St. Francis of Assisi has been designated as a Historic Landmark

Most people know our church as a longtime Franciscan parish, formed to serve the Italian immigrant community at the turn of the century. However, for almost a century prior to that it was the Second Baptist Church of Cambridge, noted as a community of abolitionists whose founding documents declare as one of its missions the training of missionaries to travel down South to convert the Negro slaves.  There is even a photo of our church from the civil war era with the militia being cheered on by the parishioners.  Please take a trip back centuries and revisit both the civil war history of this church through to the Italian  immigrants, unwelcome in the neighboring parishes, who literally bought this building, and fund raised for the Sacco and Vanzetti legal defense.  It was from that spirit that St. Francis of Assisi survives today as a welcoming faith community.

To be sure, our status as a Historic Landmark is well deserved.  Based on this we are the recipients of a Preservation Grant of $100,000 for the restoration of our unique and stunning stained glass windows that date back to the Baptists.  Restoration of the original frames is underway.  Stained glass preservation will continue into the Spring and Summer of 2016.

To read more about church, including photos and floor plans, St Francis Church Landmark report as a Word doc (4.2MB).