search
Dear United Parish Family,
I have wonderful news to share!
The United Parish in Brookline has officially signed a contract with Folan Waterproofing and Construction to restore our beloved steeple. Hallelujah!! This is a truly exciting and historic step for our congregation and our church building.
Our steeple has long stood as a beacon over Brookline, a visible and audible sign of faith, welcome, and hope. Reaching this milestone has been the fruit of much prayerful support, thoughtful judgment, and a great deal of hard work. Every step of this journey has been carried by the generosity and dedication of our church, our community, and our commitment to God and one another.
With Deep Gratitude
On behalf of our congregation, we extend a heartfelt appreciation to everyone who worked so faithfully to secure funding for this project, including the many hours devoted to pursuing and stewarding our grants from the National Fund for Sacred Places and from the Town of Brookline Community Preservation Act (CPA) program. These grants are powerful affirmations of our church’s historical significance and value to our community, and they would not have been possible without a great deal of persistence, vision, and care.
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Mary Loden and David Rockwell, Building Manager Rebekah Shore, and John Kurpeski, our engineering consultant from Gale Associates, for their remarkable skills and faithful dedication. Their expertise and guidance have been invaluable at every turn: determining the detailed project scope, attracting and assessing contractor bids, editing and negotiating the contract, and so, so much more. We are blessed beyond measure by their wisdom and commitment to our church.
What’s Next?
The masonry work will begin in early spring, after the winter season concludes, and should take about 8 months. At that time, you’ll see Folan erecting the scaffolding and getting underway. But with the contract now in place, Folan will soon be doing some additional testing. We expect a boom lift on site as they do that testing.
Rebekah is overseeing this project for United Parish and attending weekly meetings with our engineer and the contractor. Our project team of Mary and David will continue to support Rebekah as needed.
A Meaningful Step Forward
Restoring our steeple is about far more than preserving a beautiful structure. It is a meaningful step in our ongoing transformation work and a bold investment in our future of serving God and our community. As our steeple is restored, may it continue to rise as a symbol of our faith, our welcome, and our shared commitment to being a place of light and love for many years to come.
Please join me in celebrating this milestone and in keeping this project, the Folan construction team, our engineer, and all who have labored on its behalf in your prayers. Expect more updates as the restoration work begins. Thanks be to God!
With joy and gratitude,
Stefan Reed
Moderator
moderator@upbrookline.org