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Written by the editor
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Friday, 21 March 2008 |
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St.
Paul's Willimantic is an
inclusive and welcoming church - a happy place! We are a
small urban church, in an older neighborhood, and we do face all the
usual problems. Solutions to those problems are hard to find and we
look for them in ministry - ministry to our congregation, our
neighborhood, the town and wherever else we find opportunity.
Our
energy always has been concentrated on an outward directed ministry
and not the “bottom line”. For
example, St. Paul's founded the Covenant Soup Kitchen and Isaiah 58
Ministry back in 1981, and now is supporting
the construction and operation of an orphanage in Kakata, Liberia.
(The foundation is in and in January walls started going up.)
But come visit.
You'll find a very cheerful, diverse and open congregation - and
you'll be welcome. We are like a family that is always open to
adding new members - and like a good family, we love all our
relatives even if they're a little strange!
You won't have to
worry about fitting in or feeling out of place. Some of us live in
the neighborhood and others live in the towns surrounding
Willimantic; some of us are gay, lesbian or transgendered. Our faith
backgrounds are quite variable. Some of us need the Soup Kitchen and
its services and others volunteer there. Drug problems, alcohol
problems, or mental health problems are not unknown and we provide as
much support for each other as we can. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 26 May 2009 )
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Written by the editor
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Tuesday, 01 April 2008 |
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At St. Paul's the
service – which might be contemporary or traditional - begins when
the church bells ring. No chimes, no electronics; just real bells in
a real stone tower, rung by pulling on a rope. The theology of
communion, the sharing of bread and wine, can get complicated and
obscure. Those of us who find the debate unproductive can just
accept mystery..... worship at St Pauls |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 15 November 2009 )
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Written by the editor
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Tuesday, 01 April 2008 |
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St. Paul's,
relatively tall and narrow, with hard plastered walls and wood plank
ceiling, is acoustically live. A medium sized pipe organ is
installed in the choir loft at the rear of the nave. This is a C.B.
Fisk two manual tracker, Opus 57, dating to 1972. It has a few
somewhat unusual and interesting features, including Tremulant and Cymbalstar. For more details see the C.B. Fisk website.
The pews have a
seating capacity of about 120. There is an attached community room,
with a kitchen, which can be used for fellowship following services,
concerts or other events.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 November 2009 )
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Written by the editor
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Saturday, 22 March 2008 |
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Most
Sundays we have "coffee and conversation" after the
service - with coffee, tea, milk, assorted juices, and miscellaneous
goodies. The supply of goodies tends to be rather variable since it
depends on someone deciding to bring them. We're working on ways to
make the supply more reliable - but for sure we have a real breakfast
on the first Sunday of the month.... to Sunday breakfast |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 April 2009 )
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Written by Alf Leonardi
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Friday, 18 April 2008 |
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During The
Civil War, many families came to work in the new thread mills; some
were Episcopalians. By
the end of the war the Diocese recognized the existence of a church
in Willimantic. They were meeting in various halls. In 1868 Isaac
Hallam became the church’s first rector..... to a brief history |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 22 April 2009 )
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