Maude Royden - 100th Anniversary of the first woman to preach at The Cathdral Church of St. Paul

A century ago Maude Royden came to The Cathedral Church of St. Paul to preach a sermon, the first woman to erver do so at St. Paul’s. And so it is with that historic event that we will offer a Lenten preaching series and feature five woman preachers. Scroll down to view the image gallery of the newspaper clippings found in the cathedral’s scrapbook related to Ms. Royden’s vist to the Cathedral.

A Woman's Testimony: 2023 Cathedral Lenten Preaching Series

Jesus's encounter with the Samarian woman at the well is one of the most beloved and rich stories of the Lenten season. It is also the longest conversation Jesus has in the gospels. This Lent, which marks the 100th anniversary of​‌ the first sermon by a woman at the cathedral, we have invited five female-identifying preachers to open up the story of Samaritan woman's encounter with Jesus in John 4. Join us at the cathedral or by livestream at 5:15 pm on the Tuesdays in Lent for a service of lamplighting with Taize chant, featuring the sermon. Refreshments and conversation with the preacher follows.

Link to livestream will be posted each Tuesday on our WORSHIP page. https://www.stpaulboston.org/worship

Architecture and Renovations

Architecture and Renovations

The first example of Greek Revival architecture in Boston, St. Paul’s was a strong contrast to the colonial “meeting house” appearance of the Park Street Church (1809) across Tremont Street. The light Quincy granite, used for the body of the building, was brought from the quarries on the first railroad operated in the United States. The Ionic columns on the portico are of brown sandstone quarried from the region of Acquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia.

Burials and Tombs at St. Paul's, Pt. 2

Burials and Tombs at St. Paul's, Pt. 2

Our September 3rd article spoke about the deceased who were buried in the crypt of St Paul’s and then moved elsewhere. Additional research has revealed one of the reasons why indoor tombs were abolished in Boston. An article in the Boston Daily Globe, dated January 14, 1879, described the offensive odors of tombs.

Telling Our Truth

Telling Our Truth

How do we reconcile our past? Who were our founders and from where did their wealth originate? What should be our relationship to materials we live with and whose origins are in systems of exploitation and extraction at odds with our faith? We have serious community discernment ahead of us, and as the Cathedral begins to investigate our past we also need to look to our future.

The Rev. Samuel Jarvis Comes to Boston

The Rev. Samuel Jarvis Comes to Boston

The Reverend Doctor Samuel Farmar Jarvis is celebrated as “the first historiographer of the Episcopal Church,” a position to which he was named at the General Convention in 1838. He is best known to us, however, as the first Rector of St. Paul’s Church in Boston. Prior to his installation as pastor of the new church on July 7, 1820, the Rev. Jarvis was already well known to many of the church’s first subscribers. His nature as a prolific recorder of events, along with his keen attention to his reputation and legacy, left us with many clues in the church’s and other institutional archives about the early years of St. Paul’s and his tenure as Rector.

The Consecration of St. Paul’s Church

The Consecration of St. Paul’s Church

The Consecration of St. Paul’s Church in Boston, Friday, June 30, 1820 This coming Tuesday, June 30th, will mark the two-hundred year anniversary of the consecration and opening of St. Paul’s. On the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church we celebrate the Feast of St. Peter & St. Paul on June 29th, that is to say, one of two feast days honoring St. Paul. But how did the founders of St. Paul’s get to that day in June of 1820?

The Founding of St. Paul's

The Founding of St. Paul's

In 1818 a group of individuals, many of whom were not Episcopalians, decided that they wanted to establish a wholly American Episcopal parish. The first Anglican parish in Boston (King’s Chapel) had already been swept up by the Unitarian movement leaving Christ Church (Old North) and Trinity as the remaining two parishes from the pre-Revolutionary days. In 1818 a group of individuals, many of whom were not Episcopalians, decided that they wanted to establish a wholly American Episcopal parish. The first Anglican parish in Boston (King’s Chapel) had already been swept up by the Unitarian movement leaving Christ Church (Old North) and Trinity as the remaining two parishes from the pre-Revolutionary days. The founders purchased a lot on Common Street, now Tremont Street in a neighborhood that was growing.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul | 138 Tremont St | Boston, MA 02111
The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

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Photographs by Roy Goodwin

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