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Welcome to Second Parish

We are delighted that you have found us and hope that you will feel at home on our website, in our online worship and activities during the pandemic, and ultimately at our church.

As Unitarian Universalists, we are open and welcoming to everyone. We believe that learning, worshiping, and working together will help us in our constant quest to serve others and to appreciate the mysteries of life.

Directions for joining our Sunday services during the pandemic are available under the Worship tab on this website. Our Sunday morning service is at 10 am. Please consider visiting us to explore what Second Parish has to offer.

Meet our Minister, Rev. Stephanie Shute Kelsch >>

Who We Are

We are a welcoming, intergenerational community that enjoys spending time together.

Join Us Online

Due to COVID-19, we are gathering online. Instructions for joining are here.

Sunday Adventures

Kids meet with Leigh Baltzer in their own Zoom room on Sunday mornings.

We're celebrating our 275th anniversary this year!

Founded in 1746, Second Parish is 275 years old. Read more about our planned celebrations this year.

Watch our banner going up!

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Upcoming Services

We would love to have you join us for our online Sunday service at 10:00. Connection details are under the "Worship" tab.

May 2: Children In Church

Children in Church Some years ago, Mark and Stephanie teamed up to do a short program for youngsters about what to expect and how to behave in church. At the time, it seemed to fill what we thought was a modern need to familiarize youngsters with how church services work. In looking back on Second Parish history, however, it becomes clear that it wasn’t a new issue. This sermon will look at how children have experienced church here in the broader context of how different ages experience church. Susannah Thornton will be our soloist.

May 9: Mother's Day

On this Mothers’ Day, our sermon will focus on unconditional love. Depending on our generation and circumstances, we may associate such love with our mothers or our fathers or with both. Many people of faith also associate unconditional love with their conception of Divinity. This sermon will explore what unconditional love can mean and be for each of us, both spiritually and emotionally. Frank Piekut will be our guest soloist.

May 16: Prayer and Punctuation

There are multiple ways of understanding prayer in general. But, specifically, what does the punctuation of prayer tell us? While punctuation may seem to be an English teacher’s fetish, it is an integral part of how we articulate our deepest concerns, needs, and thanks. This sermon will explore both the established and individual understanding of punctuation in prayer.

Gabrielle Coyne will be our soloist.

May 23: Flags at High Street Cemetery

As we have done for many years, our worship this Sunday will be an act of service to honor our nation’s military. We will replace worn American flags on the graves of veterans buried in the High Street Cemetery. Everyone will be invited to sign up for a time slot between 10:00 and 11:00 AM in which to distribute the new flags and collect the old ones. A special feature this year will be the chance to visit the graves of Second Parish’s first two ministers who, between them, served the church for 87 years.

May 30: Ever Angels

On Memorial Day weekend, this sermon will look at nursing service in the military. For centuries acknowledged as “angels on the battlefield,” nurses have brought comfort, practical attention, and hope to wounded soldiers. At times they have done so under dangerous and threatening conditions. This sermon will focus on the female nurses who served in the Philippines during World War II and what helped them sustain their strength in caring for others. We will have special brass soloists, Elizabeth Hanlon and Chris Warren.

How to Watch