Sanctuary cross
GOOD NEWS!    
A Newsletter of St. Paul's Church, Concord, NH
"A place to belong . . . Whoever you are . . . Just as you are."
February 2012
In This Issue
February Calendar Highlights
Milestones
Shorts
Clergy Corner
Ministries and Missions
Topics in the News
Poll of the Month
Formation
Photo Feature
From the Vestry
Youth Happenings
Personal Reflections
History and Artifacts
February Calendar Highlights  

 

5   Ageless Worship and Baptisms

     Youth Sunday - 10 AM

 

6    Men's Just Supper - 6:00 PM

 

20  OFFICE CLOSED - PRESIDENT'S DAY

 

21  Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper       in Ordway Hall - 5:30 PM

 

22  Ash Wednesday Services

      Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes -      7:30 AM, 12:10 PM, 5:30 PM

 

22  Lenten Program

      "Simple Bowls" - 6:30 PM

 

27  Craft Group - 6:30 PM

 

29   Lenten Service - 5:30 PM

 

29   Lenten Program

       "Simple Bowls" - 6:30 PM

 

See entire calendar            

 

For details of these and other parish events, check the weekly

 

Milestones 

 

the tortoise and the hare 

Baptism

Avey Eleanor Broadbent

12/25/11

 

Memorial Service 

Stephen Edward Rice

1/21/12 

Shorts 

 

Parish Election Results

Congratulations to our new Vestry members Jan Greer-Carney (Junior Warden); Geoff Forester; Marcia Harrison; Cathy Menard; and Stewart (Bud) Warren -- as well as Diocesan Convention delegate Jim Milliken.

 

Many thanks to retiring Vestry members Deb LaCross, Doreen LeClair, Jim Milliken, Bob Washburn, and Lee Waples (Junior Warden), and retiring Delegate to Convention, Ranee Washburn.

  

The Honor Roll

Over recent months, several parishioners have retired from ministry positions in which they had served for many years.  The following people were honored at the Annual Parish Meeting:

 

Carolyn Howard

The Giving Tree

 

Dave Howard

 Finance Committee 

 

Becky Cawley & Susan Leidy

Co-Chairs   

Memorial Garden Committee

 

Cherie Foote & Deb Little

Co-Chairs

Healing Prayer Group

 

Florence McAllister & Joyce Thorpe

Co-Chairs

Fall Fair Committee

 

Joanne Martin

Service Recording for TV

 

Diane Barlow

Food Pantry Co-ordimator 

 

Mary Waples

Co-Director of Altar Guild

 

We also welcomed and presented a gift to The Rev. Katie Solter, who was raised up from our congregation, and is now serving at St. Andrew's in Hopkinton.

 

Finally we paid tribute to Deacon Will Ottery, for his many years of ministry to local nursing homes (from which he has now retired)as well as his valued service here at St. Paul's - which continues.

 

Thanks be to God for all of these good and faithful servants.

 

Simple Bowls

The Simple Bowls program focuses on simplicity in the spiritual life.  The "Simple Bowl" used in this program is designed to hold a full meal for one person, made with grain, protein and vegetables.

 

Beginning on Ash Wednesday, February 22, and continuing on three more Wednesdays in Lent (February 29, March 14, and 21), St. Paul's will be offering Simple Bowls as our Lenten series. Our host and facilitator will be the Rev. Canon Charles LaFond, co-creator (with Rev. Jason Wells) of the program. 

 

For more information, and to watch a short video about the Simple Bowls Program, visit the website for the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire by clicking here.

 

Episcopal Bike Project

Dressed in his bike shorts, Benge Ambrogi paid a visit to St. Paul's at the 10:00 AM service on Sunday, January 8th, as part of his project to ride his bike to every Episcopal parish, mission and summer chapel in New Hampshire on roughly successive Sundays, worship with each of them, and then ride home to Manchester. Check out his blog, episcopalbike.blogspot.com to follow Benge's progress.

