The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

International Women’s Day event in Wellesley, March 8th

by Leave a Comment

Wellesley Women’s Initiatives in partnership with the World Of Wellesley invites the community to join them in celebrating International Women’s Day 2020 at Wellesley Congregational Church, 2 Central St, on Sunday March 8, 2pm – 4 pm. There will be music, dance, art activities and speakers to inspire girls and women of all ages.  This year’s theme is to celebrate women, support equity — regardless of divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, socio-economic or political — and acknowledge that women must gain full and equal participation in global development.

Women's Day, Wellesley

A registration link is available at World Of Wellesley, which is co-sponsoring the event.

EVENT: International Women’s Day
WHEN: Sunday, March 8,  2pm – 4pm
LOCATION: Wellesley Congregational Church, 2 Central St., Wellesley, MA 02482
QUESTIONS: Please contact [email protected]

Share
Linden Square

Holiday worship schedules in Wellesley, 2019

by Leave a Comment

Happy holidays, Wellesley. By now you’re probably ready to slow down, set aside the to-do list, and contemplate the reason for  the season. Some of Wellesley’s houses of worship celebrate with all the formality you might expect from historic churches with Puritan roots, while others have a more casual flair or take a non-denominational approach to the holidays. All the services bring people together, and all are welcome. Here’s a list of upcoming Wellesley services:

First Church of Christ, Scientist

8 Rockland St, 781-235-1114

Regular services on Sunday, December 29, 10am. All are welcome.

Milestone Church

42 Elmwood Rd., Wellesley
217 We. Central St., Natick

Live music, candlelight singing, Christmas message, and extravagant cookie bar with a variety of cookies, hot cocoa, apple cider, and more.
Milestone Wellesley @ 4:30pm Milestone Natick @ 6:30pm
**Tickets are not required to attend but encouraged to help for seating and parking

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

79 Denton Rd., 781-235-7310

Christmas Eve Services: Tue., December 24, 3pm, 5pm, 10pm
Christmas Day Service: Wed., December 25, 10am
Christmas Lessons & Carols: Sun., December 29, 10am
Epiphany Fireside Service & Potluck: Sun., January 5, 5pm

St. John the Evangelist Parish (Catholic)

9 Glen Rd., 781-235-0045

Christmas Eve
4pm Family Mass (3:30 Youth Choir Prelude and Carols)
4pm Mass in Philbin Hall (St. John School Hall)
6pm Mass
10pm Mass (9:30pm Choir Prelude and Carols)

Christmas Day
10:30am  Mass (10am Choir Prelude and Carols)

St. Paul Parish (Catholic)

502 Washington St., 781-235-1060

Christmas Eve
4pm Masses (Masses are in Church and Parish Hall)
6pm Family Mass (Children’s Choir and Pageant)
8pm Mass (7:30pm Choir Prelude and Carols)
12:00 Midnight Mass (11:30 Youth Music Group Prelude and Carols)

Christmas Day
11am Mass (10:30am Choir Prelude and Carols)

Temple Beth Elohim

10 Bethel Rd., 781-235-8419

Chanukah is celebrated December 22 – 30 this year. TBE notes, “Chanukah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, is an eight-day festival commemorating the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.” MORE

Unitarian Universalist Society of Wellesley Hills

309 Washington St., 781-235-9423

Caroling and Christmas Eve Service Tue., December 24, 5:30pm

Wellesley Congregational (Village) Church

2 Central St., 781-235-1988

Christmas Eve Worship (Family Service, Christmas Pageant), Tue., December 24, 4pm
Christmas Eve Worship (Candlelight Service with Senior Choir), Tue., December 24, 8pm
Christmas Eve Worship (Candlelight Service with Youth Choir, Tue., December 24, 10pm

Wellesley Hills Congregational Church

207 Washington St., 781-235-4424

Family Christmas Pageant, Tue., December 24, 3:30pm
Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols, Tue., December 24, 6pm (Prelude of music begins at 5:45pm)
Candlelight Service of Lessons and Carols, Tue., December 24, 9:30pm (Prelude of music begins at 9:15pm)

Wellesley Friends Meeting (Quaker)

26 Benvenue St., 781-237-0268

Christmas Eve worship by firelight and candlelight, Tue., December 24, 4pm – 5pm
Worship followed by ham, egg nog, and fixings. Contributions gratefully accepted toward the cost of the hams. Any extra money will be donated to charity.

