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/

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.

I came here for their annual book fair, so I didn't get to attend a church service here. I went on…read morethe first day of the fair just when they opened. Just be aware, it's a bit hard-core here. They tie up the tents and at the sound of a whistle, they let the ravaging customers storm into the tents to look for rare and used books at some really amazing prices. I got hip-checked at the arts section by some guy that was piling up art books onto his arms. The tents inside are kinda tight and you'll have to climb over people to get a chance at getting books. You can find the children's books inside the church itself. You can find books for pretty much all genres and paperbacks are priced really well. Just be prepared to be civilly assertive and press past the waves of folks inside. The volunteers were friendly and helpful, even though it can feel overwhelming.

Wonderful Friends meeting! It is a unprogrammed meeting, but does include more music than many…read moreliberal Friends meetings.

Rev. Kate Cress is the model for all other clergy members. She and the vestry have a true love and…read morekinship for others. The agape* at each mass comes through without issue. Moreover, the banner outside reads, "God Loves Everyone. No Exceptions." Having left another denomination this is a refreshing change. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agape

feels like home, I love the authenticity and integrity of the building reminds me of being a childread more

Attended this cathedral the last time we were in Providence. It is such a gorgeous place and is…read morehead of the church for the diocese. The organ is magnificent and the stained glass fantastic. Also, the architecture is stunning. So much history here. They even give tours.

This is a church full of faith, kindness, love. If you're…read morelooking for a place to call home and are looking for the love of Our Lord , go to St. Patrick.

Although the church is not Roman Catholic, it observes the Catholic traditions and prayers with…read moreonly a few differences. All are accepted, which includes people who are divorced and want to share in all the sacraments. The website does explain its differences. It is a small church with meaningful sermons that make sense to modern day and a close knit parish community. There are plenty of Roman Catholic parishes out there to join and it is up to the individual to decide what is right for them. I am happy to have found this parish and as far as I am concerned, as long as you believe in something that makes you feel closer to God, it is good.

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.

Oldest synagogue in the United States. Still an active place of worship but you can sign up for…read moretours once or twice a week. Neither of us is Jewish, but My husband lived in Jerusalem so he's more interested in the details than I was. I enjoyed the discussion of the 500 year old Torah, the 18th century chandeliers etc but there was a LOT of time put into the names who established the congregation. It was confusing trying to keep track and didn't really seem to add much. It was a lot of talking while we all just sat (it's small, not much to walk around), and I almost fell asleep. But the building is significant and I'm glad we went. We then walked up the hill to see the walled cemetery.

Great local church, beautiful wooden ceiling. Very welcoming while attending a first communion.read more