St. Anne’s, Annapolis celebrates All Souls’ Day with vespers and a new plaque acknowledging church history

The Rev. Randy Callender, Canon for Mission in the Diocese of Maryland, preaches at the All Souls’ Vespers at St. Anne’s.

St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Annapolis, MD

Posted Nov 7, 2025 on Episcopal News Service

The Rev. Dr. Manoj Zacharia, Rector of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, led a gathering of approximately 150 parishioners and community members to commemorate All Souls’ with a Vespers service of both memory and hope to commend all the faithful departed to the mercies of God.

Rev. Zacharia opened the service with the dedication of a new plaque in the narthex. “This plaque stands as a visible witness to our ongoing journey of truth and reconciliation—acknowledging the complexity of our parish’s history and our renewed commitment to the reconciling work of Christ. It is both a marker of remembrance and an invitation to live more deeply into justice, humility, and mercy.” The plaque mentions St. Philip’s and St. Luke’s which began as missions of St. Anne’s and concludes with prayers for “reconciliation with our full history, our two sister parishes and with the community of Annapolis that will lead us farther along our path to Beloved Community.”

The Rev. Manoj Zacharia, Rector of St. Anne’s, blesses a new plaque.

This plaque and the one previously installed on the outside of the church are the result of six years of research and discovery through conversations in the community by St. Anne’s Truth and Reconciliation Ministry. Rev. Zacharia acknowledged their “prayerful discernment and faithful labor that made this commemoration and the new plaque possible.”

The Rev. Randy Callender, Canon for Mission in the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, and former Rector of St. Philip’s, preached a sermon leading all those gathered into reflection and the hope of resurrection. The following is an excerpt from his sermon.

“Death isn’t just what happens when the body stops breathing. Death happens whenever we stop telling the truth. Whenever a church stops remembering its story. Whenever a community chooses comfort over confession. The Gospel says healing begins the moment we dare to tell the truth. Because truth is resurrection work. And resurrection always starts in a tomb, a place where something once buried begins to rise again.”

“St. Anne’s, you are standing in your own resurrection moment. By dedicating this plaque, you’re not just placing words in bronze, you’re giving voice to souls who were silenced. “You’re telling the truth about a complicated history, a church that stood at the crossroads of grace and injustice.”

“In a city built on the cash crop of tobacco and the labor of enslaved Africans, you’re acknowledging that St. Anne’s was part of that story. And you’re saying, “We will no longer bury that truth.” You’re remembering the enslaved and the free, the named and the unnamed, the builders and the buried, all who shaped this sacred place.”

“You’re remembering that your spiritual descendants include the people of St. Philip’s, born from the courage of those once pushed to the margins and the people of St. Luke’s, whose ancestors were once dismissed. And yet, in God’s strange and beautiful way, all three churches now find themselves partners in resurrection.”

“That is the work of grace. Because grace doesn’t erase history, it redeems it. Grace doesn’t deny the pain, it transforms it. Grace takes what was broken and says, “Watch what love can do with this.”

“Grace is showing this city, this state, and the world what the Beloved Community can look like when courage meets compassion.”

Prayerful chant and hauntingly beautiful selections from Karl Jenkins’ “Requiem” helped set the tone for this service of remembrance and resurrection. J. Ernest Green, Music Director of St. Anne’s, and Artistic Director for Live Arts Maryland conducted the music performed by St. Anne’s Choir, and guest musicians, including organist Larry Molinaro and flutist Martha Molinaro. You can experience this moving service and listen to Canon Callendar’s full sermon on St. Anne’s YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3JzxXHB.