This article highlights two National Fund participants who completed capital projects in 2022: San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Arizona and Lovely Lane United Methodist Church in Baltimore, Maryland. From the Sonoran Desert to the bustling streets of Baltimore, the two projects offer a glimpse into how the National Fund works with congregations across the United States to support the continued care and use of their historic properties as centers for community life.
The activity of stewarding sacred places has anchored New England communities for centuries. How are religious institutions innovating in their work and renewing their physical space to ensure relevance to communities in the 21st century? Watch Emily Kahn, the Program Coordinator of the National Fund for Sacred Places, speak about participating National Fund congregations as community assets at the Historic New England 2022 Summit.
The National Fund for Sacred Places is pleased to announce its 2022 grantees, totaling $2,165,000 in funds awarded. Sixteen historically significant congregations have been admitted into the prestigious program, which provides capital grants of up to $250,000 and hands-on technical assistance to congregations undertaking significant preservation projects.
For Chicano Movement activists in the 1960s and ’70s, the Church of the Epiphany in Los Angeles’ Lincoln Heights neighborhood served as an important base. Over the decades, many Central American worshipers joined the longtime Mexican American members, and today the congregation’s leaders still advocate for social justice. The Rev. Tom Carey, a diocesan priest who has led the church for the past 12 years, stepped down in June; we spoke with him shortly beforehand.
Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.
