Pillars & Foundations

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...

High St. Congregational Church, Auburn, Maine Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences. What all of these institutions share in common is a drive to make a difference, and they do, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their charitable work. While the sanctuary may only be just over 30 years old, the traditional white-washed accents of an older Congregational Church, along with the beautiful stained glass windows with names of historical benefactors, such as Edward Little provide great character to this old church's new building This post is another focused on my home communities of Lewiston and Auburn (I'm from Sabattus), as I recently traveled there from my current home in Massachusetts to visit with family.  The History of High St. Congregational Church The first thing I remember about High St. Congr...

Our Lady of the Rosary, Sabattus, Maine At the end of 2017 I decided to set out on a personal journey to explore and experience the services of many different churches and faith based organizations, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. 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. I knew from the outset  of this project that eventually I would make my way home to Our Lady of the Rosary , my childhood church. It probably has been 20 years, maybe more since I stepped through those doors which played such a crucial role in my childhood. This church was my community, it contributed to my moral compass, and many of my earliest memories have this pillar of Sabattus, Maine woven into them. I went to school here up until the 3rd grade, and I had my first communion and confirmation at this church. Some...

Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Lewiston, Maine In Pillars & Foundations, I intend explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts. 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. In this particular entry I'm writing about an experience in what arguably is the architectural centerpiece of Lewiston and Auburn Maine. When I return to Maine from Massachusetts, seeing the impressive Basilica in the distance from the turnpike lets me know I've almost made it to my home town of Sabattus. The Building and History: The parish which was not granted the title of "Basilica," until 2005 , dates from the 1870s as a division of another parish, St. Joseph's. It began specifically as a parish to serve French speaking...