In the fall of 2017, Dr. David Teague of the University of Delaware’s creative writing program approached me about being interviewed by his students about the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew (SsAM). He specifically wanted his students to learn about the events of 1968 that occurred in the city.
I met with Dr. Teague and his students in early 2018 and this meeting led to his students attending an evening with the SsAM elders, hosted by the Youth and Young Families (YYF) ministry.
After the YYF meeting and other interviews, the students had one-on -one conversations with members of SsAM. This led to the creation of the 19 Questions Mural. The students responsible for creating the mural with Dr. Teague came to SsAM on a Sunday in October, 2018 and presented their concept to a group of 15-20 parishioners and requested their feedback and input for the final design.
The mural is a wonderful expression of what SsAM stands for in the city of Wilmington. Those driving or walking up Orange Street can now stop, read and reflect on the questions the mural poses.
As we live into being a part of the Invite-Welcome-Connect evangelism ministry of the Episcopal Church, this mural will be a visible expression of our connection with our neighbors in the Creative Arts District of downtown Wilmington.
The mural was installed on the parking lot wall near Orange Street on Saturday, December 22. We will have an official dedication of the mural in January, 2019, the exact date and time to be announced soon. In the meantime I invite you to visit the mural and allow yourself to answer the questions that it poses for us all to consider.
Fr. David
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