Our History

Our history reaches back to Good Friday in 1884, when the Church of Our Redeemer was recognized as a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. In 120 years our parish has seen enormous transformations in society and in the Church. For the last 70 years we have been guided by just three rectors, each of whom has helped us grow and change. Our 14th rector, The Rev. Harold Handley, led the parish from the Depression into the early 1970s. As the town grew, so did the parish, with an average weekly attendance of nearly 500 in the mid-1960s. Amidst all these changes, Redeemer has maintained its identity over the years.

Through the 1970s was marked by new growth of lay ministry, which has a long tradition in the parish. In the early part of the 20th Century, for example, the Senior Warden was the unifying figure of the parish, as rectors changed on the average of every three years. Substantive sharing of leadership between the clergy and the laity continued to develop, with women and men sharing leadership roles. In these years Redeemer distinguished itself by electing the first female Senior Warden in the Diocese.

Our current tradition of lay ministry finds its expression in the important role of parishioners in Sunday worship as members of the Liturgy teams, as participants and leaders in a number of outreach activities and as key decision makers in the church. At Redeemer lay leadership positions are not the exclusive possession of a small group of insiders.

Over the years, Redeemer also has developed close relationships with the Diocese. Our parishioners and clergy have provided leadership in such forums as the Diocesan ECW, the Diocesan Council, and reorganization planning. We recently have become a location in the Diocese for training in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. In addition, our members have served as staff to the Bishop.