Emmanuel Episcopal Church, a historic church at 15 Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded in 1860 as part of the

Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. History Massachusetts was founded by Puritans who did not accept such aspects of the Church of England as bish ...

History

Alexander Rice Esty Alexander Rice Esty (also known as Alexander Rice Estey) (18 October 1826 – 2 July 1881) was an American architect known for designing many Gothic Revival churches in New England, however his work also encompassed university buildings, public ...

and constructed in 1861, it was the first building completed on Newbury Street in Boston's newly filled

Back Bay Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and t ...

. In 1899, Frederic Crowninshield designed its sanctuary's centerpiece window, in which the allegorical figure Piety, from

John Bunyan John Bunyan (; baptised 30 November 162831 August 1688) was an English writer and Puritan preacher best remembered as the author of the Christian allegory ''The Pilgrim's Progress,'' which also became an influential literary model. In addition ...

The Pilgrim's Progress ''The Pilgrim's Progress from This World, to That Which Is to Come'' is a 1678 Christian allegory written by John Bunyan. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of theological fiction in English literature and a progenitor of ...

, points the way to Emmanuel's Land. The Leslie Lindsey Memorial Chapel, consecrated in 1924, is considered one of the architectural gems of Boston. An all-encompassing product of and testimony to the artistry of

Ninian Comper Sir John Ninian Comper (10 June 1864 – 22 December 1960) was a Scottish architect; one of the last of the great Gothic Revival architects. His work almost entirely focused on the design, restoration and embellishment of churches, and the des ...

, the work comprises a decorative scheme for the chapel designed by the architectural firm of Allen & Collens. Comper designed its altar, altar screen, pulpit, lectern, dozens of statues, all its furnishings and appointments, and most notably the

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows. The finest Gothic-revival style craftsmen were engaged for the project under the direction of Campbell & Aldrich of Boston. The chapel memorializes Leslie Lindsey and her husband of ten days Stewart Mason, who were married at Emmanuel Church and perished when the ''

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...

'' was torpedoed in 1915. In 1966, th
Back Bay historic district
was established, protecting any building within its boundaries from exterior changes, including this building. Its outreach program in the early twentieth century, known as the

Emmanuel Movement The Emmanuel Movement was a psychologically-based approach to religious healing introduced in 1906 as an outreach of the Emmanuel Church in Boston, Massachusetts. In practice, the religious element was de-emphasized and the primary modalities w ...

, was influential in the development of

self-help groups for mental health Self-help groups for mental health are voluntary associations of people who share a common desire to overcome mental illness or otherwise increase their level of cognitive or emotional wellbeing. Despite the different approaches, many of the psycho ...

, particularly for

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...

. The church is known for hosting

Emmanuel Music Emmanuel Music is a Boston-based collective group of singers and instrumentalists founded in 1970 by Craig Smith. It was created specifically to perform the complete cycle of over 200 sacred cantatas of J. S. Bach in the liturgical setting for whic ...

, which performs

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

cantatas A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of t ...

in their intended liturgical setting, coordinated with the

lectionary A lectionary ( la, lectionarium) is a book or listing that contains a collection of scripture readings appointed for Christianity, Christian or Judaic worship on a given day or occasion. There are sub-types such as a "gospel lectionary" or evang ...

. It has a cooperative, interfaith partnership with the Jewish Central Reform Temple, with which it shares the building. The clergy from the two congregations regularly offer sermons for each other's congregations, and members are invited to attend the other congregation's services.

Clergy

* The Rev. Dr.

Frederic Dan Huntington Frederic (or Frederick) Dan Huntington (May 28, 1819, Hadley, Massachusetts – July 11, 1904, Hadley, Massachusetts) was an American clergyman and the first Protestant Episcopal bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central New York. Early life, e ...

, 1st rector, 1861-1869 * The Rev. Dr. Alexander Hamilton Vinton, 2nd rector, 1869-77 * The Rev. Dr.

Leighton Parks Leighton Parks (10 February 1852-21 March 1938) was a liberal American Protestant Episcopal clergyman. He was born in New York City and graduated from the General Theological Seminary in 1876. Ordained a priest the next year, from 1878 to 1904 he ...

, 3rd rector, 1878-1904 * The Rev. Dr. Elwood Worcester, 4th rector, 1904-1929 * The Rev. Dr. Benjamin Martin Washburn, 5th rector, 1929-1932 * The Rev. Dr. Phillips Endicott Osgood, 6th rector, 1932-1943 * The Rev. Robert Gifford Metters, 7th rector, 1946-1956 * The Rev. Harold Bend Sedgwick, 8th rector, 1957-1962 * The Rev. Alvin L. Kershaw, 9th rector, 1962-1989 * The Rev. Michael Kuhn, 10th rector, 1991-1993 * The Rev. Dr. William Blaine-Wallace, 11th rector, 1993-2005 * The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz, 12th rector, 2008-

Windows

Stained-glass windows by these artists can be seen in the church. *

Charles Jay Connick Charles Jay Connick (1875–1945) was a prominent American painter, muralist, and designer best known for his work in stained glass in the Gothic Revival style. Born in Springboro, Pennsylvania, Connick eventually settled in the Boston area wh ...

* Frederic Crowninshield *Harry Eldredge Goodhue *

Heaton, Butler and Bayne Heaton, Butler and Bayne were an English firm who produced stained-glass windows from 1862 to 1953. History Clement Heaton (1824–82) Fleming, John & Hugh Honour. (1977) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Decorative Arts. '' London: Allen Lane, p. 371. ...

Charles Eamer Kempe Charles Eamer Kempe (29 June 1837 – 29 April 1907) was a British Victorian era designer and manufacturer of stained glass. His studios produced over 4,000 windows and also designs for altars and altar frontals, furniture and furnishings, lichg ...

Louis Comfort Tiffany Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art NouveauL ...

*Samuel West *Henry Wynd Young

External links

Emmanuel Church, Boston Website

History of the Lindsey Chapel
Episcopal churches in Boston Episcopal church buildings in Massachusetts Religious organizations established in 1860 Back Bay, Boston Churches completed in 1861 19th-century Episcopal church buildings 1860 establishments in Massachusetts {{Boston-struct-stub