Michael Thomas Leibrandt: And to the earth we shall return

Of all of Philadelphia’s old churches — some dating back to the very start of European colonization around the resource-rich merging of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers  —  Gloria Dei Old Swedes Episcopal Church located in Philadelphia’s old Southward neighborhood was always my favorite. It’s not just the marvel of its age  — standing today as one of the oldest in our nation  —  but it stands as a monument of importance constructed by those whose settlements helped to shape Philadelphia ,  some of them years before William Penn arrived.

Sometimes, history needs some help. Sometime  it needs a helping hand in order to keep the very monuments alive that marked the final resting places of that initial congregation — those who paved the way for modern-day Philadelphia. This April 25th,  between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m, volunteers are sought to clean around 100 gravestones. 

Philadelphia, as one might expect from an old city, is full of old and often forgotten burial sites. At the beginning of the week, crews had to halt construction in North Broad street as part of Temple University’s Klein Center for Media and Communication project when human caskets and remains were uncovered — which were formerly part of Monument Cemetery which is part of the land that Temple was built upon. Monument was in fact one of the first cemeteries in Philadelphia that featured a “relaxing” surrounding green ambiance — perfectly landscaped with areas to sit during its inception.

The story of Philadelphia’s forefathers is the same one awaits many of us. Some of Philadelphia’s oldest cemeteries are Christ Church Burial Ground established in 1719, Laurel Hill Cemetery first established in 1836, and Mikveh Israel Cemetery first established in 1740. They hold American Revolutionary War and Civil War Veterans alike. They hold the founders of our nation and early designers of Philadelphia,  whose vision can still be seen in the city today in the layout of its streets, historic squares, and 17th century architecture today. 

The brave men and women who have found their final resting places between Philadelphia’s hallowed soil   with faded stone markers whose inscriptions have long since faded from the last remnants of readability and have been overtaken with a slow-growth of both algae and moss expanding with every moisture-soaked day.

Gloria Dei Old Swedes Episcopal Church in Philadelphia is so old that it doesn’t just predate the city of Philadelphia. It is one of the oldest in all of America. The story begins when Swedish settlers under Governor John Printz would begin to settle around the land that would eventually become Philadelphia in 1643.

When parishioners decided to construct a permanent place to worship on a spot of land in the future Philadelphia that the Native Americans called “Wicaco,” they constructed a log blockhouse that was used until 1677. When Reverend Andrew Rudman’s newly constructed larger church was dedicated in 1700 — with the new cornerstone having been laid in 1698  —  what we know today of Gloria Dei Old Swedes Episcopal Church had begun to take shape.

Over the years,  the font for Gloria Dei Old Swedes Episcopal Church marble baptismal was made and it still stands today as one of the most historic that still claims modern use. Betsy Ross was married within its walls. Artist James Peale once was there. In 1740 ,  a fire destroyed much of the church’s records.

Its cemetery  —  just a few feet outside of that iconic front door  —  had its first burial in 1678. Sven Gunnarsson was not only the first person interred in the Church Cemetery but also a founding member of the Swedish Colony. Members of George Washington’s Army are also among those laid to rest in the cemetery.

The cleanup efforts not only help to preserve the legacy of those who landed here and created the first vision of our City —  it’s a solemn remembrance, a kindness that any of us would wish for. Pre-registration is available at www.preserveoldswedes.org .

Michael Thomas Leibrandt lives and works in Abington Township, Pennsylvania.