St. Paul’s Church, along with the rectory and parish house anchor the historic Main Street of Stockbridge. Our church is an artistic monument in the center of town and our parish houses a preschool and the parish offices. In addition to Sunday services, the church is open every day as a welcoming space for parishioners, townspeople, and tourists. Parishioners, over generations, have committed to maintaining the buildings and grounds as part of one aspect of our service.
The surrounding town is known for its cultural institutions including The Norman Rockwell Museum, Chesterwood Museum, and Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Stockbridge is also home to the oldest village beautification society in the United States, The Laurel Hill Association.
Over generations Stockbridge townspeople have worked together to conserve land for ecology and public access to hiking in nature. A number of trails are within walking distance of the church. The community is actively reckoning with its history of pushing the Stockbridge Munsee Indians off their land. The church is also across the street from the vibrant Stockbridge Public Library which hosts regular programs for all ages. Low-income housing and elder housing complexes exist within a mile or so of the church. Many parishioners and former rectors worked for the development of these complexes as well as the preschool, which is still an integral part of the parish.
As a parish, and within the Berkshires at large, we are committed to ongoing and thoughtful community engagement that proves none of us are alone, and that builds and spreads resilience, connectedness, and compassion.
