Pillars & Foundations

St. Florence Parish, Wakefield, MA Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Building & History St. Florence 's neighborhood is not where one would expect to find a Catholic church. It is situated on a seldom travelled side street, with a posted "weight limit" in a sleepy area of family homes with well manicured lawns and grand leafy trees. The church has an air of tranquility to it, perhaps due to its light brick A-frame like structure creating a vaulted nave with a rough finish ceiling. Large colorful windows fill the sanctuary with warm sunlight. A beautiful campus of impressive trees and expansive lawns ad...

Trinity Episcopal Parish, Melrose, MA Trinity Episcopal it one of several granite stone churches built around the same period in Melrose. The English revival style is its defining feature. Note the ornate designs in the trim of the slate roof. Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration of communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Three large windows on the rear wall of the sanctuary History & Building The Trinity Episcopal Church in Melrose, Massachusetts was actually designed by a fairly well known architect, Charles Brigham who also designed other well known Boston area buildings such as the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Back Bay. The style of the churc...

Saint James United Methodist Church, Stoneham, MA Pillars & Foundations was created as an exploration of communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share my experiences, and spread the positivity I obtain from them. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. Building & History Saint James United Methodist Church stands near Stoneham common with a stucco exterior, American Gothic accents, a bell tower that has crenellations similar to a castle, copper accents on the peak of the roof, stunning stained glass windows which can be seen even outside the building, and an exterior surrounded by greenway. It strikes me as a unique building, and I can't help wonder if there is stone under the stucco, or if it is a wood structure made to appear as though it may be stone. The inside of the...

Sacred H eart Church, Auburn, Maine Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration of communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share my experiences, and spread the positivity I obtain from them. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. History & Building Sacred Heart Church is part of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish which includes another church, St. Philips, also located in Auburn Maine. This Parish recently lost St. Louis Church in Auburn when it had to be closed and scheduled to be razed in 2013 due to costly structural needs. Thankfully I was informed that the church was saved/purchased by Noel Smith associated with Grow L+A . Sacred Heart was established in 1923 , originally meeting in a barn but ultimately planning for and building a church in 1937 . After constru...

Madonna Queen of the Universe National Shrine, East Boston, Massachusetts Pillars & Foundations was initiated as an exploration communities as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. Faith centers embody a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their expansive charitable work. This post took to the fringes of what I'd consider my neighborhood, and shows how much there can be to see right in our own back yards that we take for granted. For many years the sign on the side of Rt. 1A intrigued me but I never took the time to explore it. For whenever I saw it, despite being a twenty minute drive away, I was headed to a destination, perhaps the airport, or a business along the road. When I began exploring area churches, I finally made a point to research, and the reviews of visitors blew me awa...