  

Support the Food Pantry

There have been LOTS of changes to our Food Pantry! But the ministry is strong helping over 400 families from 26 towns. Please keep up the donations to help these families in need, many of which are children. Thank you for your blessings!

Quick Links...
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
21 Centre Street
Concord, NH 03301
Tel: 603-224-2523
Fax: 603-224-
2524
[email protected]
Come Worship With Us

 

Saturdays:  

4:30 PM  Simple Saturday Service A short, traditional service of Holy Eucharist, similar to Sunday at 10:00 AM but without choir

 

Sundays:                          

8:00 AM This celebration of  Holy Eucharist is quiet and reflective. Occasional music, but no choir.

10:00 AM This is a traditional service of  Holy Eucharist. Music includes traditional and contemporary hymns and choir anthems. All ages welcome.

 

Tuesdays and Thursdays:  12:10 PM  Holy Eucharist in the chapel.

 

            Clergy and Staff
Rev. Kate B. Atkinson,
Rector
Rev. Herb Sprouse,
Assistant Priest
Rev. Darrell Huddleston,
Priest Associate
Rev. Charles Edward LeClerc, BSG,
Deacon
Rev. Will Ottery,
Deacon
Mark Pace,
Director of Music
Kristin Dunklee,
Parish Administrator
Sarah Nyhan,
Minister for Families, Youth and Children
Kellie Denoncourt,
Minister to High School Youth
Andrew Brundrett,
Sexton

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Clergy Corner

                                by Rev. Herb Sprouse   
Sprouse
 

As I sit to write this column, we're all still marveling at our grace-filled annual meeting on January 29th. What a remarkable afternoon! A great lunch of fabulous meatloaf was delivered by our (gourmet!) Hospitality Ministry. The Second Annual Ten Talents Challenge was laid down by the young people of our parish, who also provided some astonishing entertainment. Who would have thought we had kids who could magically turn one dollar bills into ten dollar bills? And has anyone ever heard a ukulele and bassoon duet before?

 

It's so clear that we enjoy each other's company very much. Just remember the joyous laughter at each table, the smoothly-conducted business meeting, the video introduction to the Simple Bowls program we will share this Lent. Far from drudgery, our Annual Meeting was great fun - and a lot was accomplished.

 

High on the agenda was the election of four new vestry members and a new Junior Warden. We're very thankful to everyone who agreed to stand for those offices, as well as for the posts of convention delegate and alternate. And now, with the election behind them, your new vestry begins its work for the coming year. Here are a few things that you might not realize about the roles and responsibilities of a vestry member.

 

At St. Paul's Church we ask our vestry to be deeply engaged in all aspects of church life, not just its governance. So each vestry member serves as a liaison to one of the standing committees of the church and its ministries. These committee duties range from spiritual formation to buildings and grounds, to youth ministries, to pastoral care, to the finance committee. Every important element of our church's life and mission has a vestry member who holds the job of being engaged and reporting back to the vestry. Vestry members also commit to regular participation in worship and an active devotional and prayer life.

 

In March, the vestry and clergy will leave for a weekend retreat. Each year the retreat has a core agenda. The retreat two years ago produced the outline for A St. Paul's Way of Life, a guiding rule of spiritual life that our vestry and many others in the parish have adopted and practice regularly. Last year, the vestry returned to the parish with a plan to implement the findings of St. Paul's first Mutual Ministry Review. The many task force groups that resulted are now in full swing. This year the retreat's focus will be on the all-important aspect of spiritual growth and development for the vestry - as individuals, as a group and as leaders of our parish life.

 

Of course, once they're back, the year will continue with briefings for the Bishop's Election and Consecration and for the Diocesan Convention in the fall. The annual budget cycle will begin over the summer, the annual pledge campaign will be approved, and every month's meeting agenda will be stuffed full of items large and small. To serve on a vestry is true servant ministry. There is certainly no personal glory to be found. It's often just plain hard work. But St. Paul's vestry will serve with the same joy in our community that we all experienced so vibrantly at the annual meeting. And we will all journey into our lives as members of the Body of Christ together.  

