By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

RAYMOND — It has been four or five summers since Elwood “Woody” Beach has heard the bell ring from the seasonal church he attends.

Although he is the oldest member of the East Raymond Chapel, there is nothing wrong with his hearing.

The bell was not functioning anymore. Recently, the steeple and the church bell housed inside it were restored.  

On Sunday morning, a group of between 20 and 30 people gathered to celebrate the completion of the restoration. 

“I think it is time that we had this kind of celebration because we have been without the bell for four or five years,” Beach said. 

“It is great to be able to come here in the morning, pull the rope and make the bell ring,” he said. 

Beach explained why it was important to keep up on restoration of the chapel.

“It’s a historical thing as far as I am concerned. It has been going for well over a 100 years, 132 years,” he said. “If we don’t keep it going what will happen to it? It is part of the national historical register so it has to be kept up.”

“I am glad to be able to be part of it,” Beach said. 

Essentially, the group of parishioners on Sunday witnessed the rededication of the renovated church, the East Raymond Chapel United Church of Christ.

Joyce Long, the pastor for Casco Village Church United Church of Christ, does double duty every summer. The Chapel is open for Sunday services from May through September. In fact, the last service will take place this Sunday — with the church closing for the winter after Labor Day. 

On Sunday, Long expressed her gratitude that the steeple was finally finished.

“We are pleased to look up at our steeple and see the copper lining of the belfry. We are pleased to see it glistening in the sun. So, white outside,” Long said. 

“And, so pink inside,” she said

She was referring to the precise shade of pink that parishioners Bob and Carol Fogg had selected to match the original paint on the walls inside the chapel. 

“They were true stewards of this chapel missed dearly I might add,” Long said. 

“And, Holly Hancock, our hero. In Tom’s [her husband’s] absence, she was the one who started this restoration work on this chapel. A true lone ranger in her ability to just take care of projects on our own,” she said. 

Hancock applied for and secured for the church a Maine Steeples Fund Grant for $50,000. Later, the same funder awarded the chapel another $10,000.

Those grants, along with community donation, supported the restoration project, part of which took place this year. 

“Why has this little historical chapel captured our hearts? I think because it is simple expression of our faith here as we sing Surely the Presenceof the Lord is in this place to open every worship service and close with Go in Peace,” Long said. 

“Woody made the crosses many of us wear and the candle holders on the altar and the vases on the window sills out of the worm-eaten beams that were replaced in our steeple years ago,” she said. 

“We’ve had many smaller restorations over the years, but nothing compared to what we did this year. That ensures us that the chapel will be here for the next 100 years,” she said. 

She expressed her gratitude to those involved in the steeple restoration. After all, it was part of her sermon. 

“Blessings be to MidMaine Restorations led by Andrew Wilcox. May he and his crew continue to renovate and restore the historical churches in Maine. Blessings be to Maine Steeple Fund as it is by their stewardship and generosity that we were awarded the restoration money,” she said. 

“Blessings be to the membership of this chapel for it is through your stewardship of this sacred space of summertime worship that we still exist,” Long said. 

Rep. Jessica Fay (D-Raymond, Casco, Poland) spoke to the congregation, too. She expressed her thankfulness at the hard work involved in making the renovations happen. 

“Since the late 1880s, the East Raymond Chapel has remained an important part of our community,” Fay began. 

“Over the years, your work as a united congregation has provided opportunities for our community to come together in celebration and reflection. We are thankful for your continued contributions to making Raymond a wonderful place to live,” she said.  

“We offer you congratulations on the recent renovation of the chapel’s historical steeple. And, we hope that the preservation of this landmark will continue with deep care and thoughtful attention in perpetuity,” she said. 

“On a personal note, I am really excited to see, as Pastor Joyce said, the gleaming white of the church bell again,” Fay said. “As someone who drives by all day, the chapel is a real anchor and a place that gives this community a sense of meaning.”