In honor of the Kennedy’s wedding anniversary, one can re-live that special day, September 12, 1953, when Jacqueline Bouvier married then-Senator John F. Kennedy at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Newport.
“Return to Camelot: The Kennedy Wedding Remembered” will be presented at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, at St. Mary’s Church, corner of Spring Street and Memorial Boulevard West. Doors open fifteen minutes before each presentation.
The presentation will feature vintage film clips, a live performance of organ music, hymns from the wedding ceremony, and the “first dance” played at the reception at Hammersmith Farm, Jackie’s childhood summer home in Newport.
Following the 30-minute presentation, guests may tour the beautiful and historic church, see pew #10, where Jack and Jackie prayed while attending Mass in Newport, and view the kneelers used during their nuptial Mass.
Reservations for Return to Camelot are not required, and no tickets will be sold. A free-will offering will benefit the St. Mary’s Hot Lunch Program, serving community members three Wednesdays a month from the St. Mary’s Parish Center.
St. Mary’s Church is home to Rhode Island’s oldest Catholic parish, established in 1828. The present church, dedicated in 1852 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, attracts thousands of visitors from across the U.S. and worldwide each year to say a prayer, light a candle, and admire its architecture and beautiful interior.
Father Mark A. Sauriol, the pastor of St. Mary’s, shared, “June 2024 marked the second anniversary of St. Mary’s Church being opened to the public Monday through Friday, year-round, in addition to regularly scheduled Mass times.”
He added, “Many visitors are eager to see the site of the Kennedy wedding, and many come back to enjoy the annual presentation of Return to Camelot,” which remains an important fundraiser for our Hot Lunch Program, which serves our neighbors in need.”
For more information, please write StMarySecretary12@gmail.com, phone (401) 847-0475, or visit www.StMaryNewportRI.org