 

Yours in Christ,   

Herb+

[email protected]   

Ministries and Missions

by Jerri Butterfield and Rev. Herb Sprouse  

 

ButterfieldChapter Two Thrift Shop 

and Coat of Many Colors Clothing Bank   


Chapter Two Thrift Shop began as a consignment clothing shop decades ago, but it has been completely transformed twice. The first transformation occurred when consignment sales gave way to the familiar "Salvation Army" style thrift shop we have operated for many years. During this past year we recognized that our ministry was being transformed once again. We realized that in the current economic climate we are giving away many more items through our clothing voucher program than we actually sell. And so, after a period of careful reappraisal, we decided that we should communicate more clearly what our ministry has become.

 

Traditionally, Chapter Two Thrift Shop has earned money to support charitable programs while providing quality clothing and other goods to those on a tight budget. We continue to do that, of course. But recently you may have noticed references to the "Coat of Many Colors Clothing Bank." This is the new name for our expanded clothing voucher program. Our vouchers provide desperately needed clothing to our many clients who cannot afford even our low thrift shop prices. This year alone, 551 families have signed up for vouchers. Because the need is so great, we felt that it was important to call attention to this vital work that we do. We also redesigned many of our operations in order to serve all of our client groups better.

 

In 2011, proceeds from Chapter Two sales totaled about $12,700, while our voucher program distributed goods and clothing worth $20,800 - more than 1� times our sales. This led us also to examine more carefully our priorities for distributing the operating proceeds earned from the shop. We continue to provide grants to several organizations and programs we have long supported. We have also elected to use a portion of the proceeds to expand some of St. Paul's other outreach efforts and to offset some of the very considerable operating costs of our own ministries. This year, Chapter Two sales proceeds purchased $3,350 worth of food for our food pantry clients. In addition, we paid the costs of operating our freezers and refrigerator in the food pantry for the year. Together with a handful of much-appreciated individual donations, Chapter Two sales completely covered the cost of our Prescription Drug Assistance Program. In addition, we provided monetary support to the Giving Tree Program and our Summer Celebration Camp (vacation bible school.) As always, St. Paul's Vestry graciously approved our recommendations for the use of these funds.

 

But in the face of many changes, some things have remained the same. One thing has been true since the very beginning: Chapter Two has always been the ministry of many, many dedicated volunteers. The tasks are as varied as the people who do them - receiving and sorting the donations of clothing and small household items; cleaning and making minor repairs so that the goods may be sold; pricing and tagging each item; and being part-time shop
-keepers, dealing with customers and handling the sales.

 

Another thing that will not change is that the shop is stocked entirely by donations from parishioners and others in the community. Our gratitude for this generosity is boundless. Without these donations, we simply would have no merchandise to sell, or clothing to give to those who are so very badly in need.

 

Nowadays we are really two related operations under one roof (or in one shop) and we can always use much more help. If you would like to volunteer for any of the jobs it takes to run Chapter Two Thrift Shop and the Coat of Many Colors Clothing Bank, please contact Jerri Butterfield or the Rev. Herb Sprouse for more information.

 
Topics in the News    

                       by John Bouton  

John Bouton

Arab Spring, One Year Later 

 

Running a series entitled "The New Islamists," The New York Times is examining the emergence of political Islam in the year that has followed the Arab spring.   The attention at the beginning of this month rests with Tunisia, where a conservative Islamist bloc has shown increasing influence in the country's experiment with democracy in the wake of the ouster of longtime dictator Zine El-Abdine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia last January.

