Pillars & Foundations

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, Reading, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, their foundations, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. 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 Good Shepherd has a great history resource on their website which describes how the church grew out of  Emmanuel Episcopal Church of Wakefield originally meeting in homes first as well as the Odd Fellow's building. Eventually in 1925 the existing structure was built, and an additional hall was built in 1950. The front of the churc...

All Saints Episcopal Church, Stoneham, MA P illars & Foundations documents a journey through my surrounding communities, as seen through the experience of its religious institutions. My intent is to share exploration, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often impactful groups in our midst. 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 is unique because I unfortunately did not have the pleasure of attending All Saints before their final service on January 7, 2018. Perhaps poignantly, I dropped by this week following work, and took these photographs at dusk in the autumn. I'm certain All Saints left an unforgettable mark on the community. Memories will last for years, and imp...

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...

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Wakefield, MA  This is the third entry in my blog project where I intend to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. The motivation for this activity/journey is detailed in the introduction post of this blog. The 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 serve. I'd like to learn about their impact and share what I find. 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. The building and history: Emmanuel has a very informative website that I was able to rely upon heavily to add to my observations made this Sunday. The parish itself predates the structure by more ...