Pillars & Foundations

First Parish Malden, Unitarian Universalist, Malden, MA Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, 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 Aptly named First Parish was founded at the same time as the city it resides in, Malden, MA, in the year 1648. According to First Parish's website the church, primarily a Universalist church ( Unitarians merged with Universalists in 1961 ), has resided in five different buildings. This building, a granite neo-gothic revival structure, wa...

Unitarian Universalist Church of Reading, Reading, MA I intend to 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. 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 Congregation The church welcomes people of all backgrounds including the LGBTQ community. They are excited at the possibility of explorers like myself walking through their doors, and their website caters to first time visitors . UU of Reading is a very social organization engaging in a coffee hour both before and after the service. We were warmly greeted by Rev. Hank Peirce and...

Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church, Melrose, Massachusetts I intend to explore and experience the services of many different churches, predominantly near where I live in Massachusetts, and to share my observations as part of this blog. 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. The Building and Organization History: My source for information, Melrose UU website does a nice job or writing up details on their congregation history . Part of the congregation itself dates to 1849, where the first church was constructed in 1852 under what became the First Universalist Parish of Melrose. Interestingly thi...