SWEDESBORO — As the nation commemorates the USA 250 Celebration, one of New Jersey’s oldest congregations is using the milestone to reflect on its immigrant beginnings, its centuries‑long role in shaping Swedesboro, and the generations of families who have sustained its mission.
Trinity Episcopal “Old Swedes” Church, founded in 1703 by Swedish settlers, stands today not only as a historic landmark, but as a living testament to the resilience, hospitality, and faith that helped build the region.
The congregation’s story began in a modest log cabin erected by settlers who crossed the Atlantic seeking opportunity, stability, and a place to worship freely.
“A cedar log structure chinked with mud to keep out the cold was dedicated as the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church at Raccoon,” according to church records from June 17, 1705. By 1784, the community constructed the brick church that still stands on Kings Highway, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Five years later, in 1789, the congregation formally affiliated with the Episcopal Church, joining what would become the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey.
More than three centuries later, the church’s immigrant origins offer a powerful lens for understanding both the past and the present. Founded by Swedes who first settled in the Delaware Valley, the church is a reminder that this congregation was born from people who were strangers in a strange land, building community through faith. That spirit continues today.
While Old Swedes Church is rooted in its Swedish heritage, its story is equally shaped by the generations of families who have worshiped, served, and celebrated life milestones within its walls.
Few embody that legacy more than longtime members Ann Blackman and Elaine Matteo, whose memories stretch across decades of change.
Blackman has been a member for nearly 45 years. Her children were baptized in the church, grew up in its pews, and were later married away from it, yet the church remains the spiritual home that shaped their early lives. “This place has been part of every chapter of our family story,” she said.
Matteo’s connection runs even deeper. Not Swedish herself, she has nonetheless been a constant figure at Old Swedes for close to six decades. She remembers the exact pew where she became engaged to her late husband Everett in 1961.
The couple married in the church the following year. Everett, a Swedesboro native, had grown up in the congregation and served as an altar boy. Their children were baptized and later married in the same sanctuary where their parents’ engagement began – a continuity Matteo describes as “a blessing only a historic church can give.”
Over the years, Matteo witnessed both tradition and transformation. She became the first female senior warden of the church, a milestone she recalls with pride. “The church has changed, but it has never lost its heart, its faith,” she said. “It has always been a mixture of the old and the young, the newcomers and the longtime families.”
Old Swedes Church is not only a religious institution; it is one of the foundational pillars of Swedesboro’s development.
Matteo notes that the church once owned all the land along Kings Highway. In the township’s early years, it rented parcels to newcomers who opened stores, workshops, and small businesses. As more people moved into the area, commerce expanded, and Swedesboro began to flourish.
“Without the church, the borough would not have been settled the way it was,” Matteo said. “The church welcomed everyone, slaves, Europeans, Indians. Anybody who came to the New World started all over, and this church helped them do it.”
The church’s early leaders encouraged entrepreneurship, community building, and cooperation among settlers. The Swedes were known for their friendly relations with Indigenous communities, establishing the region on a foundation of trust and mutual respect.
“Today we are reaping gifts from such people – the immigrants,” Matteo added. “We reap benefits from immigrants, and we need to help each other the way they did.”
Though the congregation is now diverse, Old Swedes Church continues to honor its heritage through traditions such as Santa Lucia, a youth pageant featuring candle processions. The celebration of St. Lucia’s Day is a cherished holiday in Sweden, symbolizing light in the darkness of winter.
The church also preserves historical artifacts, including an Old Swedes Bible gifted to the congregation in 1938. Visitors from across the country still travel to Swedesboro to trace their roots, explore the church’s archives, and walk the grounds where their ancestors worshiped.
Among the church’s documents are centuries‑old receipts, records, and correspondence that reveal the daily life of early settlers. These materials help genealogists and historians piece together the story of Swedish immigration to the Delaware Valley.
The church’s roof nearly collapsed in 1994, a discovery that prompted a major renovation. The restoration preserved the structure for future generations and reinforced the community’s commitment to maintaining the landmark.
One of the most notable moments in the church’s modern history came in 1976, when King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden visited during the United States Bicentennial celebration. His visit underscored the church’s significance as one of the earliest Swedish settlements in America.
And while the congregation formally joined the Episcopal Church in 1789, Matteo notes that no documents were ever signed to mark the transition. “It just became Anglican,” she said. “The change happened naturally, as the community evolved.”
Today, Old Swedes Church is far from a homogenous Swedish enclave. Its pews are filled with parishioners from varied cultural, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, reflecting the diversity of modern New Jersey.
The congregation worships in the Episcopal tradition, celebrating Eucharist each Sunday and blending ancient liturgy with a socially progressive witness. Members say this combination of tradition and openness is central to the church’s identity.
“We believe ancient worship sustains and guides us in a complicated world,” Matteo said. “The good news is that there is room for everyone here. Room to question, room to grow, room to hope.”
The current senior warden, Bob Fitz, joined the church in 1995 when his children were already teenagers. He represents the newer generation of leadership that continues to steward the church’s mission while embracing contemporary challenges.
The church’s clergy is The Rev. Ellen Rutherford, who has more than 35 years of ministry experience in New Jersey, New York, Michigan, and Quebec.
Fitz said the congregation remains active in community outreach. Recently, members prepared 120 hoagie packs for St. Paul’s Camden Food Ministry. The church also supports a newly organized Baby Box program in Swedesboro, providing infant care supplies to new parents. Donations can be dropped off during Sunday services.
These efforts reflect the church’s longstanding commitment to hospitality. A value rooted in its immigrant origins.
Old Swedes Church shares an unexpected connection to the founding of the United States. It is a place where American’s story started. John Mortenson, whose grandfather owned the original Swedes log cabin, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
In a symbolic sense, the story of the United States began at Old Swedes Church, where early settlers laid the groundwork for a new nation.
As the USA 250 Celebration encourages communities to reflect on the nation’s founding ideals, Trinity Episcopal “Old Swedes” Church is using the moment to reaffirm its commitment to welcome and inclusion.
“We honor the Swedes who built this place,” Fitz said. “But we also honor the newcomers who walk through our doors today. The story of America is the story of people arriving, adapting, and building together. That’s our story too.”
With its historic sanctuary, centuries‑old gravestones, and deep immigrant roots, Old Swedes Church stands as a living reminder of the endurance of faith communities in America. Yet its leaders insist that the church’s future is just as important as its past. The church is a reminder of the past and a beacon for the future.
Today, as debates swirl nationwide about which monuments and landmarks should remain, Matteo says Old Swedes Church offers lessons worth preserving.
“So many things are being taken down,” she said. “But there are a lot people can learn from landmark buildings such as this church. There is a lot of history here. The story of the church is the story of immigrants.”
As the nation continues to celebrate 250 years, Trinity Episcopal “Old Swedes” Church offers a reminder that America’s strength has always come from its ability to welcome strangers, nurture community, and find hope in shared faith.
By Erick Wakiaga
