|
|
|
October 23, 2004
  Articles on this page: • Houses of Worship Houses of Worship Berkshire First Church of the Nazarene 165 North Street, 684-3535 The Church of Nazarene was born out of the Wesleyan revival begun in England. It was officially formed in 1908 and has its headquarters in Kansas City. With over 2 million members worldwide, the Church of the Nazarene has its foundation firm faith in the Word of God in an evangelical, conservative tradition. The Nazarene Church in Dalton was formed in 1965 by the Rev. Ernest Smith. Parishioners met at the community house until the present church was built on the corner of North and Hale Streets. The door, timbers and other materials used in the construction came from the former Crane Inn which was being demolished. With a new elevator, the entire church is handicapped accessible. Its current pastor is Rev. Bryan P. Lamberton. Sunday School is at 11:00 a.m. with morning worship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday evening service is at 6:00 p.m. Mid-week programs/Bible studies for all ages takes place on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. The church has a strong emphasis on youth programming for children of all ages. St. Agnes Parish 489 Main St., 684-0125 Now in its 96th year, the largest church in Dalton is St. Agnes Parish. In completing its recent merger St. Agnes Church as well as St. Patrick's Hinsdale and St. Matthew’s Becket and it serves 5,000 parishioners. The congregation is led by Rev. Christopher Malatesta and serves all of the accompanying hill towns. Services are held on Saturdays at 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Religious education is offered on Saturdays at Saint Patrick’s, on Sundays at St. Agnes and on Mondays at St. Agnes. The St. Agnes Church Annual Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 20th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the Parish Hall. The bazaar will include handcrafted item booths, ginger bread-decorating, pictures with Santa, the Mitten Tree, Parish Cook Books, and a raffle. The first Mass in Dalton was celebrated in a private home in 1835 by the Rev. Jeremiah O'Callahan who administered to all of the faith in Vermont. Weddings and baptisms were held in Albany until churches were built locally, first in Pittsfield, then in Hinsdale. The latter, St. Patrick’s, was the mother of the mission that formed in Dalton in 1861. As the religion grew, people met in homes, schools and even the Town Hall until the first St. Agnes’ was built in 1881. St. Agnes’ became a full parish in 1907 and a rectory was built. A new church and school were built in 1956 and dedicated in 1958. In 1962, a new convent was built and in 1976, the rectory was renovated. The convent closed in 1993 and the building at 513 Main St. is now called a pastoral center. It is used for kindergarten and nursery school classes as well as serves as our Religious Education Center. St. Agnes' Parochial School has an enrollment of 200. Students graduate in 8th grade and move on to either St. Joseph’s High School in Pittsfield or Wahconah Regional High School. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine is offered at various times of the week to different age groups. United Methodist 755 Main St. 684-0521 The Methodist Church, at the corner of North and Main Streets, is home to over 250 parishioners led by Rev. Edward Painter. Services are held on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Following the service is a time of refreshment and fellowship. Sunday School, for youth and adults, is held at 10:45 a.m.. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. Dalton is the cradle of Methodism in Berkshire County. The first service was preached by an itinerant preacher at a private home in 1788. Meetings continued at various locations, including a cidermill, with membership cards required. The first church was constructed at the corner of North and Main streets in 1834 and remodeled in 1850 and 1869. A parsonage, built in 1848, was sold and later rebuilt. The present church was built in 1894 with donations from Thomas G. Carson, Byron Weston and Zenas and W. Murray Crane. A wing with a social hall and six Sunday School rooms was added in 1965. Grace Episcopal 791 Main St. 684-0016 The Rev. Mary Schreiber is Senior Missioner for Grace Episcopal Church which began as a mission in 1893. The first services were held in the Town Hall in 1892. Among early vestrymen was Tom Trend, a survivor of the charge of the Light Brigade against the Russian Cavalry at Balaklua. Construction on a church began in 1892. The cornerstone was laid by the author of "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem." The first service was held in the new structure a year later with 28 communicants. In 1916, the church became a diocesan mission and in 1947, a full independent parish. The Guild Hall has been recently renovated and is used frequently by common groups. Holy Eucharist is offered at 4:30p.m. on Saturdays and 9:00 a.m. with Church School on Sundays. There are 112 parishioners. The Church will hold it's annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 13, 2004 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. First Congregational Church 514 Main St. 684-1715 The First Congregational Church is the oldest church in Dalton gathered in 1785 at the same time Dalton was founded. Massachusetts's law required that a Congregational church be established in every new town. The first church meeting house was built in 1791 near what is now Main Street Cemetery. As the population increased, a larger building was needed and in 1807 the Town voted to fund a new Meeting House. After years of debate about the location, another vote was taken in 1811 to build the new church on East Main Street. As the town continued to grow, a larger church was needed again. The current church was dedicated in 1889 with additions completed in 1914 and 1968. The Rev. Robert Kyte is the 22nd Pastor. His ministry began in 1994. The congregation lists 626 Members. The church is a member of the Berkshire Association and the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. The Sunday School of First Congregational Church has a Nursery and classes for 4 years through Grade 8 with an enrollment of 101. The church has a Middle School Youth Fellowship and a Senior High Youth Fellowship. Music for worship is provided by an adult Chancel Choir, a Handbell Choir, a Junior Choir for children and a "Voices in Praise" Choir for very young children. Sandra Epperly is the Music Director and Organist. First Congregational Church holds worship services Sunday at 8:15 a.m. in the Chapel and 10:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary with Nursery and Sunday School from 10:15 – 11:30 a.m. Worship in July and August is at 9:15. Special services are held on Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday. A monthly Prayer and Healing Service is held in the Chapel on the first Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The church sponsors Boy Scout Troop 4 and hosts a variety of community organizations including the weekly Sunday Lunch program. The Dalton Cooperative Nursery School is located in the lower floor of the education wing. The Green Gargoyle Gift and Thrift Shop offers used clothing and jewelry for sale on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  RETURN TO TOP |
) |
|
|
