COLLECT FOR SAINT OAKERHATER

O God of unsearchable wisdom and infinite mercy, you chose a captive warrior, David Oakerhater, to be your servant, and sent him to be a missionary to his own people, and to exercise the office of a deacon among them: Liberate us, who commemorate him today, from bondage to self, and empower us for service to you and to the neighbors you have given us; through Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The restoration of Grace Church’s tower has commenced. This is the single biggest repair project on the exterior church proper in decades and will enhance and preserve a part of our historic church’s façade for future generations. The project will entail taking down and rebuilding the top third of the stone walls, repairing the buttresses and installing interior bracing and a new roof and drainage system. Nearly 86% of the $384,000 project is being funded by grants from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, the Foundation of the Diocese of Central New York, and the Bernice Gould Fund (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Endicott NY). The remainder has been raised by Grace Church parishioners and friends through the 2020 Capital Campaign.   The project is scheduled for completion in late November.

Grace Episcopal Church is listed on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.