Loading..."One Night in May," a service of Celebration through Prayer, brought out about 50 supporters of St. George's Community Center for Evening Prayer on May 22.
According to an old issue of Episcopal Christ Cathedral Notes, one May night in 1964, 150 African-American boys broke into the long-closed gymnasium at St. George's parish house to play ball. The Urban Mission Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky took that as a sign from the Holy Spirit that there was a need for the Episcopal Church to address particular challenges faced by this community. They began holding Friday night events, and by the time school began in September, up to 600 African-American teens were attending. Thus, St. George's Community Center was born.
The May 22 service was held at St. George's Episcopal Church, during which a brief homily was given by Bishop Terry White, who spoke about the center's important ministry to inner-city children and youth in western Louisville.
At the reception afterwards, leaders with the Brotherhood of St. Andrew's at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Louisville presented Arthur Cox, the center's executive director, with a $1,000 check. It was St. Mark's contribution to a commemorative offering being collected from congregations in the diocese that day. It is the hope of the center board of directors that the May offering will become a recognized, diocesan-wide opportunity to support the citizens and work of the community center.
Center board members urge the members of our diocese make a donation to St. George's this month because contributions are still needed to fund the cost of another Freedom School, which will serve 70 youngsters this summer beginning in June.
Donations, earmarked for the SGCC, may be left at your parish or mailed directly to St. George's Community Center, 1205 S. 26th St., Louisville, KY 40210.