 

As one of the first readers remarked on the Times' web page on January 31st, the world has shown much less patience for improvements to the people's quality of life and basic human rights in the Middle East than was demonstrated during the Civil Rights era in America. As Irfan of Boston posted, "It took us a long time to accept difference of color and to give basic civil rights to our citizens. But, we are expecting overnight miracles from these revolutions." The 24-hour news cycle and a desire for progress and closure combine to create a crucible for the role of religious values in government in Tunisia.

 

Secular elites in cities such as Tunis were hoping for a moderate, progressive, representative government that ensured free speech and free enterprise. In the meantime, Islamic religious conservatives called the Salafis have been enjoying success in the countryside. In a way this story mirrors that of Persepolis, Marjane Sartrapi's graphic novel about a secular girl's coming of age in pre-1979 Iran. A television broadcast of the movie version of Persepolis caused rioting and an assault on a journalist and a local newspaper editor, according to the Times.

 

More liberal secularists have been surprised by the depth of religious extremism on the part of the Salafis in Tunisia. A university in Tunis closed for several days following protests over not allowing female students to take their exams fully veiled. Sunbathing restrictions and "racy fare in the media" have also revealed divisions in the country's mores, according to the Times. The paper reports, "Tunisia and Egypt are remarkable for how much freer they have become in the year since their revolts. They may become more conservative, too, as Islamist parties inspire and articulate the mores and attitudes of populations that have always been more traditional than the urban elite. Some here hope the contest may eventually strike a balance between religious sensitivity and freedom of expression, an issue as familiar in the West as it is in Muslim countries."

 

To those who revel in our Protestant tradition of individual self-determination through prayer and action, the potential for theocracy in places like Tunisia is chilling. Still, weighing the appearance of a secular democracy under a dictator like Tunisia's Ben-Ali against the complex reality of shifting political influences in representative government, most would rather see elected coalitions form, despite the system's messiness. The danger lies in an anti-modern stance by the Islamists. As one of those targeted in the riot over Pesepolis, columnist and professor Hamadi Redisi, said, "'[Secular Tunisians] have become the ahl al-dhimma," he said, offering a term in Islamic law to denote protected minorities in a Muslim state. "It's like the Middle Ages.'"

Poll of the Month 

 

Last month's question was:  "Besides the church, my priority for charitable giving is toward:"  Here are the results:

 

United Way                           9%  

Education                            17% 

Public broadcasting                4% 

The Arts                               22% 

Medical research                   48% 

 

This month's question is: "How does a Presidential candidate's faith influence your vote?"

      

○  It doesn't matter at all
○  As long as he/she believes in God, I'm satisfied; but I won't vote for atheists
○  I want someone who actually practices their religion, regardless of their faith
○  I consider whether he/she is a Christian, but the denomination doesn't matter
○  The closer to my own religious views he/she is, the more likely to win my vote

To vote, click here 
 
Formation: "Come and See!"                 

by Linda Spinella    

 

Linda SpinellaWhat's Behind the Red Doors? Come and See!

 

What brought you into St. Paul's Church for the very first time? Did someone extend a personal invitation? Perhaps you were in the midst of a life-changing event or maybe it was a desire for "something beyond oneself" in your life.   Perhaps it was a longing to belong to a community which centers itself on the teachings of Jesus; on scripture, tradition and reason.   We each have a unique story which led us to this particular place, St. Paul's Church.

 

Imagine what your friends, neighbors and co-workers may be seeking in their lives. Offering others a simple invitation to Come and See is simply that---an invitation to experience relationship with God. No strings attached---just an invitation to come and see how our slogan "A place to belong, Whoever you are, Just as you are" reflects this lively community of worship and service in Concord, NH.

 

St. Paul's is beginning an initiative which encourages each one of us to invite friends, neighbors and co-workers to Come and See.   On three Sundays in April we will welcome our invited visitors into our midst. Who will you invite? How will you offer this invitation?   This month postcards will be sent out inviting everyone living in the Concord area to come and see what happens at St. Paul's. Want to find out how you can be involved? We are offering an exciting

training session at 11:30 am on Sunday March 4th. Save the date and remember that April 8 (Easter), 15, and 22 are special Come and See Sundays at St. Paul's Church.

