FORT KENT – Bishop Richard J. Malone will visit today to inspect flood damage and offer solace to those hardest hit by it, church officials said Thursday. Malone is expected to fly into the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport in Frenchville from Portland at about 11… Read More
PORTLAND – Cheers and alleluias echoed off the granite stones and filled every nook and cranny of the Cathedral of St. Luke as Stephen Taylor Lane walked up the aisle Saturday as the next bishop of the state’s 17,000 Episcopalians. Lane, 58, was ordained and… Read More
PORTLAND – The Rev. Canon Stephen Taylor Lane believes that he will begin the “grand adventure” of a lifetime today when he becomes the spiritual leader of the state’s 17,000 Episcopalians. Members of Lane’s new flock will gather at St. Luke’s Cathedral today to participate… Read More
On April 9, the Bangor Daily News reported the birth in India of a baby girl who has two faces. Strange as it seems, a photo presented the portrait of an oddly beautiful child, a head with two complete faces side by side. The caption mentioned that baby… Read More
BANGOR – Congregation Beth El at 183 French St. will hold a rededication ceremony and open house at 3 p.m. Sunday. The ceremony will mark extensive renovations to the building that has been home to the Reform synagogue for 13 years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BANGOR – The Harrison D. Barrett Spiritualist Church at 514 Broadway will hold special services and workshops today and this weekend. The Revs. Elizabeth and Bradley Gosselin of Danvers, Mass., will give spirit greetings at an all-message circle at 7 p.m. today. A $10 donation… Read More
BREWER – The Rev. Grace Bartlett never expected she would be able to settle down in any one church when she was ordained a Methodist minister nearly two decades ago. She knew when and where she moved would be the decision of the bishop who… Read More
BANGOR – Members of St. George Greek Orthodox Church spent Friday morning preparing for a funeral service and the burial of Christ. They arranged cut flowers that were placed in the kouvouklion, a structure that represents the tomb of Christ, and white candles were placed… Read More
A group of scientists come bragging to God. “We’ve mapped the human genome, unraveled DNA, learned how to splice genes, and we now can clone anything. We don’t need you anymore.” God says, “Fair enough; there’s just one small matter we need to work out. Read More
ROCKLAND – Services for Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at Adas Yoshuron, 50 Willow St. Speakers have been requested to offer short talks or reading for the event. The choir also will perform. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
ORONO – Jessie Newcomb will discuss her work with Peace through Interamerican Community Action at the adult learning class 9:30 a.m. Sunday, at Orono United Methodist Church, 36 Oak St. Newcomb, who has attended the church since she was 5 years old, graduated last year… Read More
BANGOR – Cantor Benjamin Matis will conduct Passover services this weekend at Congregation Beth Israel, 144 York St. Services will be held from 9 to 11: 30 a.m. Saturday. A community luncheon will be held following the service. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
BANGOR – Pianist Phillip Silver will perform at 10 a.m. Sunday during the worship service at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor, 120 Park St. Silver, an associate professor of music at the University of Maine, is well-known for his extensive research on music and… Read More
Susan Moore was so excited to see Pope Benedict XVI that she was at Yankee Stadium Sunday morning nearly an hour before the doors opened. Moore, 29, of Bangor was one of 100 Maine Catholics who had tickets to the pope’s final public event before… Read More
WASHINGTON – Pope Benedict XVI was greeted Wednesday morning at the White House by President Bush, first lady Laura Bush and thousands of invited guests, including a child holding a “Welcome Pope Hope” sign. Among the huge crowd on the South Lawn were Boy Scouts… Read More
BANGOR – There’s only one reason Susan Moore would ever set foot in Yankee Stadium – to see the pope. A Catholic for just two years, Moore, 29, of Bangor is one of 100 people from Maine who on Sunday will attend the Mass celebrated… Read More
BANGOR – Sen. Susan Collins wasn’t invited to a White House dinner with Pope Benedict XVI during his first visit to the United States this week even though she’ll be there earlier in the day to welcome him. “One of my Catholic colleagues in the… Read More
Lipstick on the mirrors. That’s the problem that officials at one school were facing a few years ago. Girls were putting on lipstick in the bathroom then pressing their lips to the mirrors, leaving dozens of lip prints on mirror after mirror. Appeals and threats… Read More
BANGOR – A local church is launching a new ministry aimed at those in recovery, people struggling with addiction, and friends and families affected by addiction. The Addictions Ministry of Hammond Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, will hold its first program on spiritual… Read More
One of the great dividing lines between Christian denominations is how each reads and understands the stories in the Old Testament. For the more fundamental sects, a literal understanding is mandatory, while other, more liberal denominations think of the contents as symbolic – that is, stories that are… Read More
