CHURCH HISTORY

The Parish of Calvary Church was founded in 1847 within the small, bustling seaside New England village of Stonington, CT. At that time there were seven active other churches in Stonington. Our current stone church building, designed by architect Richard Upjohn, was consecrated in 1849 and completely restored in 1995-97 and made barrier-free for all worshippers.

Stonington and its Borough were prospering in the late 1840’s and 50’s. Paddle-wheel steamers of the “Stonington Line” brought passengers from New York to take the new railway to Providence and Boston, with many travelers stopping over on the way at the Wadawanuck House and the Steamboat Hotel. Twice as many people lived in the Borough then as now. The Borough was busy, noisy, and pungent, as was any thriving village along the coast in the mid 1800’s.

Today, Calvary Church vigorously pursues its mission of ministry to this community and the world and has a committed following of parishioners of all ages. We hope you will find yourself a place among the seekers and Saints in Calvary Parish. We pray it will become a place from which you can serve Christ in this community and the world.
 

NEEDLEPOINT KNEELERS

Needlepoint Kneelers
led by Susan Kelley

Parishioners may choose to honor or memorialize loved ones by funding the creation of individual Needlepoint Kneelers. Volunteers paint themed designs on canvases and stitch them.  Some designs are recognized religious symbols. Others, with clergy approval, reflect personal connections between donors and honorees. Appropriate lines of scripture are incorporated.

A BOOK WITH A MISSION

Meditations on the Stained Glasses of Calvary

By Bette MacGregor Collins

Take a virtual tour of Calvary Church in Stonington, Connecticut.  Born out of the author’s desire to document and photograph the historic beautiful stained glasses of Calvary Church for posterity in book form, this gorgeous coffee-table style book is for all to enjoy. Here is a history of our beloved stained glasses, replete with beautiful photography by Shirley Wick (also a parishioner), scriptural meditations related to the church’s stained glasses, and iconography for each window. The glasses have become treasures and the soul of our 171-year-old church.  

All proceeds from the book sales, and all tax benefits therefrom, are donated to Calvary Church of Stonington, for the care preservation and maintenance of the stained glasses.

RECEIVING A COPY OF THE BOOK:

Meditations on the Stained Glasses of Calvary may be purchased:

By phone, by calling 860-536-8986.

By mail, to Bette M. Collins at 2 Scott Lane, Mystic, CT 06355. Please make checks payable to: Bette M. Collins in the amount of $45. Bette will mail your copy to you. Please include your mailing address.

Thank you for joining the mission!