A tea party fit for a king: St. Gabriel’s celebrates coronation
MARION — On Saturday, May 6, the world tuned in to watch as King Charles III ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, over 3,200 miles from London, the parishioners of St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church in Marion held their own celebration of the king’s crowning with a tea party and a viewing of the coronation ceremony.
According to Fr. Eric Fialho, rector at St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church, Saturday’s event was a way for the church to pay homage to its British roots.
“The reason I'm hosting this is because the Episcopal Church is the Church of England in America,” said Fialho. “The monarch of England is technically the protector of the faith and is the head of the Church of England.”
Fialho explained that the Episcopal Church in the United States split from the Church of England following the Revolutionary War.
“We became our own self-sustaining church in the 1700s,” said Fialho.
Even though the two churches are separate, said Fialho, the Episcopal Church “has a soft spot for the Church of England and all things British.”
And participants at the tea party had a taste of “all things British” with a table full of sweet and savory snacks that would traditionally be served at a British “high tea.”
Guests had their pick of teas, clotted creams, jams, scones, cucumber and watercress sandwiches, and of course, the official “Coronation Quiche.”
According to Fialho, the British Royal Chef released a recipe for a Coronation Quiche that was served to guests at the coronation. It contains tarragon, spinach, cheddar cheese and broad beans.
Fialho hopes that his church can host more events for the Tri-Town community.
“We’re hoping to do more and more events for everybody from the Tri-Town — all faiths and no faiths — and to have this be a hub of fun for the community.”
For Annemarie Fredericks, who enjoyed a cup of tea and sweets while watching the coronation, the event was “a lot of fun to celebrate.”
“Best wishes to the new monarch,” said Fredericks. “But I’m still glad I’m American.”