 

According to John's Gospel, when Jesus' first two tentative followers approached him, he did not ask them about their beliefs, their life styles, or their bank accounts, nor did he ask what they did or had done. He simply asked them to think about what they were looking for and then invited them to come and see. Let us do the same right here and right now.

 

Come and See!

        

Photo feature: Annual Meeting             

                                                                                                                              

On January 29, right after the 10 AM service, about 140 parishioners gathered in Ordway Hall for a meat loaf lunch and the St. Paul's 2012 Annual Meeting.  Vestry members, a Junior Warden and a Diocesan Convention delegate  were elected; reports were received; service by a number of parishioners was recognized; a SPY skit was put on; we watched a video preview of this year's Lenten series, "Simple Bowls"; and great fellowship was had by all.  Thanks to Kathy Bush for these photos: 

 

 

        

From the Vestry 
                            December Vestry NotesVestry                                                                  by Tamar Roberts 

 

The December Meeting was held on December 20, with three members absent. After devotions led by Phil, Valerie discussed the profit and loss report and noted that we were doing well in our efforts to meet our 2011 financial objectives. The 2012 budget was then discussed with specific note of projected revenues of $653,212, representing an increase of 8.5% over 2011; and expenses of $719,306, which is 2.5% below the 2011 budget, reflecting a deletion of the capital improvement line item. The budget includes estimated revenue of $25,000 for memorial gifts. The expected deficit is approximately $66,100. The budget was passed with two members opposed.

 

Valerie then reported on the financial review of the 2010 financial records performed by Brian Pontius. The income statement was found to be fairly stated, and a recommendation was made that the financial statements be expanded to include a balance sheet and cash flow statement.   Valerie also reported that pledges received to date now total $404,782. The estimated pledge revenue in the budget is $437,000.

 

Committee reports were circulated and discussed briefly.   Kate reported that the Nominating Committee is identifying prospective nominees for Junior Warden, Vestry, and Convention Delegate. Plans for the Vestry Retreat are continuing. Charles Lafond will be the retreat leader. There will be a discussion on the Vestry liaison to ministry committees. Volunteers have taken all the remaining call sheets for the parish-wide phone check-in campaign. We will begin praying weekly for ten parish families, taking the names in alphabetical order. The grant for the Ministry of Hospitality Coordinator has been renewed for the coming year. Katie Solter will be ordained to the priesthood on January 11, 2012 at St. Paul's School.   Linda Spinella has met with the Commission on Ministry concerning her postulancy.  Patrick McNamara has met with the Bishop to discuss becoming a priest in the Episcopal Church. Several parishioners have stepped down from significant service in our ministries, and they will be honored at the Annual Meeting. Kate cited the great contributions made by these individuals.

 

Herb presented the financial report on the second half of the year proceeds from Chapter Two, and the Vestry approved the allocation of these funds. Casper expressed appreciation for the work Herb has done with the volunteers of Chapter Two.   Casper presented the requests of the Clergy of the Parish for Vestry approval of their total cash compensation and allocation of housing allowances, which were discussed and approved by the Vestry.

 

Terry discussed several fundraising efforts planned for 2012. These included a repetition of the "10 Talents" challenge initiated last year by SPY (which will be kicked off with a skit by the youth at the Annual Meeting); Jan's "gift shop" of religious books and items; a Choral Concert with gourmet desserts to be held sometime after Easter; and a Divine Comedy production, auction and dinner to be held on September 29, 2012, hopefully with both bishops in attendance.

