By Michael Oliveira
Following a closure in May due to damage to its tower, Grace Episcopal Church is soon to be put up for sale, according to Rev. Kathy Adams.
The historic church, located at 104 N. Washington St., was deemed closed by the Fire Department and Building Inspector due to excessive damage caused by a collapse in the tower, and later condemned. The church has been a part of the community since 1873.
“We have a handful of parishioners who have been members at Grace for their entire lives, which for some means nearly 100 years. As you would imagine, they are grieving.” said Adams. “This is a huge loss for all of us. We already knew that the building was oversized for our small congregation to use and maintain, and that this day would come soon, but the collapse in the tower simply accelerated the timeline.”
Grace Episcopal Church is a small church, built in the Gothic tradition, that features stained glass windows, a rose window in the east, and a depiction of the Transfiguration window in the west, according to its website.
Over the years, the church has been very active in the community, raising money and donations for Lenore’s Pantry and Fuel for the Weekend. The church has also been a sponsor the local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops for many years.
As of now, the congregation is worshiping now at St Johns in Franklin, which is where Adams has split her time between there and Grace Episcopal for the last two years. To make sure that everyone can make it to church, she said the younger members fill up everyone’s cars to get to Franklin.
“We are exploring the possibility of merger with St John’s, as well as with All Saints in Attleborough.” Adams said.
According to Adams, Grace Episcopal Church is being assisted by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts with the assessment and process of selling the property.