CALAIS – Three years ago, many Catholics stood on the side of the road and watched as red flames crept up the side of their church burning it to the ground. All that was left hours later was scorched wood. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
The local Orthodox Jewish community is one of 16 across the country that a New Jersey photographer and writer will include in his book “A Timeless People: A Photo Tapestry of American Jewish Life.” Saul Landa of East Brunswick, N.J., was in Bangor earlier this… Read More
Barack Obama’s minister has been in the news lately. Actually, he has been the news lately. Every time I turn on the television, I find some pundit pontificating about Jeremiah Wright’s sound bites. Most of these pundits are in some stage of outrage, which makes sense because, after… Read More
BANGOR – The early arrival of Easter this year may have numbed the bodies of Maine’s Christians, but it did not chill their spirits as they gathered in churches, on hilltops, along riverfronts and in school gymnasiums to celebrate their risen savior. Aurelia Snow, 17,… Read More
BANGOR – The local Orthodox Jewish community is one of 16 across the country that a New Jersey photographer and writer will include in his book “A Timeless People: A Photo Tapestry of American Jewish Life.” Saul Landa of East Brunswick, N.J., was in Bangor… Read More
Bangor – Easter sunrise service by Columbia Street Baptist and Essex Street Baptist churches, 6:30 a.m. March 23, Thomas Hill Standpipe. Bangor – Holy Saturday prayers, 9 a.m. March 22; Great Vigil of Easter, 7 p.m. March 22; Easter Sunday Eucharists, 8 and 10 a.m. Read More
I was an A student (mostly). When I got an assignment to write a paper on Edna St. Vincent Millay, I gave it my usual treatment: threw some sentences together the night before it was due, copied some stuff from the encyclopedia, handed it in, and waited for… Read More
Bangor – Easter Sunrise Service by Columbia Street Baptist and Essex Street Baptist churches at 6:30 a.m. March 23 at Thomas Hill Standpipe. Bangor – Maundy Thursday, 7 p.m. March 20; Good Friday liturgies, noon and 7 p.m. March 21; Holy Saturday prayers 9 a.m. Read More
Bangor – Easter sunrise service by Columbia Street Baptist and Essex Street Baptist churches at 6:30 a.m. March 23, at Thomas Hill Standpipe. Bangor – Holy Thursday 7 p.m. March 20; Good Friday 7 p.m. March 21; Holy Saturday 8 p.m. March 22; and Easter… Read More
Following is a list of area services from Palm Sunday through Easter: Bangor – Easter Sunrise Service by Columbia Street Baptist and Essex Street Baptist churches at 6:30 a.m. March 23, at Thomas Hill Standpipe. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
It’s not that he was opposed to religion. It’s just that he’d never had a lot of time for it. He’d attended Sunday school for about two years when he was a boy. One day when he was 15 years old, a neighbor lady had… Read More
Dear readers: It has been a pleasure and an honor to write these articles over the last five years. I am most grateful to you, my readers, for the feedback you have offered me and, in some cases, the friendships which have developed from this experience. I am… Read More
PORTLAND – More than two dozen Catholic churches across the state are participating in Project Winter Aid Relief Ministry, or Project WARM, a program established by Bishop Richard J. Malone, head of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland. The project was created earlier this year… Read More
LINCOLNVILLE – The United Christian Church is one of the oldest meetinghouses in the state. It was built in 1821 at a cost of $10,000 by Capt. Joshua Lamb, according to a church history written by Diane O’Brien and published last year in “The Old… Read More
Members of United Christian Church, located at the center of town, bundle up on Sunday mornings when they head off to church. Unlike their counterparts who worship in more modern buildings, the 50 or 60 people who attend services at the historic meetinghouse on Searsmont… Read More
One of the consequences of the Bush presidency has been an explosion of writings by atheists intent on targeting right-wing politics by attacking the existence of God. These writers fuel a growing popular belief that if a man as shallow as the president espouses faith in God, then… Read More
BANGOR – An Anglican hermit will lead Bread and Silence, a day of contemplation and worship, Saturday at the Church of Our Father, Route 3, in Hulls Cove. Maggie Ross, a self-professed solitary, or hermit, will repeat the retreat Saturday, March 8, in Portland. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
My shampoo, Suave for Men, promises its customers a “fresh, masculine scent.” I’m not sure what that sort of scent actually smells like, but I do admit that I’d rather my hair smell fresh and masculine than stale and feminine. More than that, though, Suave… Read More
ELLSWORTH – If Leela R. Sinha had chosen to stay home with her father and study the Hindu holy books, she might never have become a minister, let alone pastor of the Unitarian Universalist Church. She was called to lead the congregation last fall. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
BANGOR – A table-tipping workshop will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Harrison D. Barrett Spiritualist Church, 514 Broadway, next to the Coldwell Banker office. Table tipping is a form of psychic phenomenon in which a table turns, tilts or rises… Read More
The local church is one of the places to which people turn for help in a crisis. This winter, congregations around the state are stretching their already tight budgets further than in years past to help people in need in their communities. Worshippers are keeping… Read More
