Pillars & Foundations

First Congregational Church, UCC, Melrose, MA Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences at them with my neighbors and beyond. These organizations that are both social and spiritual, leave lasting impressions on the communities that they are in, and I find in my experiences that I've taken them for granted, and I suspect I'm not alone. What strikes me what all of these institutions strive to do is make a difference, and they do, regardless if it is one person looking for hope & community, or a with recipient of their charitable work. Building & History People who pass by the low profile octagonal church in Melrose should not be fooled by the contemporary campus. This organization has a long history ( information on FCCM website ) in the community dating back to 1848. The new building was constructed in 1970 following a fire tha...

Churches of Catalonia, Spain In addition to exploring local churches in New England, I enjoy travelling abroad and seeing religious sites, taking in the culture and the architecture. I intend to put a few of these posts together to show some of the photos I have from various regions I've been to. Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi   was under construction/renovation when I visited, but it was still an impressive site to see. Basilica de Santa Maria   Inside of Basilica de Santa Maria looking out- I like how this came out with the light in the door and the prayer votives. Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, the glare and shadow was a bit intense. More renovation! Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (inside, chandelier) I believe this is now part of the Barcelona history museum- former church I'm actually not sure what this church is, I recall that it wasn't far from the water front- if someone...

Saint Athanasius Parish, Reading, Massachusetts I intend to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. Discovering all of these different faith communities builds my knowledge of the neighborhoods around me and the people who live there. These institutions are important, often overlooked and even misjudged centers of our communities that seek to make a positive impact on their participants, as well as others through their generosity and public service. It is possible that through this activity I may eventually consider a long term relationship with one of these pillars and foundations of the community, however I am eager to do a lot of exploring first. History & Building I was pleased to find that Saint Athanasius has an excellent write-up on their web page about their parish history. The parish is fairly new when compared to many I have visited, establishing in 1960, and their unusual, modern ch...