OUR STORY

In 1714, a group of benefactors and subscribers, sea captains, and Marblehead donors sent a letter to their most generous benefactor, Col. Francis Nicholson, describing the steps they had made to organize and erect a “Handsome Church” for followers of the Church of England in Marblehead.

Over the next 300 years, the Church called St. Michael’s struggled, grew, ebbed, and changed with the dynamics of a seaside New England community and the broader Episcopal Church.

Through the work of rectors and parishioners, music and liturgy became very important to St. Michael’s—from its first organ in 1754, chanting in 1787, and various renovations from 1833 onward reflecting changes in worship. From these flow our parish life with mission, vision, Christian formation, pastoral care, outreach, and interfaith ministries as reflected in our 1888 stained glass windows and in our 300th anniversary celebration.

Today, the congregation of St. Michael’s continues to worship in the oldest Episcopal church in New England on its original foundation. Our long history has great significance not only because of what our congregations have witnessed throughout many generations but also because of the continual renewal of seeking and engaging in God’s grace.

We celebrate our past as a source of continuity and strength,
our present as we live out the the Gospel in this place,
and with the church as an anchor to windward,
joyfully set our course for the future.