Each Tuesday at 3 pm, beginning July 11 and continuing through October 2017, one can now re-live that special day of September 12, 1953, when Jacqueline Bouvier married then Senator John F. Kennedy at St. Mary’s Catholic Church on Spring Street in Newport.
The Return to Camelot presentation features vintage film clips and a live performance of the music and hymns of the wedding ceremony and the ‘first dance’ song at the reception at Hammersmith Farm, Jackie’s childhood summer home in Newport.
“We realized Newport’s many summer tourists have an avid interest in visiting the historic church and learning more about the Kennedy wedding, however, we cannot leave it open and unattended do to safety issues,” said Father Kris Von Maluski, pastor at St. Mary’s. “Therefore, the 45-minute presentation is being offered to allow visitors to tour the church afterward, view pew #10, where Jack and Jackie subsequently prayed when attending mass when visiting Newport and kneel on the very kneelers used during their wedding ceremony.”
All proceeds from the presentation go to the restoration of St. Mary’s choir loft and newly refurbished Casavant pipe organ.
For information and tickets go to www.ReturnToCamelot.org.
For information on the history of historic St. Mary’s, a National Historic Landmark, go to http://www.stmarynewport.org/History
