In observance of Lent this year, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has chosen a special theme and offered a schedule of opportunities for “the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting and self-denial; and by reading and meditation on God’s holy Word,” said the Rev. Polk Van Zandt, Rector.

“Our theme this year is Reconciliation. Even a cursory look reveals that reconciliation is a recurring and central theme of Scripture. Jesus is clear that we are to be reconciled with each other. Since this is also the 40th anniversary of the Bridge crossing, it is an appropriate theme.”

The Rev. Deacon Jim Purke, a former AP correspondent who covered the Voting Rights Movement and is now a vocational Deacon in the Diocese of Georgia, preached on Sunday, March 6, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, at St. Paul’s.

The most Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane, Anglican Archbishop of Capetown, South Africa, was the Celebrant on Sunday, March 6, at the St. Paul service. Assisting were the Rt. Rev. John Lipscomp, Bishop of Southwest Florida, and The Rev. Mark Andrus, Suffragan Bishop of the Diocese of Alabama.

After the service at St. Paul’s they joined the Congressional Delegation and the Faith in Politics members for dinner at Brown Chapel AME Church. A committee of seven parishioners of St. Paul’s partnered with a Brown Chapel committee as hosts for the meal, which was served to more than 200 of those in Selma for the Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

The Episcopal Diocese of Alabama furnished individual bottles of water to those crossing over the bridge Sunday, Members of St. Paul’s distributed it to the marchers.

Author, Teller of Tales and former newswoman Kathryn Windham spoke March 9 at St. Paul’s Lenten service, and a former Rector of St. Paul’s, the Rev. Frank Matthews will speak March 16.

Sunday, March 6, was indeed a day of “Reconciliation” for the community and the thousands who came to celebrate this 40th anniversary of the Bridge Crossing, said Van Zandt.