Historical Significance
The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia geographically encompasses the City of Williamsburg which includes Colonial Williamsburg. Bruton Parish is located along the historic Duke of Gloucester Street. During times when the House of Burgesses was holding its sessions in Colonial Williamsburg, American patriots George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry worshipped at Bruton Parish.
When Jamestown, Virginia was founded May 14, 1607, the town was established in the geographical area that would become the Diocese of Southern Virginia. The settlers there established one of the first churches in the New World that became the meeting place of the first New World legislative assembly on July 30, 1619.
The Diocese also includes St. John's Episcopal Church, Elizabeth City Parish, in Hampton, Virginia. The church was established in 1610 making it the oldest English-speaking Parish in continuous existence in the United States of America. In addition, St. John’s occasionally uses Communion silver (a chalice and two patens) dating from 1618. This communion silver has the longest history of continuous use in the United States of any English church silver.
On Sunday June 24, 2007, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of ECUSA led the 400th anniversary celebration of the first Anglican service of Holy Communion in the new World at Jamestown, with Interim Bishop John Clark Buchanan serving as host.
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