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June/July 2005
With standing room only, over 300 people celebrated Easter Sunday at the newly renovated Hadwen Park Congregational Church UCC. A century after women and men of faith gathered together at the Trowbridgeville School to worship, pray, and study, the members of the Hadwen Park Church in Worcester took on a million dollar building project, left their church building during the construction, and became “homeless” for over a year. It was appropriate that on the day of rebirth, Easter, their building was resurrected.
“We are grateful to First Congregational in Worcester, United Congregational in Worcester, First Congregational in Auburn and Pakachoag Church in Auburn, for allowing us to worship with them, have funerals in their space, share Lenten services and much more’” comments Loretta Hall, an active church member. “God has been faithful via our members and the community.”
The renovation plans were launched during an organ restoration project. The restorers said the roof would have to be raised to allow for the proper sound. That one note of news started a symphony of ideas to bring the building up to code and make it handicapped accessible, as well as expand and redo the sanctuary space. “In a time when church attendance and budgets are falling, in a time when churches are closing and we read about them daily in the news, our congregation raised $600,000! And, while living as ‘guests/wayfaring strangers’ in area churches and a Masonic Lodge, we voted to become an ONA church,” explains Pastor Judy Hanlon. “Trusting God, each other, and the Spirit of radical welcoming can really shake the house, like it did on the day of Pentecost! Our roof was ‘blown off' (literally and figuratively) and our doors are busting open, while the fire of the love of Jesus is burning in the hearts of all who gather and seek to follow Christ.”
To see pictures of the building process and of the newly renovated church, visit