St. Mary’s Episcopal Church of Ardmore Hosts “Rock the Rafters”

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Ardmore will host fundraising event, “Rock the Rafters,” on Saturday, November 16 at 8:00 p.m., featuring music from the John Grecia Band with special guests the St. Mary’s Church Choir. Sponsored by Bryn Mawr Trust, proceeds from the concert fundraiser will benefit the various outreach and mission programs at St. Mary’s, including the expansion of the Ardmore Food Pantry and their work with the Interfaith Hospitality Network.

"St. Mary's does church seven days a week,” explains St. Mary’s Rector, Fr. Michael Giansiracusa. “We have beautiful and inspirational worship on Sunday, but we feed people on Mondays and Wednesdays, host AA and NA on Sundays and Tuesdays, house the homeless for four weeks during the year and support St James Episcopal School and Episcopal Community Services in Philadelphia. This concert is a celebration of all those ministries, while also helping to raise the necessary funds to continue that good work."

Tickets are $25.00 and will be available for purchase at the door. In addition to the live entertainment, an informal café will open at 6:30 p.m., with dinner and beverages, including a cash bar, available for purchase.

“This concert is going to be a rather ‘larger than life’ experience,” said John Grecia, leader of John Grecia Band and Ardmore resident. “I was very humbled when Father Mike asked that my band, John Grecia Band, be the musical center of this event. It's going to be a very unique, inspiring, and FUN night for everyone sitting in the pews.”

At 33 years old, John is a professional pianist, vocalist, songwriter, educator, conductor and frequent performer working in the Philadelphia music scene. John holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a master’s degree in Choral Conducting from West Chester University, and also serves as Director of Choral Music at St. Mary’s. John maintains a busy performing schedule, playing hundreds of shows around the area each year. Their debut album of original music, entitled “Thirteen,” was released in October 2011 and is available via iTunes, Amazon and other digital music outlets.

“I've been the Director of Music at St. Mary's for fourteen years now and I'm very proud of the excellent music program we maintain year after year,” he continued. “For this fundraiser, the music is totally secular and mostly my own - but I’m arranging it for a rock band with choral backing. It’s very exciting to begin to imagine these songs, which we play all the time throughout the area’s music venues, being performed in a church with a full choir backing us up; something like a dream scenario. It’s sure to be a first for St. Mary’s 126 year-old walls!”

For more information about the event, call (610) 649-1486 or email Julia Solmssen at args@att.net, or Carisa Gring at carisagring@gmail.com.

About St. Mary’s Church:

St. Mary’s Church was founded in 1883 as a mission church of the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr and became an independent parish in 1887 at its current location in Ardmore, PA. St. Mary’s is an inclusive, diverse community of followers of Jesus Christ striving to grow in love, celebrating all people in their spiritual journey, and serving the world in Christ’s name.

Today, St. Mary’s continues its legacy of mission and ministry through its partnerships with various local, national and international organizations. St. Mary’s aids distressed families as one of nine local host congregations comprising the Interfaith Hospitality Network.  St. Mary's also sponsors the Ardmore Food Pantry, collecting and storing donations in the parish hall and staffing the pantry with volunteers two days a week.