On the shores of Twin Lakes, a gem of a church

TACONIC — Hidden on the shores of the Twin Lakes, in the Salisbury village that is called Taconic, is a little gem of a church that, for the past dozen years, has been known as All Saints of America Orthodox Christian Church. The church was the first in the country to be known by that name because it is named after the individual saints (known and unknown) who brought Orthodoxy (a faith which has a continuous history back to the time of Christ and exists in all countries throughout the world) to America.Previously, the tiny church was known as St. Francis Chapel and was the place of seasonal worship for people who spent their summers in Taconic. Back in those days, when a train still transported people to the lakeshore from far-flung spots such as North Canaan, most of the houses on the Twin Lakes were small, uninsulated cottages. In recent years, many of those cottages have been revamped, upgraded and expanded. All Saints has remained within its tiny footprint, but has grown in many ways as well. Most recently, parishioners were able to raise their roof and do some renovations that helped make the space feel lighter and airier.The brightness of the space is particularly appropriate for a faith where it is customary to place on the interior walls sacred images (called holy icons) from Biblical history, images that not only tell the story of Christianity but also helps its worshipers feel closer to God. All Saints was formed here in the Northwest Corner in 1989, by a small but devoted group that had, at its core, the church’s original priest, the Rev. John Pawelchak; John and Hope Mongeau of Lakeville; Evelyn Kreta and her husband, John, who is now the pastor of the church; Evelyn Kreta’s brother, Paul Leka; and several other area residents. Initially, they met at the elegant and historic Colgate mansion in Sharon, which was owned by Leka (a well-known music producer/musician/songwriter who is perhaps best remembered for the songs, “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” and “Green Tambourine”); and then at the two Congregational churches in Cornwall.In around 1990, the parishioners purchased St. Francis Chapel on the Twin Lakes in Salisbury and began the work of upgrading the building so it was suitable for year-round use (it had no heat or water at the time); and of bringing in the icons that are one of the essential parts of the Orthodox Christian worship.Evelyn Kreta opened the doors of the church to two visitors last week, shared some of its history and explained the importance of the icons. “The icons share a spiritual truth. They are a window into a heavenly realm,” she said. They are not treated as pictures but as text, and are therefore not painted but are “written” by an iconographer. “They communicate visually the revelation of scriptural truth about God,” Kreta said.Eventually the walls of the church will be covered with such icons, as is traditional in the Orthodox church. For now, there are several icons that were made for All Saints, Kreta said, “by the iconographer Archpriest Andrew Tregubov in the traditional and ancient technique of using all natural substances — using that which is created to give glory in an offering back to the creator: wood, cloth and natural pigments joined with egg yolk to create an egg tempera, in which the colors are layered from dark to light. “This gives the icons their transparent other-earthly quality and expresses the transformation of the individual from the earthly to the divine and holy.“The icons at All Saints are patterned after icons written in several chapels in France by the monk Gregory Kroug.”There are also many images that, for now, are simply prints on paper with a lacquer finish to protect them.All Saints has an estimated 33 parishioners. Although not all of them attend at the same services, many will be there for Easter celebrations that Kreta described movingly and rapturously.“Orthodox Easter, called Pascha, does not always fall on the same date as that of other Christians,” Kreta said. “This year it falls on May 5. Orthodox Christian Great Lent begins this year on Monday, March 18. Holy Week begins April 29.”Weekly worship (led by the Rev. John Kreta) is held on Sundays at 10 a.m. and lasts about an hour and a quarter. There is a small Saturday evening service at 5 p.m. that lasts about 30 minutes; there is an evening prayer but no Holy Communion. Anyone interested in learning more about the church is invited to attend; visit the church’s website at www.allsaintsofamerica.us, which includes the full schedule of services and much about Orthodoxy; or to email the Kretas at fjkreta@snet.net.The parish is also offering church school classes beginning March 24. And Kreta enjoys giving iconography tours of All Saints; email her to set up an appointment.