All Saints’ Day at St. Paul’s, Kingsport

by Nellie McNeil
The saints literally go marching in at St. Paul's, Kingsport, on the first Sunday in November.

Young people of the church, processing to "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God" in front of the choir and clergy, carry banners proclaiming the names of church members who have died during the past year.

"Dan [the Rev. Dan Matthews, rector] thinks it's really important to celebrate certain days like Pentecost and All Saints' Day," said Becky Friant, former Director of Christian Education at St. Paul's.

"We were just thinking out loud and came up with the idea," Friant said.

Each year, to prepare for the All Saints' Day celebration, Friant researches the lives of departed parishioners and writes their biographies.

"I find out if they are gardeners or musicians, for example. Or we may know, for instance, that George Clark worked with the church Food Pantry but not that he was in the Lions Club," she said.

Friant also visits in the homes of widows or widowers and talks to children of the deceased even when sometimes they are living far away. "It's very endearing to me, getting to talk to members of the parish," she said.

At the same time, a committee gathers yards of colored felt, flannel, glue, scissors and templates.

Then, during Church School on All Saints' Sunday, all the classes meet together to design banners to honor the saints of the church.

"It's generational--all gathered around tables in the family room," said the Rev. Suzanne Smitherman, assistant to the rector.

Each table constructs a huge red banner and on it places the saint's name and birth and death dates cut from white cloth.

Informed by the biographies, young and old working together, create collages of the lives of the departed on the red fields.

Banners, completed in 45 minutes are hoisted on poles for the procession.

At the end of the service the banners are presented to the families of the saints.

"It's really touching for all of us to have these ties," Friant said.
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Nellie McNeil is the Upper East Correspondent for The East Tennessee Episcopalian.