St. Paul's is a hidden gem in Malden. The pastor Fr. Clark delivers moving sermons that call the…read morecongregation to action and reflection. The congregation is very welcoming, particularly to the LGBTQ community. Music at St. Paul's is beautiful. The church building itself is a gorgeous design by Cram. I hope more people join their parish because this community has everything going for it!

We had our wedding ceremony at the First Congregational Church of Rockport and it was lovely. It…read morewas only half a block from our reception venue, which was very convenient for our guests. (We rented the parking lot behind the bank, which was next door which also made it easy.) The church is a typical New England white church with a beautiful exterior (newly painted in Summer/Fall 2010) and airy interior. The sanctuary has red carpeting and wooden pews with a high ceiling - all white and just gorgeous. Reverend Jim Fletcher and everyone we spoke with at the church was so friendly and helpful as we planned our wedding. We felt at home there and look forward to visiting as often as we can.

The wedding Church of mine grandgrandparents is found. Beutiful stone church, which I have a very…read moreold picture.

Yiassou! I really enjoyed the October 2008 Greek festival at St. Vasilios in Peabody. It was the…read morefirst time that I made the effort to drive to St. Vasilios for any reason. The enormous white-clapboard church definitely looks WASP New England, which it formerly probably was. There is a huge social hall/community center attached to the church. The community is active, loving, family-oriented and welcoming to newcomers. Unfortunately, the church was already locked up for the evening so I didn't have a chance to see the interior and light a candle. Next time. I was happy that the festival was indoors, with a good dance floor, not broken-up parking lot asphalt. I also liked the fact that it was in October after most of the other Greek festivals were over. The food and pastries were terrific, made by the parishioners. The Makredes Ensemble has got to be the best Greek-American dance band in New England. I enjoyed their variety of dance music as well as the fact that they didn't drag on for 20 minutes with each kalamatiano, the Greek national folk dance that gets everyone up and moving. The Pontian Dance Group (from the Black Sea area) and their musicians were great. Their dance performances and native costumes were really well done. I appreciated the fact that they came back to the floor and taught their native dances to the festival goers. I also really appreciated seeing so many dancers (mostly non-Greek) from the Dance New England folk dance group--they really were some of the best dancers on the floor! They give such energy to the festival. I was only sorry that the dancing began so late (8:00pm) and that I had to leave at 10:00pm. I swear that some of the dancers who are Italian have Greek blood from their southern Italian ancestors. I was also impressed at how many people, especially men, were dancing and packing the floor! So much kefi! At too many of the festivals this year, there were very few people dancing, and even fewer men of any age. Only one thing annoyed me: the greasy smell of frying loukoumades (Greek fried dough which I love) permeated the air and made my clothes smell dreadfully for a couple of days afterward. THAT is one of the advantages of an outdoor festival--the frying loukoumades can be situated far from the action. It was a great festival overall and a wonderful way to end the 2008 Greek festival season. Kai tou xronou!

Beautiful church- Father Chris is friendly, warm and kind. We enjoy decorating the church every…read moreyear.

This is the church I attended in my childhood. It's where I got married. It holds a very special…read moreplace in my heart. I agree with Scott M. that the choir is wonderful and the congregation wants to be there. If I still lived on the North Shore, I'd attend services there more regularly.

Great Church very well feeling inside and inspiring. I would definitely recommend this Catholic…read moreChurch.

Maplewood Baptist Church is a dedicated, loving church. They preach the Word of God as it should…read morebe preached. Pastor Gary McClenthen is a warm, sincere pastor, who really cares about his congregation. His sermons really make you think about what it is to be a Christian. He preaches about how God is all love. Jesus Christ is our savior and intercessor. The devil is the accuser. God will forgive all of our sins if we repent and turn to Jesus Christ. Maplewood Baptist Church is a warm and welcoming church. The people are warm and caring. Sometimes, the church building may not feel that warm, because there are problems with the furnace. However, it is worth the small discomfort to come and be among friends, who really care about each other.

Saint Joseph Melkite Catholic Church welcome all the prayers …read more The church was established back in 1902 . Mass is in English/ Arabic Serves catholic community , Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian and others. I like the mass in this church , it is very spiritual and traditional.

Temple Shir Tikvah is a wonderful, warm, vibrant congregation, embracing a diverse community of…read morepeople. We have been members for 12 years, and have made many close friends here -- people of all ages. My husband, who is not Jewish, is welcomed openly and able to participate fully. Our children got a fine Jewish education in the religious school and Hebrew high school. In addition, the temple offers numerous adult learning courses each year -- some recent classes offered: Jewish Music, Kabbalah, Yiddish Literature, Jewish History, Jewish Feminism, Ethics, and introduction to the Talmud. Shabbat services are a joy, as mentioned in another review. I can't imagine a nicer place to belong.

Temple Shir Tikvah is a reform congregation that is a good fit for individuals and families that…read morewant an inclusive Jewish experience focusing on the meaning of Judaism with a very healthy dose of education and music. The lessons taught are about how to be a good person and have a largely huministic perspective. It is not for those who want a literal interpretation of ancient readings, a strict set of rules, or conservative approach (there are other congregations in the area with those attributes). The membership includes many interfaith families and those from both "traditional" and "non-traditional" styles. The services for adults are just beautiful with many songs, chants, and other musical elements. The programs for families and children of all ages are spectacularly done -- from the 45-minute long "Tot Shabbat" celebrations to the "Exploring Jewish Life" program which is fantastic for parents to learn about and examine their personal values. The membership includes families from many cities and towns, including Winchester, Woburn, Arlington, Cambridge, Wakefield, Stoneham, Reading, and Melrose (this is only a partial list!).

I read the other review about the priest here not being friendly. The problem is not that he's…read moreunfriendly, but that he seems to be angry ... a lot. And judgmental! Also, I don't "get it" when these younger priests (he appears to be under 40) prance around in cassocks and those funny looking hats with the pom poms (can't think of the name of them). I thought the reforms of Vat 2 did away with all that "finery." I'm sure he "means well," but Father, chill, will ya with the ecclesiastical drag. And it's not the local pastor's fault, but what is it with this new translation of the Mass? I'm sure the sentence structure was fine in Latin, but in English is awkward at best and not understandable at its worst. I see it as a sign of the creeping exlusionary policies of the RC church. We sing "All are Welcome," but we mean "Some, but not All, are Welcome." We used to be regular attendees at St. Mary's back in the 80's and 90's, (my wife and I both went to the school through 8th grade) but we started going to the Paulist Center in Boston when St. Mary's took a 180 degree turn in 1997 back to the 19th century. We go to St. Mary's when we cannot get into Boston or we go to the Unitarian meeting house a few steps away where we know we are not going to get a political barage about contraception and same sex marriage, but will be accepted where we are.

St. Mary's is such a beautiful church, it's worth a visit even if you aren't Catholic. I attended…read moreweekly mass there for a few months last summer, and Fr. Chateau was always so friendly. Also, Fr. Barnes is a truly wonderful confessor!