation embarked on another building campaign and erected a new
sanctuary that was dedicated in the 1960s. The original chapel
still remains Ð a peaceful and beautiful reminder of Holy SpiritÕs
history. Make sure you stop in to see it when you visit the Church of
the Holy Spirit.
Since its inauspicious beginning
more than 75 years ago, many people have made the Episcopal Church of the
Holy Spirit their spiritual home. Today, we are proud to be known as an
open, welcoming, and inclusive congregation ... one where "everyone
knows your name.Ó
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