BRADLEY – Parishioners at a church nestled on the Penobscot River have seen that a project to raise money to help pay the church’s fuel bill has had other benefits besides keeping worshippers warm. The youth group at St. Ann’s Catholic Church has found a… Read More
As I write this the wind is howling, the temperature is in the single numbers and the windchill factor is … what does it matter what the windchill factor is? It’s freeze-your-face-off cold! With no running water in the barn, my sister and I carry… Read More
BANGOR – The head of Maine’s Roman Catholics announced Friday that he has reversed his decision to reinstate a former Bangor priest to the ministry in response to a public outcry. Bishop Richard J. Malone said that in allowing the Rev. Paul Coughlin, 73, to… Read More
About two months ago, Harold Alfond died. Most of us know his name because of his widespread support of athletics and because of the local Alfond Arena at the University of Maine in Orono. This son of Russian Jewish immigrants made his fortune by building two successful shoe… Read More
BANGOR – As a fresh snowstorm swirled outside, students from All Saints Catholic School along with parishioners Wednesday began the Lenten season at morning Mass at St. John’s Catholic Church. Eighth-graders along with the Rev. Richard McLaughlin administered the ashes by making the sign of… Read More
BANGOR – The priest remembered by Bangor Catholics as the man who helped St. Mary Catholic Church rebuild and relocate after the Feb. 3, 1978, blaze that destroyed the 105-year-old landmark on Cedar Street may administer the sacraments again. Just not in Bangor, South Portland or Wells. Read More
“A centipede was happy, quite, until a frog, in fun, said, ‘Pray, which leg comes after which?’ This raised her mind to such a pitch, she lay distracted in the ditch, considering how to run.” – Anonymous Perhaps you recall the moment when you first… Read More
ORRINGTON – Young Christian adults will gather at 5 tonight at East Orrington Congregational Church on the Johnson Mill Road to take part in a new interdenominational program called Christ Connected. The Rev. Andrew Geaghan, the church’s youth minister, said earlier this week the evening… Read More
BANGOR – The only blind person to walk the entire 2,143-mile length of the Appalachian Trail will speak Feb. 3 at the city’s largest Baptist church. Bill Irwin, 67, of Sebec is scheduled to address the 8:45 and 11 a.m. worship services at Bangor Baptist… Read More
Call it Satan or call it human folly, but religions often stumble when they insist on enforcing self-serving rules. For Roman Catholics, one such rule has been “Priests can’t marry.” It could be changed as easily as dropping meatless Fridays. The Vatican claims celibacy keeps… Read More
“… and the government shall be upon his shoulders.” At Christmastime, we read from the biblical book of the prophet Isaiah about the coming of a prince who will rule the world in peace and judge all people with equity (9:2-4, 6-7). At the Nativity… Read More
BANGOR – The Rev. Peter B. Panagore, author of “Two Minutes for God: Quick Fixes for the Spirit,” will discuss his book at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at Borders bookstore. Panagore, 48, of East Boothbay is the host of the nation’s oldest continuous ecumenical… Read More
The holidays are over, but if you’re like me, their remnants linger. You need to take down the tree and find someplace to put the stuff that has accumulated throughout the house. You should concentrate on your New Year’s resolutions and plan the diet you’re facing after having… Read More
I love music. When I was in high school, a new music teacher offered use of a school instrument plus free lessons to anyone who would join the band. My best friend and I went for it. She got the tenor saxophone; I got the trombone. When the… Read More
ROCKLAND – The wrapping paper, bows and tags went out with last week’s trash. Evergreen trees stripped of their lights and tinsel are perched precariously on top of snowbanks awaiting pickup this week. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
“So this is Christmas, And what have you done? googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – The Temple of the Feminine Divine in Bangor will celebrate the winter solstice at 7 p.m. today at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 120 Park St. Every culture celebrates the rebirth of the sun, according to a press release from the temple. Members will… Read More
Two new chime choirs, Chimicles and Generations, will give their debut performances at the worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday at Cutler United Methodist Church, 2718 Cutler Road. The church bought the chimes a few months ago instead of the traditional English hand bells because… Read More
It’s nearly Christmas, and Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is once again on television in all of its movie manifestations – from Alistair Sim to the Muppets’ version, and everything in between. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching covetous old sinner,”… Read More
BELFAST – The Greater Bay Area Ministerium will hold its live Nativity and bell choir concert at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14, at First Church, United Church of Christ, 104 Church St. The organization also will sponsor two other events at the church Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
