2026 Blessed Absalom Jones Celebration at St. John the Devine

The Very Reverend Winnie Varghese, Dean, will host a special service commemorating Blessed Absalom Jones at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. The celebration will feature worship, music, dance, and spoken word. Jones was the first African American Priest of the Episcopal Church and was declared a saint in 1973, with a designated feast day of February 13.

Celebrant: The Right Reverend Matthew F. Heyd, 17th Bishop of New York

Host: The Very Reverend Winnie Varghese, Dean of the Cathedral

Preacher: The Right Reverend Carlye J. Hughes, 11th Bishop of Newark, New Jersey

Featured Performers & Youth Participants:

The Absalom Jones Festival Choir.

The Christ Church New Brighton Community Youth Choir of Staten Island,    directed by Jana Ballard.

Artists from Jazz House Kids of Montclair, New Jersey (Dr. Darrell Smith, coordinator / Christian McBride, founder).

Dancers from the Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet Dance Company.

POET GOLD, 2017 Dutchess County Poet Laureate.

Derrick D. Cross, Beatboxer/Spoken Word Artist of the Electric Company and Artist in Residence at New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

This Service will be streamed live on the Cathedral Website (stjohndivine.org), on the Cathedral YouTube Channel and on the Cathedral Facebook page, beginning at 10:30 a.m.