Today Jason and I happened to be in Cambridge. The music director at Christ Church celebrated 10 years of service there today. He has directed Jason in the choir for many years and he played the organ and organized the lovely music at our wedding. Unfortunately, we missed his party after the service.
Jason tells the story as a comment to this post:
"I only find myself in Cambridge on Sunday mornings about once a month these days. This morning, I was up singing a service at Christ Church around the corner on Garden St. It is not unusual to hear sirens occasionally during services, but this morning they kept getting progressively louder and more numerous. It became clear that something unusual was happening, and near the end of the service the priest said a prayer for whoever was affected by the fire. I had no idea it would be me. When the service ended and the doors opened, smoke wafted in. As I walked outside, someone said the Mormon church on Brattle St. had burned down."
Jason rushed over to me in the pew and told me someone said the Longfellow Park building was burning. My heart sank and I thought, it can't be... We hurried around the corner and saw the smoke and the fire engines lining the streets. My eyes filled with tears as I realized that this was really happening; our building was burning.
Jason's words again:
"We rushed over to the smoldering ruins of the church and watched for several hours as the firefighters worked to put out the blaze. It was strange to see water pouring into the charred remains of the chapel, to see the collapsed roof beams littering the gym, flames flickering along the rose window, and to see the upstairs hallway illuminated with bright sunlight, no longer shielded by a now missing roof. Several neighbors and ministers of neighborhood churches stopped by to talk. One remarked how horrible it was to see a place of gentleness consumed in such a violent manner. We moved around to the front of the building and watched the firefighters start to wind things down. Ward members had lined up and were busy pulling as many books as possible out of the library (which is now downstairs where the mission office used to be). There was a touching moment as two firefighters carried a large portrait of Jesus ministering to the rich man out of the front door of the church.
I am glad that fate found me up in Cambridge this morning, and that I had a chance to say goodbye to the building that has meant so much to me over the years."
Already, other churches in Harvard Square have offered their facilities for the 3 wards that met in the building. It is remarkable and lovely to feel the support of the community. Even though Jason and I don't attend church there anymore, Jason came there 16 years ago as a college freshman. Half of his life is wrapped up in that building in one way or another.
Someone created this collage of photos. The most striking picture for me is the one in the center, where through the windows on the left, you can see our chapel burning.
I hope that Jason and I are still here in 2 or 3 years when they dedicate the new building. I hope that they can salvage the brick structure that remains, or, if not, that the new building is similar to the old one. So much of the history of the Mormon Church in Boston was centered in that building. A couple of years ago, they celebrated its 50th anniversary and former members of the Cambridge wards came from all over the country to talk about their experiences.
In 2002 I came to Boston for law school. That was only 7 years ago, but a world away from the person I am now. Many of the changes that came into my life for the better happened because of my experiences in the Longfellow Park 2nd Ward. I met some of my dearest friends there. The callings I had while I attended allowed me to grow personally and stretch myself in ways I never thought possible. I am a different person than the girl who first walked through those doors 7 years ago, and a large part of that is due to my experiences in the Longfellow Park Ward. I spent many hours in that building, laughing, crying, singing, praying. It was a building, and it contained a community. Like all communities, it had its foibles and issues, but I felt love there. I know many people gained so much from their times there
14 comments:
What a lovely memorial to the chapel. I, too, experienced a great deal of personal growth while I was a member of the LP2 ward. I will always be grateful for the time I spent there and the friendships that I forged.
I'm right there with both of you. Even though I had to leave for a job (and leaving felt right), I never really left Boston in my heart, and it was always a thrill to run into Boston people in Seattle. Breaks my heart to see that awesome building go, and I really hope they rebuild it just as it was. It was a building with character, which you don't see much of in the church.
I'm so sorry for youguys that the chapel meant so much to. It's heart wrenching! The pictures are amazing, scary and moving. I'm so glad everybody was ok, and it would've been amazing to have been there to witness the whole thing.
WOW...that is shocking!
My heart goes out to you all.
(hugs)
I feel your every word as the feelings are similar for me. I feel awkward saying I have so many experiences wrapped up inside of me that connect specifically to that building (because they were had in that building) when I've been here "only" three years, but when you spend a portion of almost every day for three years in a building I think it is ample time to make an event like this tragic.
Last night at Family Home Evening we discussed the blessings of this (which are many) - and so I do see that the Lord has purposes in all things...even the tragic.
Well--It IS just a building. I don't get the sorrow. It's not like the destruction of a building destroys any of the good experiences you had.
My junior high school burned down several years ago. I got all these sorrow-filled emails from fellow classmates and I had the same reaction.
Why the sadness? No one was hurt. Everything else is easily replaced. The only sad thing is that they'll replace it with a white stucco ugly McChapel.
Well, Andrea, you're entitled to your opinion, but obviously I'm not alone in my attachment (as other people mourned the loss of your junior high). For me personally it was a place of comfort when I was alone in a new city, and where I built my Boston "family" while I lived there. I think a lot of people have similar ties to the building. We mourn the loss of the structure and the history it held, but look forward to the rebuilding and establishment of a new building with new history. As I mentioned in my post, I look forward to going to the dedication of the new building.
I am so sorry for your loss - I am glad no one was hurt, but it is still sad when a place you are attached to is destroyed.
Oh, Kelly! What a shame. Thank God no one was hurt! Despite the despair of losing your beloved church, I can't help but be glad to understand that the steeple survived relatively unscathed. What a testament that the highest point on the church--the point perhaps closest to God--remained. It's a sign of faith that your church family will rebuild and be brought together in that process to be closer to Him. Of course you will be glad when your new church is dedicated but you are entitled to mourn for what was lost...
DC Kelley (P.S.- Glad that you found me on FB!)
Like, whoa. I find Andrea's comment completely insensitive. But then, I'm the bleeding-heart hyper-sensitive sort who gets nostalgic over all sorts of things. The Longfellow Park chapel was much more than "just a building"; it was a beautiful place of worship for everyone who attended meetings there. I think it's always sad when something that's beautiful and means a lot to people is lost. I don't think it's all that much of a stretch to apply that same "just a building" logic to the Taj Mahal or to a house that a family has lived in for generations, but I don't think anyone would argue that their loss would be tragic.
Incidentally, there's no way the City of Cambridge will allow "a white stucco ugly McChapel" across the street from the Longfellow estate and in historic Harvard Square. So no need to worry about that. (In which case, apparently there's nothing to be sad about. But I'll hold on to my attachment nonetheless.)
questioning the validity of someone else's sorrow is what I don't get.
lovely post kelly.
I enjoyed this post Kelly. I feel the same attachment to that building you do, experienced the same growth you did there....that building is in part responsible for scads of eternal marriages and friendships. Even as an inanimate object, I mourn it's loss. It was a special place, I guess only truly understood by those that attended church there.
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