Sacred Spaces of New England

Places that elicit contemplation, reflection and inspiration.

St. Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church, Worcester, Massachusetts

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In 1911, the Albanians of Worcester organized what is now known as St. Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church. The church’s current Byzantine-style structure was completed in 1983 and designed by Andrew Isaak of the architectural firm Isaak & Isaak of Manchester, New Hampshire.  Throughout the gold-painted sanctuary are illuminated icon paintings by Worcester-based iconographer Dhimitri Cika. Images of Jesus Christ, Mary, archangels and saints as well as significant biblical events, such as the nativity and resurrection, engulf viewers as their eyes wander throughout the sanctuary. When looking up at the dome beyond the ornate chandelier, Christ, flanked by two angels, looks back down with the appearance of empathy and compassion—reinforcing the nature of Jesus’s calling, “to seek and save the lost”.

535 Salisbury St
Worcester, MA 01609

First Parish Church, Brunswick, Maine

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Founded in 1717, First Parish Church’s current structure, completed in 1846 and designed by architect Richard Upjohn, is a radical departure from the traditional congregational church design that preceded it. The Gothic Revival design sparked a major shift from “puritan simplicity” that would spread across the country. The Christian Monitor wrote, “It is something of a novelty…yet there is an air of dignity and repose about the whole building, exceedingly appropriate to a Christian temple.”

The Church’s ground-breaking design also acts a metaphor for its many times forward thinking parish. From its inception, First Parish Church had been a place of discussion, debate and reflection. From providing support to the Continental Congress to debating the separation of Maine from Massachusetts to the inspiring moment when Harriet Beecher Stowe on March 2, 1851 in pew 23 envisioned the book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which portrayed the evils of slavery, these intangible fragments of First Parish Church’s heritage reflects some of the pinnacle moments in U.S. history.

9 Cleaveland Street
Brunswick, Maine 04011