God of Mercy, hear our prayer in this Advent season for ourselves and our families who live with the painful memories of loss. We ask for strength for today, courage for tomorrow and peace for the past. We ask these things in the name of you Christ who… Read More
Error. Error. Error. The red lights began flashing within hours of the moment that this column hit print on Oct. 20, 2007. Sharp Baha’i readers from as far away as New Hampshire and Ontario were writing to set the record straight – Baha’is indeed do accept the doctrine… Read More
PERRY – Two churches – one in Bangor and the other in this small community – may be miles apart geographically, but are close in Christian spirit. At a recent meeting at the Perry Congregational Church on Shore Road, church members agreed to allocate their… Read More
ROCKLAND – Star of Wonder, a one-day Advent retreat and spa, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Rockland Congregational Church, 180 Limerock St. Author and director of education Carole Hallundbaek will lead the event. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Christians around the world will mark the beginning of the Advent season this weekend. Celebrated the four Sundays before Christmas Day, Advent anticipates Jesus Christ’s birth as well as his Second Coming. The following events are scheduled: googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
On this Thanksgiving, what you won’t see is my son standing beside me, arm around my shoulders. It’s probably because he’s wearing his new (at the time) Army-issue digital desert fatigues; very effective camouflage. Last October, I was counting the days until his homecoming from… Read More
An informal session for people interested in learning more about Roman Catholicism will be held at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at St. John’s Catholic Church on York Street. The session, one of several planned in Greater Bangor over the next 10 months, is designed for people who… Read More
The Finnish Congregational Church celebrated its 100th anniversary last month. Founded as a mission station in 1907, it continues to be used by the descendants of the original congregants. In a letter to the congregation, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe called the anniversary, “a remarkable milestone. Renowned Congregational minister… Read More
Tickets went on sale Nov. 12 for the Rockland Congregational Church’s third annual Boar’s Head and Yule Log Festival to be held Friday through Sunday, Jan. 4-6. The festival is a re-enactment of the ancient celebrations that marked the end of the 12 days of… Read More
Television writers went on strike this week seeking, among other things, a share of the money the networks make from shows airing on the Internet. Both sides seem firmly entrenched, so the strike probably won’t end anytime soon. Now, Americans love their TV. The average… Read More
BANGOR – The Rev. Canon Stephen Lane was the overwhelming choice Friday of clergy and laity to serve as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine. He was elected at the 188th annual diocesan convention at the Bangor Civic Center on the first… Read More
BANGOR – Episcopalians will elect a successor Friday to the Right Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, who will retire as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine next year. Representatives of the state’s 17,000 Episcopalians will select a new bishop from three candidates at the Bangor… Read More
Happy birthday to The Bab. Mirza Ali-Muhammed (1819-1850) was born in Persia (modern-day Iran) on Oct. 20. In 1844, he assumed the title of The Bab, founded the Babi faith, and went on to become known as the Herald of Baha’u’llah. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
CHARLESTON – A local church is taking the “extreme makeover” trend in a different direction this weekend. The Women of Promise annual summit at Charleston Pentecostal Church this year will feature an “extreme spiritual makeover,” organizer Darcy Ward said last week. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
BANGOR – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is at the halfway point in its process to reorganize parishes to meet shifting demographics and an anticipated shortage of diocesan priests in 2010. Priests, deacons, staff and lay leaders from churches around the state gathered Friday… Read More
BELFAST – The Rev. Dr. David Glusker will lead worship services Sunday, Oct. 14, at Belfast United Methodist Church, 23 Mill Lane. After serving United Methodist churches in central Maine for 24 years, Glusker became the fourth minister to lead First Radio Parish of Church… Read More
BANGOR – The Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor, 120 Park St., has announced the appointment of Heidi Zwicker as director of Lifespan Religious Education for the congregation. Zwicker, 31, of Bangor began working this month. She coordinates religious education classes, including adult and youth programs,… Read More
SCHOON LAKE, N.Y. – The Rev. Duane Waite and his wife Joan Waite were honored in August at the Village Mission’s annual staff conference for their 40 years of involvement with the organization that is committed to keeping country churches alive. The couple serves the… Read More
Alice and I spent two weeks in San Antonio, Texas, for our High Holy Days – Rosh Hashana, our Jewish new year, and 10 days later, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This was my first time leading and facilitating services for a Reconstructionist congregation, even though I… Read More
