Consolation recently opened their doors. Yesterday was the second Sunday that Mass has been said…read moresince the February closing. Saint Mary's from Central Falls has beautifully open Consolation. I think they will be here for a long time. I had the pleasure to attend Mass here yesterday. A beautiful congregation with a great choir. The Pastor gave a wonderful sermon. In the short time Saint Mary's has been here, they have cleaned the church from head to toe.

Roman Catholic Church , that fills up very fast at Sundays Masses...probably Saturdays too, I don't…read morego on Saturdays . Great Priest ,who gives terrific sermons . May God Bless this Parish even more than He has!!

OK, I grew up in this church and have been the organist here for 33 years, so this is a little…read morebiased. This is a small church. One single mass Sundays at 10:30AM. Nice congregation, great young priest. The main differences between Polish National Catholic and Roman Catholic are: we do not follow the Pope, our priests can and most often are married with children, and the Church is run democratically (meaning the congregation elects officers and votes on all major matters). Most importantly, even though a good percentage of the congregation is Polish, all nationalities are welcome here! Come check out a mass, the organist really gets into his music!

A great group, very welcoming and genuine. But their biblical focus and practical, direct teaching…read moreare even more important. The building is historic, perhaps a little rough around the edges as a result, but they don't build them like this anymore.

We went for a Christmas Eve service and it started with a Organ Prelude for about 30 minutes…read more About 7 pieces from major composers filled the church with melodies and rhythm The service was nice and we all got bells to ring at the end of it. Rev Harris was very insightful on her sermon and there were about 100 people in attendance. A beautiful church, very inclusive and very much open to all.

Beautiful. Just beautiful…read more This is THE first baptist church in AMERICA--- listen I'm not religious at all but you have to respect that this historical building is located right in our provi back yard, is still standing + is just precious. This gem is right at the bottom of College Hill facing downtown Providence + was built in 1774 + 1775. THAT IS A LONG TIME AGO. Stop by to take a peek sometime it is lovely inside + to think how many people have gone in + out of its doors is overwhelming. I went to the Latin Carol sing there the other night + it was just lovely. Plenty of seating... with a beautiful chandelier in the center... felt warm + welcoming. If you like a little history with your prayer, this is your kinda place.

Vibrant community...caring and embracing...all ages...sunday school, youth group, lots of…read moreactivities/fulfilling projects for everyone. Phenomenal sermons and current forums/topics after 8:00 service @9:00) and before 10:00 service. All welcome !

Finally tried the Friday summer lobster roll drive thru. Have to say it was a great lobster with…read moreplenty of lobster at a very fair price. I brought it home and picked up,some chowder on the way to go with it.

Towards the end of our last day in Newport, we just had to stop by the Touro Synagogue. It was at…read morethe end of the day, so unfortunately, we weren't able to see the interior of the building. The Touro Synagogue was built in 1763 and is the only surviving synagogue in the U.S. dating back to the colonial era, and thus, the oldest synagogue still standing in the U.S. and North America. In 1946, it was declared a National Historic Site. In 1790, President George Washington wrote in his now famous letter to the "Hebrew congregation at Newport" that "our new nation would give to bigotry no sanction and to persecution no assistance." While Touro Synagogue is a fully functional synagogue, apparently, they hold a special service each year to re-read President Washington's meaningful letter in its entirety. Touro Synagogue is a beautiful building with significant historical value.

"I have finally found a place to live Just like I never…read morecould before And I know I don't have much to give But soon I'll open any door In the presence of the Lord" (Eric Clapton) In June 2014, we visited the third oldest synagogue in the US when we toured Savannah, Georgia's Congregation Mickve Israel. Yesterday, we toured the second oldest synagogue in the US when we visited the Touro Synagogue and Visitor Center in Newport, RI. The congregation's history goes way back to 1658 and its quite a fascinating history. The building itself was constructed in 1763 and is now both the oldest synagogue building still standing in the United States and North America. Rightfully so, it was declared a National Historic Site in 1946. Jewish history and American history intersected in the form of a famous letter written by George Washington on August 21, 1790. After his visit to Newport, Washington sent a letter to the synagogue's warden to express his support of the Congregation's Jews, all American Jews, and his vison for religious tolerance in the newly born nation. Washington's letter stated: "... the Government of the United States ... gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance. ... May the children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy". Lew, our Tour Guide, was the very best tour guide I ever had. He was funny when he wanted to be, but brought enough serious gravitas when needed, to explain the magnificent history of Newport, the significance of Washington's letter, and the contribution of American Jews to Newport and Colonial America. I can't recommend a visit and tour of the Touro Synagogue highly enough.

Yesterday, I visited Saint Anne's for the first time in my life after hearing many comments over…read morethe years about its beauty and importance, especially for the immigrant French-Canadians of the past. I came to visit Saint Anne's at this time because I knew the Church had been closed since November of 2018 because of falling debris from the deteriorating ceiling and the danger this presented to parishioners and others. When we arrived on Wednesday afternoon, July 31, 2019, the Church doors were all shuttered. We were about to abandon hope of a visit when a kind Sister of Saint Dorothy led us to one ground floor door that was open and allowed us to enter the shrine area in the crypt of the Church. There we met a woman who serves as a volunteer and a genial elderly parishioner who agreed to show us around the shrine. He spoke with poignant regret about the gradual decline of the parish and the Church building itself. In an earlier day, the Church was staffed by Dominican Friars from Canada. There was Saint Anne's Hospital across the way, staffed by Dominican nuns, an elementary school and a high school called Dominican academy. This solid city block of fortress-like faith expressed in granite, marble, stained-glass must have seemed eternal. Yet the late decades of the 20th century brought waves of descendants of immigrants to new levels of prosperity. These more prosperous children and grandchildren of immigrants moved up and out of the working-class neighborhood to the suburbs and to other parts of the country. The religious observances as he described them were grand, faith-filled affairs celebrated in a church filled beyond capacity to overflowing. We really hoped to visit the upper Church but that was not allowed and there was no one around who could open the way for us. Suddenly, Richie Costa appeared brandishing a full ring of keys. He was clearly delighted to fulfill our wish and to show off his beloved Church. The last wedding celebrated in Saint Anne's was his. With pride, he presented the expansive interior of the Church that immediately captures one's attention and compels the gaze heavenward. There the marble columns are topped on the clerestory level by saints, popes, and apostles on both sides of the nave. The stained-glass windows burnish the sunlight of late afternoon with a rich medley of color. I could go on and on about the majestic beauty of the nave, the marble sanctuary, the frescoes peeling off the high walls. But there is a sadness about a once-powerful testimony of faith in stone and glass now in danger of collapsing into rubble. Has faith disappeared from our families and neighborhoods? Is this why abortions, suicides, and opioid addiction abound while marriage and family life are on the decline. this seems too much like today's Gospel in which the Lord can work no mighty deeds in our midst because of the lack of faith? I hope not. I hope somehow new waves of faith-filled immigrants might arrive and fall in love with Saint Anne's beauty, restore its former glory and fill its nave with sweet hymns of glory to God. I pray for that. The beauty of the faith attracts us because it hints at the beauty of God Himself. Saint Anne, grandmother of the Savior, pray for us!

A wonderful sanctuary in the heart of Fall River. The shrine is in the basement and features…read moreseveral chapels and a lovely one dedicated to St. Anne. If you look to the right of her statue, you can see the collection of crutches that belong to people who have been healed through the intercession of Good Anne. In front of the statue is a stone from her home in Jerusalem. For more information and the Mass schedule, refer to the website....http://www.stanneshrine.com/