Grace Episcopal Church (Sheboygan, Wisconsin) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grace Episcopal Church
Grace Episcopal Church, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 2020.
Religion
Affiliation	Episcopal, Anglican
District	Diocese of Fond du Lac
Province	Province V
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Parish church
Leadership	The Rev. William Bulson
Location
Location	1011 North 7th Street, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1871
Construction cost	$7,752
Materials	brick
Website
Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It is part of the Episcopal Church, which is a Christian denomination. This beautiful church is one of four churches in the Downtown Churches Historic District. This district is so special that it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized for its important history.

Church History

The story of Grace Episcopal Church began a long time ago, in 1847. A small piece of land was bought in Sheboygan. A wooden church building was then built on this land. The very first church service was held on Christmas Day in 1847.

Two years later, in 1849, a new church building was officially dedicated. This dedication was led by Bishop Jackson Kemper. He was a missionary bishop for the Northwest Territory at that time.

The church building you see today was built in 1871. It was designed in a style called High Victorian Gothic. This style was popular for churches during that period. The church was added to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places in 2009. It became part of the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.

Special Relics

Inside the Grace Episcopal Church, you can find several special items called relics. These are small pieces from very important places, especially the Holy Land.

For example, the church's foundation contains rocks from the Jordan River. The arch above the altar, called the chancel, has small stones from Bethlehem. Inside the main altar, there are pieces of olive wood from the Garden of Gethsemane. There are also five stones from under the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

The Lady Chapel

On the west side of the church, there is a special area called the Lady Chapel. This chapel is considered the National Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham for the Episcopal Church. It was built in 1930 and officially dedicated in 1931.

Inside the chapel, there is a copy of the original statue of Our Lady of Walsingham. The original statue is located in Norfolk, England. This shrine is believed to be the first one dedicated to Our Lady in any Anglican church in the United States. Since 1980, people have made an annual pilgrimage to this Lady Chapel.

In the middle of the chapel floor, you can see a small, wedge-shaped stone. This stone was brought all the way from Glastonbury, England. Above the altar in the chapel, there are five beautiful paintings. These paintings show the Blessed Virgin Mary on a throne. She is surrounded by Saint Agnes, St. Cecilia, and Angels. These artworks were painted by T. Noyes Lewis from London.

Stained-Glass Windows

The main altar

The main part of the church, called the nave, has many beautiful stained-glass windows. These windows were made by a local glass company in Milwaukee. Each window tells a different part of the life of Christ. All of these colorful windows have been put in place since 1968.

All Saints Chapel

In the late 1930s, a pastor named Rev. A. Parker Curtis started holding church services. He used a room at the Sharpe Resort near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. This was for Episcopalians who were on vacation during the summer.

Eventually, it was decided that a separate chapel should be built in that area. Grace Church bought a small piece of land for this purpose. The chapel was finished and dedicated in 1951.

The All Saints Chapel is built using local fieldstone. It has a wooden beamed ceiling throughout the building. The floor is made of a special type of slate. This same slate is also used in the Walsingham Shrine back at Grace Church.

See also

• William Elwell, a person connected to the parish who served as a curate and rector.