OLD TOWN – Tad and Kim Johnston brought their two cats to St. James Episcopal Church on Sunday afternoon to get something Ruby, 12, and Opal, 4, definitely needed – a blessing from their parish priest. “They need it,” Tad Johnston of Old Town said. Read More
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Humane Society of the United States has introduced an interfaith program called Animals and Religion to engage religious people and institutions on an array of critical animal protection issues. One of the major initiatives of the program is Food, Farming and… Read More
I recently dislocated my little finger. Yeah, ouch! It was a misty morning and I was on my way to do the chores. As my foot made contact with the wooden step leading into the barn, it slid in a soaping move that would’ve made any skateboarder proud,… Read More
BANGOR – A celebration of new ministry will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 255 French St., for the Rev. Marguerite A.H. Steadman. The 10 a.m. service has been canceled Sunday but will resume Oct. 14. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
What if you could have a dialogue with Jesus? What if he would answer nearly all your questions? What if he’s talking to you right now – for real – and you’re just not listening? There are many beliefs connected with how we communicate with… Read More
I’m stressed out. Classes started up a few weeks ago. I bought about $400 worth of books and now I have to read them all. I have papers to write. The first round of tests is around the corner. I work. I’m trying to train my dog to… Read More
CAMDEN – The theme of next year’s Camden Conference flies in the face of the adage warning against discussing religion and politics among friends. The 21st annual event, scheduled for Feb. 22-24, will take on “Religion as a Force in World Affairs.” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BELFAST – A new education and faith formation program, Faith Through the Seasons, will begin Sunday at First Parish Church of Belfast, United Church of Christ, on Court Street. Professor Theophilus, one of the many characters the Rev. Joel Krueger, co-pastor of the church, dons… Read More
LEWISTON – The third annual Blue Mass honoring Maine’s law enforcement, fire and emergency medical personnel will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul at the intersection of Ash and Bartlett streets. During the commemorative Mass,… Read More
BANGOR – Another step is about to be taken in Bangor to reduce the carbon footprint of faith communities. The Unitarian Universalist congregation has formed a Green Sanctuary Committee, which this fall will present to the church’s governing council an action plan to create a more environmentally sustainable… Read More
BANGOR – A local synagogue and Congregational church are teaming up this fall to delve into the faith traditions of their neighbors. Beth Israel, All Souls Congregational Church and the Bangor Public Library will sponsor five Tuesday night sessions for the program Faiths of Our… Read More
BANGOR – Young adults want their religion the way they require just about everything else in their lives – relaxed, relational and relevant. That’s why David Dube, head of the young adult ministry at The Rock Church, at Ohio Street and Finson Road, is turning… Read More
Omar Conteh was a 15-year-old student at Bangor High School six years ago. Now a student at University College in Bangor studying mental health and human services, he said Monday that his relationships in the community haven’t changed since Sept. 11, 2001. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – In synagogues around the world, the shofar, a ram’s horn, will be blown 100 times on Thursday to ring in Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New Year 5768. Rosh Hashana, which begins at sundown Wednesday, is a day of joyous celebration balanced against… Read More
BELFAST – Two retired, well-known ministers will preach this fall at the United Methodist church while the Rev. David Abbot, pastor of the Mill Street congregation, is on leave. Former Bishop S. Clifton Ives will lead worship services Sunday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
The year was 1815, the location a river bank near Ecclefechan, a small village on the Scottish-English border. An attractive young woman sat quietly reading a novel. Yet her mind was not really on the story before her. She was too preoccupied by the painful circumstances that had… Read More
BELFAST – A Farmington native and retired bishop for the United Methodist Church will serve as interim minister at the local United Methodist Church while the pastor is on leave. Bishop S. Clifton Ives will begin leading worship services on Sunday, Sept. 9. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
BANGOR – Congregation Beth El has announced its High Holiday schedule. The schedule is for worship services on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. No tickets are required to attend services and the synagogue is wheelchair accessible. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
“Be ours a religion which, like sunshine, goes everywhere; Its temple, all space; googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if… Read More
Christians who remain ignorant of other faiths are missing out on important spiritual insights. Interfaith studies also help to keep us from making mistakes – as Dutch Bishop Martinus “Tiny” Muskens did recently, when he proposed that Christians call God “Allah” out of some politically correct gesture to… Read More