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Our church history starts around 1860 in the township of Richmond, now under many feet of water at the bottom of Scituate Reservoir. The parish that had assembled then built the first Trinity Church in 1864. It started well but began to decline in the early 1900s and was torn down in 1916 to prepare the land for the flooding of what would become the Scituate Reservoir. The church disbanded. In 1943, the church was resurrected with the help of parish members, the diocese, and Retired Rev. Dudley Tyng, Ph.D. Folks gathered first in homes, then in the North Scituate Community House for Sunday services. Later they moved to a small store on Silk Lane that had been used earlier as a dance hall, movie theatre, and Roman Catholic church. In 1948, plans were made to build a new building on land deeded by the City of Providence from its reservoir property to make amends for having destroyed the first church in 1916. Plans for the field stone church were drawn by Harry Mang, a RISD student, using stones from local farm walls. Much of the work and materials was donated, saving the parish a great deal of money - the construction cost $20,000, nowhere near what it would have cost without donations of services and materials.
In 1960, the people of St. Timothy's, unable to support their small parish, joined Trinity Church. In September 1970, our Mission became a Parish, with Fr. Herbert Skelly as its first priest, after serving as vicar since 1964. In 1971, Trinity Church was admitted as a self-supporting parish into the Diocese of Rhode Island with the Rev. James Frink as first rector. In 1993, a $200,000 renovation and addition enlarged the church to its present size, adding much needed space for a growing congregation. It was an all-out parish effort with talented members rendering architect plans, holding pre -dawn and late-night meetings, handcrafting pews, selecting carpet and wood stain, moving stuff, stuff, and more stuff, and practicing patience. Who can forget all those weeks of Sunday services in Aldrich Hall - complete with altar, folding chairs, and real community spirit. At last on Sunday, August 30, 1992 the newly expanded Trinity Church was dedicated (and it's already paid off). In 1995, The Church of the Messiah in Foster was no longer able to keep the doors of their house of worship open. The people of Trinity opened their arms and hearts to these 50 families - and the two became one. After giving himself to the people of Trinity Church for 25 years, Fr. James Frink retired in July, 1996. We thank God for the blessing of having Jim serve as our spiritual leader and friend those many wonderful years. Our House of Worship The inside of the church is a blend of the new with the old. The decor is simple and inviting. There are 28 pews (plus choir pews), our newest ones handcrafted by a parishioner. The altar in the front of the church is highlighted by a large cathedral window framed by outside whispering pines. The sacristy is bright and airy with ample custom cabinets and closets for storage of vestments and sacred vessels. The undercroft houses the rector's office, church secretary's office, choir room, nursery, conference room/library, main multi-purpose room, mini kitchen, and bazaar storage closet. The main room is our coffee hour mingling space. Aldrich-Graham Hall The main activity that takes place in Aldrich-Graham Hall is Young People's Christian Formation and Education. With recently purchased upholstered room dividers, rooms are easily set up for classes and taken down for hall functions. One of the main drawing factors to Aldrich-Graham Hall is the very large and well-equipped kitchen. Complete with two refrigerators, a freezer, a commercial stove, and a butcher block center island, as well as well-stocked cabinets, the kitchen gets plenty of use for all kinds of suppers and social events. Civic groups such as the Boy Scouts, Rainbow Girls, and High School Band often sponsor suppers here. The Rectory The Thrift Shop For those with "new additions" to the family, we may have infant products (i.e., bottles, etc). And if you come at the "right time," you may find infant carriers, playpens and highchairs. We also have toys, games, puzzles, plush animals and dolls. Also available are housewares, bedding, curtains, sewing products, and much, much more. Items "not up to snuff" to the Shop's criteria or sold in a timely fashion are sent to the homeless and others in need. Twice a year, once toward the end of the winter season and once toward the end of the summer season, the thrift shop holds a "fill-a-bag" sale. Fill a paper grocery bag for $5.00. What a deal! Come in often to take advantage of the In-Store Specials ... and watch for other special sales such as half-price or Buy One, Get One Free! The Thrift Shop is not only full of bargains, but fellowship, too! Many stop by to chat and stay in touch! "Come and explore. You'll be amazed at what you find when you walk through the door!" Parishioners With much more in common than not (we are mainly working middle-class and not especially culturally diverse), we are a parish that respects each other's differences in other areas. There is a nice mix of young to old, with plenty of intergenerational interaction during services, church meetings and other functions. We support each other in times of sorrow and in times of joy. We are a family. |
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