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Lewisboro Residents Invited To John Lewis Day Celebration

LEWISBORO, N.Y. -- In a much-expanded followup to last year’s inaugural event, the second annual John Lewis Day celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4, beginning at noon and continuing till dusk at St. Paul’s Chapel on Route 123 in Vista, N.Y. All local residents are welcome and admission is free.

The John Lewis Day celebration will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, at St. Paul’s Chapel on Route 123 in Vista, N.Y.

The John Lewis Day celebration will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, at St. Paul’s Chapel on Route 123 in Vista, N.Y.

Photo Credit: Contributed

The event honors Lewis for his generosity toward the town’s public schools and to St. John’s Episcopal Parish, of which St. Paul’s Chapel is a part.  

In 2013, Lewisboro Town Supervisor Peter Parsons officially proclaimed the first Saturday after Oct. 1 (the date of Lewis’ death in 1871) henceforth as John Lewis Day and encouraged “all residents to celebrate on this day their Town’s rich history, and the volunteers and supporters who have made, and continue to make, this community a success.”

This year’s events will begin at noon with a wreath-laying ceremony at Lewis’ gravesite in Becks Hill Cemetery across from St. Paul’s. At 1 p.m. the Antioch Baptist Church Choir from Bedford Hills will present a concert of gospel music in the chapel.  That will be followed by an ecumenical prayer service and a brief talk that will provide lively insights into the fascinating man after whom our town is named. 

The Vista Fire Department will provide an honor guard for the wreath-laying ceremony at Lewis’ gravesite at noon, and Father Joseph Campo of St. Paul's will be joined by the pastor of the South Salem Presbyterian Church, Rev. Chip Andrus. There will also be a moment of prayer for the area's Jewish neighbors, since Yom Kippur falls on Saturday, Oct. Gossett’s Nursery of South Salem will donate a beautiful wreath of grapevines and boxwood for the wreath-laying ceremony.

The festivities will continue on the grounds of the chapel with an afternoon of barbecue and live music till dusk. 

Father Joseph Campo, rector of St. John’s Parish, said, “Our parish’s history and John Lewis’ life are deeply intertwined in so many ways, and both are filled with examples of volunteerism and civic involvement.  John Lewis Day is a wonderful celebration that everyone in our town can enjoy and St. Paul’s Chapel is the perfect place to hold it.”

The grooming of the one-mile hiking trails behind St. Paul’s has been completed by parishioner Aidan Andrews for his Eagle Scout project. It will be open officially opened on Oct. 4. Hhe has also erected a number of signs along the trail with information about John Lewis.

For additional information, please contact the parish office at 914-763-8273 or via email at stjohnsch@cloud9.net.  

 

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