Share

Holiday happenings in Wellesley

by Leave a Comment

There are lots of opportunities around Wellesley to get into the holiday spirit:

Holiday worship schedules in Wellesley, 2019

Happy holidays, Wellesley. By now you’re probably ready to slow down, set aside the to-do list, and contemplate the reason for  the season. Some of Wellesley’s houses of worship celebrate with all the formality you might expect from historic churches with Puritan roots, while others have a more casual flair or take a non-denominational approach to the holidays. All the services bring people together, and all are welcome. Here’s a list of upcoming Wellesley services.

Town of Wellesley, Holidays schedule

The Town of Wellesley will follow a holiday schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here’s the breakdown.

Town of Wellesley has kicked off the festivities

The Town of Wellesley has draped trees with holiday lights from the Hills to the Square. The tree lights and wreaths throughout Town are made possible by very generous donors and businesses in the community and are hung by Wellesley’s own Municipal Light Plant workers, all to make Wellesley festive during the holiday season.

In addition, look in front of Town Hall for the menorah, the Christmas tree, and the crescent to appear soon. And of course, the high holy tradition of free metered parking has been put in place.

Details on free 2-hour parking in Wellesley:

The Board of Selectmen has waived parking fees at all two-hour street meters in Town through Tuesday, December 31. This includes two-hour meters in all municipal-owned parking lots.

Parking fees are NOT waived at four-hour meters, private parking lots and commuter rail lots.

Wellesley Free Library activities for kids, teens, and adults

The Wellesley Free Library has a full roster of fun holiday activities planned including a holiday wrapping station at the Hills branch; a holiday jazz concert with the Kareem Sanjaghi Band; gingerbread houses construction with graham crackers and icing; Sankta Lucia story and craft; holiday sing-a-long with David Polansky; a LEGO Winter Village set-up; Giant Snowpeople craft; and more.

Details here.

MassHort Festival of Trees

Festival of Trees, WellesleyDecember 27 – 29, Snow Village and garden lights

DATES FOR TRAINS AND LIGHTS: December 27 – 29
LOCATION: Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
HOURS here.

[Read more…]

Share

St. Paul Church in Wellesley to lease space to The Goddard School

by Leave a Comment

St. Paul Church, Wellesley
St. Paul Church, Wellesley

It’s been four years since St. Paul School at 502 Washington Street in Wellesley closed its doors after 60 years of providing a Catholic school experience for students in PreK through grade 8. Now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boston, which serves Norfolk county, has entered into an agreement to lease the St. Paul’s space to The Goddard School.

At all five masses between St. Paul and St. John’s churches, Father Jim Laughlin on Sunday, Dec. 15 shared with parishioners the news that St. Paul received a signed lease for the rental of the St. Paul School building from The Goddard School.  In a phone call with Father Laughlin he said, “This lease is for fifteen years, with two five-year optional renewals. The agreement will bring life to the school and will be a significant source of income to the parishes to help us fund our missions and outreach.”

Father Laughlin said the news was met with applause at each mass.

The two Parishes in 2013 entered into a  collaborative relationship which allows them to maintain their individual Parish identity while sharing resources, including pastors.

The Goddard School organization is planning extensive renovations to the building, including an elevator and a new HVAC system that features central air. They are expected to put up to $3.5 million in renovations to the school building. St. Paul’s Parish will still own the building.

St. Paul School wellesley

Pending Goddard’s financing for the project and permits from the Town of Wellesley, the church will likely begin receiving rent revenue from The Goddard School in early 2021.

Goddard Schools are independently owned franchises and educate children six weeks to six years of age. There are three additional Goddard Schools in the area — in Medfield, Wayland, and Weston. All three of those schools are staying put.

The St. Paul space had been among the considerations for swing space for the Wellesley Public School system during its Hardy-Hunnewell-Upham elementary school planning.

(Thanks to Swellesley reader LR for the tip.)

MORE:

donate box love local
Share

St. Andrew’s Church in Wellesley celebrates 125 years of worship and outreach

by Leave a Comment

Back in 1892, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church parishioners, confident the time was right to build a permanent church home, collected $650 at the Easter service for the construction of what is now the 79 Denton Road church. Two years later on November 30, 1894 the first service was held in the newly completed sanctuary. The congregation had come a long way from its early years when it met in various locations, first in the upper story of a wheelwright shop that stood opposite Wellesley Town Hall and then in the Town Hall itself.