 

Kate reported that she had received a request from Bishop Theuner to help the Church of the Epiphany of Newport raise funds for the restoration of their organ which was built by Joe Chapline. The Vestry decided to help by making available literature from the Church of the Epiphany about its campaign. Kate also discussed the new signs to be installed on the outside of the building. It was also noted that the proceeds of the Fall Fair have been recorded as miscellaneous income in the 2011 financial report. A description of the uses of these funds is to be included in the Annual Report. The meeting was adjourned at 8:25 PM after a closing prayer led by Tamar.
 
 

Casper Kranenburg, Senior Warden                                                Lee Waples, Junior Warden

Youth Happening

                                                                              by Kate Atkinson          

     
The Ten Talents Challenge

 

There is no doubt about it: the youth of St. Paul's are very talented!  Once again, at our Annual Parish Meeting on January 29, members of SPY (St. Paul's Youth) and CnC (Confirm not Conform) presented an original skit based on Jesus' parable of the Ten Talents. And, like last year's skit, it containe a challenge for the parish.

 

The action opened with Youth Minister Kellie Denoncourt explaining that St. Paul's can be in a better position to fund our important pastoral and outreach ministries if the people of the parish will be generous with their talents. Using the format of a judged talent show, with Ben Denoncourt as Master of Ceremonies, the young people took up Kellie's challenge.

 

Magicians Joe Nyhan and Nathan Pace suggested that we don't really need to raise money - we could simply make money!  They proceeded to do so using their portable counterfeiting equipment.  "Nice idea," Ben responded, "but we actually need to raise money legally!"

 

From that point on we were treated to one great talent after another.  Hannah Elsnau made a cake; Sarah Lindsey played the piano; Ellie Broadbent offered to sell copies of her Mom's meatloaf recipe; and Ben stepped out of his M.C. role to perform a ukulele and bassoon duet with Lucy Arsenault.  Every act received a personalized score from a panel of judges (Jamie Wilkes, Sophie Johnson, Josh Roberts and Zachary McMenemy) - not to mention wild applause from the audience! 

 

Finally our intrepid magicians, Nathan and Joe, came up with another trick: they transformed $1 bills into $100 bills before our very eyes!  "Sheesh!" said Ben, "Why didn't you do this the first time?  We could have skipped this whole talent show!" 

 

But of course, skipping the talent show was the last thing we wanted to do.  And we don't want to miss out on our parisioners' talents either.  Terry Irwin and Brian Pontius, resplendent in their tuxedos,  urged us to take up the challenge from our youth - to accept a $10 bill from them and do our best to multiply it!

 

They reminded us that Jesus told us not to play it safe by burying our talent, but to use our gifts for the benefit of others. They encouraged us to think about what we are good at and then to create a product or service that our fellow parishioners will enjoy and purchase - providing a return on our investment that we can then contribute to St. Paul's.

 

"What is the product that you can make?" they asked. "What is the service you can provide, the meal you can cook, the party you can host?" They invited us to display our products or services during coffee hours over the next few months. They also reminded us to become the best customers we can be, to enjoy the products of St. Paul's talents!

 

Last year's Ten Talents challenge raised over $7000.  Let's take up the challenge again - and raise even more!  On Sunday, June 3, we will be celebrating the results of the Ten Talents Challenge with a lively "Polka Mass" at the 10:00 service, followed by a party. Come, join the fun, and share your story of how you made your $10 grow. 

 

Thank you, SPY and CnC, for your energy, your creativity and your sense of fun.  And thank you for leading by example and encouraging us all to invest ourselves into the life of our parish.

Personal Reflections 

                                                                       by Terry Irwin  

 

During the Wednesday evening series in Advent, I heard a new descriptive phrase for John the Baptist: "Thunder in the desert - making way for the Lord."

 

The phrase took me back to 1982 when I had been in a period of self-reliance for many years. I was fine as long as things were going well. But in that year things began to fall apart, and with no one higher than me to lean on, my confidence waned, my business plummeted, and life spiraled down - all in secret. The spiral had to stop, so I started attending Wednesday luncheons at The First Baptist Church of Jacksonville to hear the sermons of preacher Dr. Jerry Vines.

