In the News

The Rev. Edward Cardoza — better known as “Father Ed” — may be the spiritual leader of more than 100 families who belong to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.  But he’s also recognized as a supporter and counselor to those who work for social justice and spiritual uplift the world over. Cardoza,…

Jay Berube looks forward to greeting his breakfast guests with a warm smile and friendly hello every day.  But that morning ritual takes on extra meaning when the city is plunged into the kind of dangerously cold weather that has gripped the region for the past week. “I worry if someone doesn…

Churches are traditionally places we think of as not only being sacred, but safe. But that image was shattered after the mass shootings in South Carolina and Texas.  The threat of violence presents a unique challenge for institutions like churches. Unlike schools, hospitals and courthouses,…

A group of Martha's Vineyard clergy gathered Thursday morning, Dec. 14 in Owen Park, to march and stand in vigil on the fifth anniversary of the mass shooting at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Twenty children and six school employees died in the shooting at the hands of a 20…

Four years ago and shortly after arriving in Dartmouth, the Rev. Scott Ciosek looked at empty space at St Peter’s Church’s 351 Elm Street location, and was determined to fill that void with something that made a difference in people’s lives That vision turned into The Bridge: A Center for Hope and…

With overnight temperatures starting to dip below freezing, a small but dedicated group of volunteers is mobilizing to ensure that the community’s homeless population has a warm place to sleep. In partnership with Father Bill’s and MainSpring, the Plymouth Task Force to End Homelessness started…

Kenneth Thopsen lived in Florida until Hurricane Irma forced him out. At 45 years old, he journeyed north to Massachusetts — losing his luggage in the process — to stay with family members in the Berkshires. “I went out there and I didn’t really connect with them,” Thopsen said. Now, he is one of…

From the kitchen, Dennis Bates peeked at the crowd of hungry people enjoying the meal he’d been preparing for hours. The Stoughton resident was back at Christ Episcopal Church on Quincy Avenue for the annual Father Bill’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner. His 27th year providing hearty meals to the…

According to Arlington Police Chief Frederick Ryan, Massachusetts loses six people a day to the opioid epidemic. That number alone is staggering, but when you multiply that figure, it's hard to imagine a family in the state who hasn't been impacted by addiction and overdoses. The 2069 opioid…

All Saints' Episcopal Church began with one determined woman whose legacy lives on today in the strong leadership roles laypeople--especially women--hold in the 150-year-old parish. Anna Eliza Hunt and her family moved from Charlestown to Chelmsford in the mid-1800s. In 1860, she decided to start a…