Black Cambridgeport

Items

• Record of Baptisms
  This registry was used to record baptisms. The entries- which include the birth and baptism dates, names of children, parents, godparents, and the person performing the baptism- show the web connecting different families through the church.
• Image of the St. Augustine's choir
  This photograph shows an assembly of African Orthodox Church clergy, flanked on the left and right sides by the choir of St. Augustine's.
• Image of St. Augustine's African American Orthodox Christian Church
• Image of Miriam Eccles
  Miriam Eccles, the first woman ordained in the African Orthodox Church and a towering figure in the world of St. Augustine's.
• Image of Bishop George Alexander McGuire
• Assortment of Spices, Dishes, and Cups
  St. Augustine's is more than a church; it is a community space where people can be together. One important way to be together is to break bread, which parishioners often did after church services concluded. A lively kitchen space in the basement of St. Augustine's sent delicious smells wafting up through the floorboards on Sundays, keeping people in their seats until the very end. These spices, dishes, and cups are emblematic of this essential social aspect of the world of St. Augustine's.
• Black Cambridgeport Oral Histories
  Excerpts of oral histories from members of the St. Augustine's community. Including conversations with Stephen Mascoll, Eloweave McDaniel, Yvonne Harris Gittons, and Kit and Ned Eccles.
• The Parishioners' Map
  A screenshot of the interactive parishioners' map.
• St. Augustine Sign.
  St. Augustine's Sign
• Litany of the African Orthodox Church
  The 'Litany of the African Orthodox Church' in which the author praises "our founder and first patriarch Saint Geoerge Alexander McGuire," who founded the AOC alongside Jamaican Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey in 1921.
• Nativity Sets
  Photos of two nativity sets; a simple set with white depictions of Mary and the baby Jesus, and another with around a dozen pieces and Black depictions of all of the characters. This is an important reminder that despite being founded as a Pan-African church with a largely West Indian congregation, much of the non-AOC religious material which was acquired and used at St. Augustine's depicted white characters as normative, which the church surely pushed back against.
• Golden Censer and Incense Burners
  Photos of a golden censer, and other items for burning incense.
• Clergy Biretta Hat
  Photo of a biretta hat for clergyman, typical in the Catholic and Anglican church. It's presence at St. Augustine's speaks to the denominational syncretism of the AOC's practices.
• Notices for the Month of September 1963
  A list of church events in Semptember which includes mention of the 'Women's League' which Inez Stanford led.
• Just a Start Program
  Flyer for a youth jobs program for Cambridge residents.
• Communal Kitchenware
  Photos of various mugs, cups, and serving dishes ostensibly used for communal meals.
• Stovetop Cooking Unit and Spices
  Photos of a stovetop cooking unit. Other items not pictured include various spices, Louisiana Hot Sauce, a small bottle of Courvoisier, Folder's coffee, and much else besides. Taken together, they are evidence of the communal meals that were prepared at St. Augustine's to feed the congregation.
• Handwritten Notes about Church Services
  Handwritten note, perhaps from a preacher, with various schedule items, including a baptism, an 'anniversary envelope,' and a mention of flowers being put on the alter to mark the passing of a parishioner's mother. This illustrates the multigenerational nature of the church as an institution.
• Funeral Service Program for Inez Standford
  Program for the funeral services of Inez Standford, including her obituary. A long-time member and important presence at St. Augustine's, Stanford was the Church Secretary and President of the Women's League.
• Hermean Garner's Coloring Book
  Part of a Christian coloring book owned by Hermean Garner, child of Shirley Garner. Born July 26th, 1953, Hermean was baptised at St. Augustine's, her mother was confirmed there, and her godmother was church secretary Inez Stanford.
• Uniform Activity Packet
  Children's activity packet, ostensibly for Sunday school. The AOC practices the Seven Sacraments (like the Roman Catholic Church), so religious instruction was needed to prepare people for First Communion and Confirmation.
• Bulletin Flyer
  Handwritten and printed 'bulletins' from St. Augustine's sister church in Roxbury, St. James Church. The handwritten bulletin includes a variety of church news, from instructions on fasting during Lent to upcoming birthdays within the congregation.
• Eucharist Retreat Programme
  Program from the AOC's 1988 'Eucharist Retreat' in Florida.
• The Parish Choir
  Religious sheet music from Roxbury Church of the New Jerusalem.
• Men's Day Souvenir Programme
  Souvenir program for the ‘Men’s Day’ service at Roxbury's AOC church, St. James's, on February 17th, 1963. Most of the pages feature the names of people and local companies who bought space, with the vast majority of the businesses located in Roxbury. In the middle of the program, opposite the event schedule, there is a full page spread offering "compliments and best wishes" from St. Augustine's in Cambridge, showing the interconnection between these two faith communities and their importance to one another.