We are a small Episcopal Church on the banks of the Rappahannock in Port Royal, Virginia. We acknowledge that we gather on the traditional land of the first people of Port Royal, the Nandtaughtacund, and we respect and honor with gratitude the land itself, the legacy of the ancestors, and the life of the Rappahannock Tribe. Our mission statement is to do God’s Will in all that we do.

Mission and Outreach – Sacred Ground

The Sacred Ground group was formed in 2020 to watch and discuss Sacred Ground: A Film Based Dialogue Series on Race and Faith in 2020. The 10 week study session was created by the Episcopal Church to explore the roots of racial conflict in the United States through the effects of race and racism throughout American history.

After completing the series, the group has continued reading various books to learn more about the impact of racism in the United States.

The group has also set up a Sacred Ground Scholarship, a fund available to Black and Native American students, as a way to combat the historical inequities in education caused by racism. We asked for donations to fund the scholarship-$10,100 was donated On Monday May 16, 2022, Andrea Pogue and Johnny Davis from the Sacred Ground group presented two $2,000 scholarship to Kaya Green and Alanna Gray.

In 2023, representatives from Sacred Ground met with Jessica Thompson, Executive Director of the Germanna Educational Foundation, for lunch at Castiglias in Fredericksburg on Oct. 10, 2023. The goal was to determine how we could move forward with a new focus on our scholarships for students.

Sacred Ground voted unanimously by email in early December to fund the recommendation forwarded by Jessica Thompson at Germanna for scholarships for students entering the trades. Each student is “in financial need and from underserved populations.” The $2,700 would be split equally to pay for their training. A check for $2,700 was provided in January for the workforce scholarship program at Germanna Community.

The group has been investigating Native Americans. They toured the Patawomeck Village on Nov. 8, 2023 in Stafford

Catherine met with Chief Anne Richards of the Rappahannock Indians on Feb. 29, 2024. Issues discussed:

1. River Bank environment. They have a person who can help with environmental issues along the river. There may be money with the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) for riverfront plants and can help work through soil and water issues.

2. They have a scholarship progra