DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE
WHERE/WHEN APPLICABLE

DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE:
Religious life in the Heart of the City is dynamic and diverse. The neighborhoods contain places of worship for religious groups that range from Greek Orthodox congregations, to the Nation of Islam Mosque established in 1954 by Malcolm X, to Pentecostal Christians. Places of worship in the Heart of the City include small storefronts, school gymnasiums, and ornate edifices that were built as grand temples in the heart of Jewish Boston in the early 1900s. They represent opportunities for rich celebrations of culture, spirituality, and community. In the 1990s, religious organizations played a major role in a coordinated effort against youth violence. In the 2000s, a coalition of churches is powerfully and dynamically advocating for more affordable housing and better quality education in the Heart of the City. Catholic churches in the Heart of the City were fortunate to avoid the threat of closure by the diocese that occurred in 2004 ("List of churches this week recommended for possible closings," Associated Press, May 7, 2004).

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WHERE/ WHEN APPLICABLE:
Former Jewish Temples that are now Christian churches:
United House of Prayer for All People/ Mishkan Tefila Temple:
This stunning, ornate, enormous former temple made of Indiana limestone is located on Seaver Street across from Franklin Park and was completed in 1925. The building is accessed by dozens of granite steps that lead to a grand entrance with four columns. The Jewish star is still engraved on the side of the building, as is the carving of "Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord."

First Haitian Baptist Church:
This church is housed in a stunning Late Romanesque Revival former Jewish temple that is a major Blue Hill Avenue landmark in Grove Hall.

Greater Love Tabernacle:
One of a handful of non-residential buildings in the neighborhood just north of Franklin Field is the ornate, brick Greater Love Tabernacle, which was built in 1899 as a Jewish temple.

Some of the historically significant places of worship in the Heart of the City:
First Church Unitarian Universalist of Jamaica Plain:
This is the first church to be established in Jamaica Plain and was the only church in the area until 1841 when the neighborhood was part of Roxbury. The current sanctuary was constructed in 1853 and is adjacent to a cemetery.

St. Johns Episcopal Church:
Located on the corner of Roanoke and Revere in the Sumner Hill area of Jamaica Plain, St. Johns is listed on the State and National Register of Historic Places. The church was built in 1886, and in 2002 is undergoing the first of three phases of extensive renovations, including roof restoration and a drainage project.

Muhammad's Mosque #11:
This is Boston's headquarters for the Nation of Islam. It was founded in 1954 by Malcolm X, who spent much of his adolescence in the surrounding neighborhood. Minister Louis Farrakhan also served at the mosque before moving on to a national leadership position. The Mosque is located just outside the Grove Hall Mecca Mall in Grove Hall.

St. Leo's Catholic Church:
St. Leo's parish in Dorchester on Esmond Street north of Franklin Field is now abandoned, but was previously an anchor in the neighborhood.

St. Andrews Ukrainian Church:
Built in 1958, this ornate building is located on Orchard Hill Road across from the Forest Hills MBTA Station.

Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church:
This church, located on Warren Street, was built in 1940. This predominantly African American church has been in existence since 1876, and was relocated from the Back Bay to Roxbury.

St. Mary of the Angels:
Built in 1899, this parish has experienced a transition from an white Irish congregation to a largely Latino/ Hispanic and African American population. It is located at the corner of Columbus and Walnut Avenues near Egleston Square.

Central Congregational Church:
This church, located in the Sumner Hill neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, was an important meeting place in the early 1900s for Jamaica Plain residents and continues to be a significant landmark and church in the community. Two congregations, one of which is Hispanic, meet in the church each week.

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church:
This church, located in the Brookside neighborhood of Jamaica Plain, has been an anchor for the community since it was established in 1899. Our Lady of Lourdes is also an elementary school.

St. Thomas Aquinas Parish:
This parish, located on 97 South Street, was founded in 1869. Since that time the parish has been a hub of community activity. For many years the church ran a school, which also bound it closely to the surrounding neighborhood. Today, St. Thomas Aquinas Parish provides elder and child care, but not a school.

Other churches:
Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan has 1800 members and is expanding into the surrounding area in 2002. This is perhaps the largest church in the Heart of the City.

There are a smattering of Greek orthodox churches in Roslindale in the vicinity of Roslindale Village. Along the Blue Hill Avenue corridor there are a number of small churches, many of which are run from storefronts. There are also several such storefront churches along Washington Street.

Many church buildings serve purposes other than places of worship. A church on Centre Street hosts a weekly a rummage sale. The First Church of Jamaica Plain hosts dances. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church houses the Parkside Christian Academy and the Ten Point Coalition, as well as numerous other ministries. The United House of Prayer for All People has a community kitchen where food is served daily.

Coalitions of communities of faith:
The major coalition of communities of faith in the area is the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO). GBIO is a broad-based coalition of religious organizations that come together periodically to collectively pursue large-scale initiatives, most of which relate to education and housing. In September of 2002, GBIO has 95 member congregations in the city and the suburbs, many of which are in the Heart of the City. The group is focusing on building a large number of units of affordable housing in Mattapan in 2002.

Other smaller coalitions include the Roxbury Church Collaborative (RCC) and the Mattapan-Dorchester Churches in Action. A fourth is the Ten Point Coalition, which was formed by a group of black pastors who, in collaboration with police and other law enforcement agents, identified strategies for bringing down the rate of youth violence and crime.

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