 

One day Dr. Vines preached on this passage from Matthew's gospel:

 

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.   . . . When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

  

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

 

"Come," Jesus said.

 

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

 

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said," . . .

 

How did Peter get out of the boat and walk on the water? Dr. Vines said it was Peter's famous enthusiasm that propelled him out of the boat; but when Peter saw the waves whipped up by the winds, enthusiasm and self-reliance were not enough. He took his eyes off Jesus and sank. However, as Peter was going under, he called to Jesus for help; Jesus reached out and lifted him up. Jesus declared, I believe sadly, "Oh, you of little faith."

 

The preacher explained that the wind and waves represent the turmoil, temptations and disappointments of life in the world. Had Peter kept his eyes on Jesus he would have seen over the waves - and kept walking to Jesus. Faith.

 

This hit home; it defined my sin of self-reliance. But the real thunder in the sermon came when Dr. Vines stated that many, maybe most, people require a crisis to meet God. I left knowing that very soon I was going to have the most important spiritual experience of my life. I did: the following Monday, through my Episcopal priest, Father Bob Bast. (That's another story.)

 

My Prayer:

Lord, thank you for allowing me to hear your thunder, which prepared me for you. Thank you for opening me to faith in you. However, Lord, I am sorry that my faith and commitment waiver: I am very human. You have continued to speak to me over the years. Thank you. Please, Lord, help each of us to hear your thunder, and when we have the opportunity, give us the will to provide your thunder to another. Amen.       

 
History and Artifacts
                                                                            by Frank Spinella
Red Doors

 

H.H. Metcalf's article "Concord as a Residential City" (The Granite Monthly, December 1906) relates that "St. Paul's Episcopal Church has a substantial, commodious and finely-equipped parish or guild house adjacent."  Whence did it come and where did it go?

 

The Roger Elliot Foster Memorial Parish House was dedicated on October 5, 1902, a gift to St. Paul's by Miss Susan George Perkins in memory of her nephew.  Born in Contoocook in 1838, Miss Perkins was a communicant at St. Paul's since early youth, never married, and eventually became heiress of a large family fortune, mainly from her brother, Commodore George Hamilton Perkins, whose statue stands behind the State House.   She used her wealth to further a number of charitable causes, civic, scholastic and religious.  Genealogical and Family History of the State of New Hampshire (1908) describes her as "a brilliant talker, an elegant letter-writer, with a voice of unusual charm," and "always the life of any social circle of which she was a member."

 

The two-story, red brick Parish House [click here for picture] stood for 68 years on part of what is now our Centre Street parking lot, and was an integral part of parish and community life.  But its days were numbered when, in March of 1967, the Concord Board of Aldermen voted 8-7 in favor of the Capitol Plaza North Urban Renewal Project, which called for a southerly realignment of Centre Street between North Main and North State Streets.   That realignment would require lopping off approximately 30 feet of the Church's land, including the portico of the Parish House.  The Concord Housing Authority, the agency charged with implementing the project, was tasked with acquiring the land and demolishing the structure.  However, when negotiations for acquisition of the property commenced between St. Paul's and the Housing Authority, it was discovered that Miss Perkins' deed to the Church had forever prohibited any sale!  

 

Eventually, a solution was found; St. Paul's and the Housing Authority reached an agreement for an unopposed condemnation of the needed strip of land, with compensation to the Church of $96,400, and a delay of demolition until July 1, 1970, so as not to interfere with Sunday School classes for the remainder of the school year and to allow time for the orderly cessation of other Parish House activities.   

 

Finally, in late July of 1970, the Parish House fell victim to the wrecking ball.    

� St. Paul's Church, 2012. Next Newsletter: March 1; deadline for submissions: February 26.  Please do not reprint text or graphics without permission.