First Congregational Church of Rochester

To the Editor,

            New England is well known for the iconic churches that are in most town or village centers. The oldest of these are Congregational Churches such as the First Congregational Church of Rochester. Towns’ people, whether members or not, often view these churches as “their church” (it is actually God’s Church; members are exactly that, members). The Church is a centerpiece for the town. Couples are married there, children are dedicated there, and funeral services are held there even when they may not be members. The Church family welcomes these people with the hopes that they will attend services and maybe eventually become members. Sadly, most don’t. Still they might consider the Church as “their Church.” 

            Congregational Churches are independent. That is, there is no hierarchy that oversees, provides ministers or money when needed. The local Church members and non-member attendees bear all the responsibility and costs with occasional support from those in the community that have felt the Church has made a favorable impact on them or helped in times of crisis.

            The First Congregational Church of Rochester has been around a long time. Its first buildings were modest and were replaced as the population and financial support increased. The current sanctuary is 180 years old. The Vestry, which was once a school, or Academy as it was referred to, is the same age. Maintaining these structures while taking care of all other obligations is expensive and thankfully the Church membership has been able to keep up with most repairs, but there are limits.

            In recent years, considerable work has been done to repair the leaking roof and bell tower on the sanctuary. Thankfully that has been completely leaving an expensive ceiling repair inside. That may have to wait for some time, as other issues become a priority. 

            The Church now faces the same issues on the Vestry. The tower itself is rotten and rainwater now finds easy access to the interior. Just like the sanctuary ceiling, this is not an easy or inexpensive repair and it must be done correctly. The Church is looking for ways to fund this repair, and while “God will provide”; provision is sometimes done by moving mere mortals to do something special.

Richard Cutler, Rochester

                  The views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” column are not necessarily those of The Wanderer, its staff or advertisers. The Wanderer will gladly accept any and all correspondence relating to timely and pertinent issues in the great Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester area, provided they include the author’s name, address and phone number for verification. We cannot publish anonymous, unsigned or unconfirmed submissions. The Wanderer reserves the right to edit, condense and otherwise alter submissions for purposes of clarity and/or spacing considerations. The Wanderer may choose to not run letters that thank businesses, and The Wanderer has the right to edit letters to omit business names. The Wanderer also reserves the right to deny publication of any submitted correspondence.

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