St. Andrew's Church, Wellesley, Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole
St. Andrew’s Church Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole raises a glass at the 125th anniversary celebration at the Wellesley Country Club. Photo credit: John Mottern

“All this is a legacy given to us by previous generations of parishioners, to build up the spiritual life of the community and fill it more with the spirit of Christ,” noted current St. Andrew’s Rev. Andrian Robbins-Cole.

Amen to that, said today’s parishioners of the 300-family church, now let’s party. To commemorate the 125-year anniversary of the bricks-and-mortar location, party they did at a gala at the Wellesley Country Club earlier this month.

St. Andrew's Church, Wellesley, Parishioners
St. Andrew’s parishioners celebrate the generations of members who have maintained, improved, and added to the church building to make it a central spot for worship and the church’s outreach programs. Photo credit: John Mottern

Parishioner Lynda Sperry said, “The Gala was pure celebration of our 125 years. We just wanted to have a good time and enjoy. We’re not done celebrating. On November 24th there will be a big church service for the 125th.”

They’re not tired yet

The 125th celebration follows on the heels of a $2 million capital campaign, which got started early last year and wrapped up in May. Sperry, co-chair of the campaign, said, “The capital campaign was three-fold. To create a property refurbishment fund, to increase our endowment, and to share 10% of the $2 million we raised with our three main outreach partners — El Hogar in Honduras, St. Stephen’s Church in Boston, and Family Promise Metrowest.”

El Hogar’s mission is to transform the lives of children who are crippled by extreme poverty by providing a home and education to children who would otherwise have little hope of a future;  St. Stephen’s has long been in partnership with St. Andrew’s; and Family Promise Metrowest works with families with children who are homeless by mobilizing a diverse community to provide shelter, education and comprehensive support.

When I’m 125, I hope someone gives me a facelift

$1.3 million of the funds raised during the capital campaign will go toward property improvements, which will be done over three consecutive summers. Just to paint the interior of the church is no small task. To do so, first the magnificent Juget-Sinclair organ must be wrapped, and all the stained glass must be protected. Also on the punch list for an upgrade: the lighting, restoration of the pews; sanding the hardwood floors; some landscaping; and other projects.

Swellesley stands ready to accept your offerings and tithes: Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture.

Church services at St. Andrew’s

Sundays, 8am & 10am
Wednesdays, 7:30am
Weekdays, 8:50am for silent contemplative prayer

St. Andrew's Church, Wellesley
St. Andrew’s Church, Wellesley, circa 1946. Photo courtesy of St. Andrew’s Church.
Share

Beyond Wellesley: Tuning into Nashville

by Leave a Comment

broadway nashville

You won’t find 2 more different places than Wellesley and Nashville. And that, of course, is the beauty of what people from either place will find visiting the other.

Nashville has so much to offer that you just don’t come across in Wellesley:

  • Vehicles driven by sober people lined on each side by drinkers peddling from their barstools while singing at the tops of their lungs.
  • Broadway, a non-stop party strip with country and other singers belting out tunes from open-air bars bearing the names of Kid Rock, Jason Aldean and others.
  • Pedestrians who more or less obey traffic signals.
  • A colorful pedestrian bridge linking the NFL’s Tennessee Titans football stadium to the central bar and restaurant area.
nashville at night
Nashville at night

 

peddlers nashville
A little rain didn’t stop the party bikes from cruising Broadway

On and under the surface, Nashville is more suited to grown-up visitors than families, though granted, we didn’t seek out activities such as the acclaimed zoo. We also traveled without renting a car, so confined our excursions to those within a reasonable walk, run or ride-share. 

I should mention that neither Mr. nor Mrs. Swellesley is much of a country music fan. We recognized some names and songs, but weren’t bowing at Music City’s altars like some visitors. We descended upon Nashville to attend a late-October journalism conference called the LION Publishers Summit, and take in the sights while there.

Nashville sights and sounds

 

We started off strong, taking a quick look at daytime Broadway after checking in to our hotel, which had a guitar-shaped pool we regrettably never used. Guitars are everywhere in Nashville, and southern charm and manners were alive and well, too. We made a concentrated effort to be friendly, and more or less succeeded.

We grabbed lunch at Acme Feed & Seed, which boasts a steady stream of customers and juicy brisket sandwiches. We ate on the rooftop bar, which

[Read more…]

Share