"Each year on the second Sunday of June, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church honors the legacy of Henry William Stiegel and his gift of a plot of ground to the Lutheran congregation," stated Linda Keiffer, church member and chair of the Festival of the Red Rose committee. "Stiegel originally held religious ceremonies for the congregation on the second floor of his mansion. As the congregation grew, he realized that a larger place of worship was needed; hence, he deeded a plot of ground to the congregation to construct a new church with the rent of a red rose to one of his heirs. This has been the church's history for over 250 years and has the distinction of being celebrated annually."

This year's Festival of the Red Rose will be held on Sunday, June 11, at the church, 2 S. Hazel St., Manheim. The morning worship service and payment of the rent of the red rose will take place at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Penrose Hoover, retired bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod, serving as guest preacher. Prior to the morning worship service, refreshments, sponsored by the Manheim Historical Society, will be served in the church's Rose Parlor.

Although the red rose payment began in 1772, it stopped for more than 100 years until it was revived in 1892 after the construction of the current church building.

Robert A. Henkel from Fort Defiance, Va., will accept this year's red rose payment on behalf of the Henry William Stiegel family. He is an eighth-generation descendant of Henry William and Elizabeth Holz Stiegel. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, Henkel was an elementary school teacher, served as a social worker, and was owner and operator of Flower and Foliage of Virginia, a retail florist shop. He is married to the former Barbara Austin.

Attorney J.D. Young Jr. from the law firm of Young & Young in Manheim will serve as Zion's legal representative to oversee the signing of the rent book by this year's Stiegel heir.

Keiffer said the festival is a unique opportunity to focus on the history of the church. "To witness the Festival of the Red Rose celebration and the payment of the rent of a red rose to a descendant of Stiegel each year is unlike anything that would be held, most likely, in the world today," she remarked. "To me, it is just such an honor to be a participant in this special service, and I would encourage individuals to attend the rose service to experience a one-of-a-kind historical event."

For more information about the Festival of the Red Rose, visit http://www.zionmanheim.com or contact the church office at 717-665-5880.