"We had the auditorium where the Great Hall is now. The whole Church School would sit there in the auditorium while Dr. Block preached his sermon to us kids before he would go into the church for the service. Bill Danforth was in my class. Miss Dyer was our teacher. Dr. Block's time with us every Sunday morning made us feel special.”
George fondly remembers Elizabeth Dyer who began teaching in Church School in 1929 when she was 58 years old. She retired after 22 years of service at the age of 80. George says attending services at CSMSG was a highlight of his week.
“We never missed church; I had perfect attendance. They gave us prayer books and bibles as prizes for perfect attendance. This was during the Depression and the prizes were valuable. I enjoyed coming to church. Our kindergarten class was where the stairs are now by the church library. I was confirmed by Dr. Sant in 1941.”
During his nearly 90 years as a parishioner at The Church of St. Michael & St. George, George has seen the church thrive under various leaders.
“Dr. Block built a great church; he left CSMSG in 1938 to become Bishop of California. Dr. Sant was our next Rector. Paul Friess was the organist and choirmaster when we arrived at the church and he remained for 36 years. Our church was very much and still is a leader in the Episcopal Church.”
George has seen the church evolve over many decades. There is one major difference from his early days at the church.
"Outreach was not the focus back then during the Depression, not like it is now at St.
Michael & St. George. Over the years we've been fortunate with our ministries and programs.”
The future of our church is bright and George hopes a new group of young people will step forward to lead our church.
“The leaders and contributors of our church have always kept us going. I worry that the contributors are dying and we need replacements. We don't want to eat into our equity.
Our church was and is a resource not just spiritually but in all aspects of life. There is a place for everyone to contribute, with your time, talent, and treasure.”
