STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — On Sunday, the Rossville AME Zion Church celebrated its 57th annual Family and Friends Day.
On a pleasant, yet unseasonably cool first Sunday in June, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate at the historic house of worship.
“This day means continuity for a rich history,” said Rev. Charles Washington, pastor for the church. “There are people who travel from all over, from Maryland, from Brooklyn, New Jersey who once lived here and come back yearly to honor the memories of those who have gone on before us. Today is rich in history and rich in love.”
The church, founded in May 1849 by Virginia-born African Methodist Episcopal Zion minister William H. Pitt, is part of Staten Island’s Sandy Ground, which is the nation’s oldest free Black settlement still inhabited by descendants of the original settlers.
The day started with an 11 a.m. service and as the congregation gathered for worship inside the Rossville church, a cadre of volunteers worked hard outside, setting up tents, activities, decorations and food— which was provided by Columbia Meat Market on Jersey Street.
As more cars packed the grounds, new arrivals staked out their seats and greeted those already present at the celebration that takes place on the first Sunday in every June.
The celebration drew a special guest, with Rev. Janet Jones, chair of the Project Hospitality board of directors, on hand to deliver a sermon.
After the church service concluded, Rev. Washington gave a brief, but still moving blessing before food was served.
And although the services and barbecue were big parts of the day, those in attendance say that Sunday’s celebration was about so much more.
“Every year, we get to see the growth — the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren. That’s the best part,” said Gerrell Mosley.
“It’s a day that we look forward to every year. We know that it’s every first Sunday in June, it’s been like that for years —everybody knows to mark their calendars,” she continued.
Beyond just coming together once a year, Sunday provided the opportunity for some in attendance to make new connections.
For example, Natasha Graham of Crown Heights travelled in for her first Family and Friends day after discovering a relation to the church.
“This was my first time out here and getting to know everybody and it just feels historical, ancestral, and deep,“ said Graham, who explained that she had only recently found out about a four-times great grandfather with deep roots in the area.
“I was excited to learn about everything — the land, meeting people, hearing any information and I feel like this gives me access to the older generations to,” she continued.
“This is how we get the community to understand what we do, and who we are,” said Janise LaBoard-Casimir, a trustee at the church.
Mike Matteo covers breaking and trending news for the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com. Matteo, a Staten Island native, graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2023 with a focus on photojournalism and multimedia reporting. Previously, he covered transportation for the Advance, writing about everything from congestion pricing and fast ferry expansion, to potholes and speed bumps.
To donate, visit: rossvilleamezionny.org/giving, select “other” and write in “preservation and restoration” efforts. To volunteer, call: (718) 356-0200.
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