[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 31 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E234]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH ON THE GREEN AS THEY CELEBRATE 
                        THEIR 200TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 26, 2016

  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, in December of 1812, the Town Council of 
New Haven, Connecticut, voted to allow the construction of Trinity 
Episcopal Church on the town green. This vote represented a unique 
moment of tolerance and acceptance in the City's history as since its 
inception the community and indeed the state was controlled by the 
Congregational Church with deep Puritan roots. Four years later, 
construction of Trinity Episcopal Church, affectionately known locally 
as Trinity on the Green, was completed. Two hundred years later, the 
Gothic-style church, the first of its kind in North America, continues 
to proudly call the New Haven Green its home.
  Over the course of its 200-year history, Trinity on the Green has 
been much more than simply a house of worship. Its parish members have 
also given back to the community, particularly through Chapel on the 
Green. Serving the homeless and others, every Sunday, 52 weeks a year, 
outdoors regardless of weather, Trinity offers a short Eucharist 
service followed by a simple lunch. Gathered participants sing, offer 
prayers, celebrate a simple Eucharist and partake of a meal. Throughout 
the year the services also include a foot washing clinic, handing out 
of socks and clothing, and a moving memorial to the homeless who have 
died the past year. Trinity on the Green also donates generous 
resources to a variety of charitable organizations and parish members 
can often be found volunteering throughout the City at soup kitchens 
and shelters.
  Trinity on the Green is also home to the Trinity Choir of Men and 
Boys. With members as young as age eight and ranging to men well into 
adulthood, it is the oldest such choir in Connecticut, one of the 
oldest in the United States, and one of very few that have been in 
continuous service since inception. In addition to providing choral 
music at Trinity worship services, the Choir also performs at the 
Christmas and Spring Concerts as well as throughout events in the wider 
community. The dedication and talent of its membership has earned the 
Choir a distinguished reputation and they have regularly appeared with 
other well-known musical organizations. The youngest of the group have 
a separate identity as the Trinity Boys Choir and their service to the 
community is certainly something to be recognized. Their frequent 
outreach activities have included benefit performances for the 
Children's Center, Ronald McDonald House, Sage Services, Newington 
Children's Hospital, the Fair Haven Parents' Ministry, the Smilow 
Cancer Center, and for WFSB Channel 3's annual Joy for Kids Holiday 
Show at the Hartford Stage. They have sung in the Cathedrals of the 
British Isles and have been invited to appear at five Christmastime 
celebrations at the White House.
  Our churches play a vital role in our communities--providing people 
with a place to turn to for comfort and guidance when they are most in 
need. Trinity on the Green gives its members a place to find their 
spiritual center and to solidify and support their values. For 200 
years, Trinity on the Green has been a fixture in our community--a 
poignant reminder of religious tolerance and acceptance. Their parish 
members are dedicated to making a difference in our community and have 
shown a remarkable dedication to serving those most in need. I am proud 
to stand today and extend my very best wishes to them as they mark this 
milestone in their history. Happy 200th Anniversary!

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