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The Old North Church and Historic Site restored the windows of the early 20th century St. Francis Chapel, which houses the Old North Gift Shop, with funding from The George B. Henderson Foundation.
The St. Francis Chapel has an unexpected story to tell at the Old North Church & Historic Site about the immigrant community in the North End. The Reverend William H. Dewart, rector of Old North Church beginning in 1914, recognized the necessity of an Italian Mission, ministering to the needs of the thousands of Protestant Italian immigrants living in the neighborhood around the Old North Church. These immigrants were Waldensians, descended from a medieval Christian sect named for founder Peter Waldo (1140-1217). Waldo had called for a return to a stricter and simpler form of Christianity, which put him at odds with the established Catholic Church. As a...