Lent is a season for introspection, change, and renewal. As part of our semester-long examination of the Gift of Place, leaders in the parish will be inviting the congregation of St. Stephen’s to learn the history of our church in its place, Montrose. What are the deed and covenants on our property? How did they work to define our neighborhood? How have they changed over time? What have been the forces of inclusion and exclusion regarding race? What forces made Montrose the safe space for the LGBTQ community?
On Wednesdays in Lent, beginning March 9 at 6:30 PM on Zoom, we will be researching our history with the assistance of archivists, lawyers, planners, other neighborhood leaders who have embarked on this trail before us.
On Sunday mornings at 9:30 AM in the Haven Center and on Zoom, we will be sharing out our findings and gathering questions and stories. The goal is to come to know ourselves and our geography in its historic context so that we can facilitate the development of our place. Lent is a time for healing and reconciliation. The history of Montrose has been shaped by racism and those echoes may persist into our own day. At Lent’s end, our hope is to be able to tell the truth in love and invite our neighbors into conversation.