Trinity Church Boston launched its 2026-27 program year on Sunday, September 13, welcoming parishioners and community members back for a new season of worship, formation, fellowship, and service. The program year marks the beginning of Trinity’s busiest congregational season from the Sunday after Labor Day through early June. This year, this special period of reflection and celebration will encompass the 150th anniversary of the consecration of Trinity Church’s historic building on February 9, 2027.
This program year theme, “From These Stones,” invites the parish to reflect on the congregations nearly 300 year-long past while envisioning its future as the building approaches a century and a half of ministry in Boston. Inspired by the church’s architectural and spiritual foundations, the theme will guide programming, events, and conversations throughout the year.
On Sunday, the church returned to its full program year worship schedule, offering services at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and 5 p.m. During the 10 a.m. service, Trinity held its annual Blessing of the Backpacks for students and educators returning to school and nearly 600 individuals celebrated the start of the new program year. Following worship, the congregation and broader community gathered for an Annual Parish Photo in the church’s sanctuary and Community Picnic in the building’s community space.
“This congregational season feels especially meaningful as we commemorate 150 years of ministry, community, and worship in our historic home,” said The Rev. Morgan S. Allen, rector of Trinity Church Boston. “Our anniversary-year theme, ‘From These Stones,’ charges us to consider what has been built here over generations, as well as discern how God calls us to serve one another, our city and the whole world in the centuries ahead.”
As part of the anniversary planning process, Trinity Church has engaged parishioners through visioning sessions and collaborative planning efforts led by the church’s 150th Committee. These conversations have identified priorities centered on welcome, nourishment, justice and representation, celebration, and community engagement, helping shape the congregation’s vision for the future.
Throughout the program year Trinity will host a series of forums exploring the “From These Stones” theme, offering historical, scriptural, artistic and architectural context for the church’s landmark building and its role in Boston’s civic and spiritual life. Its next series of forum sessions, Walls, Windows, and Women Artists will kick off on Sunday, October 4. Additional anniversary-related events and initiatives will be announced in the months ahead.
The program year will also feature a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages, including children’s and youth programming, adult formation, community service projects, Bible studies, musical offerings, fellowship events, and outreach initiatives.
“Trinity Church has long been a place where people gather to worship, learn, serve, and build community,” said Izzy Allen, 150th anniversary planning committee co-chair for Trinity Church Boston. “As we enter this milestone year, we look forward to welcoming both longtime parishioners and new visitors to participate in the many opportunities that lie ahead.”
The church’s 150th anniversary observances will culminate in a series of special events during 2027, including an anniversary celebration on February 9, 2027 and a community-wide Trinity Sunday celebration on May 23, 2027.
Trinity Church in the City of Boston was founded in 1733, and has made its home in Copley Square since 1877. The parish, part of The Episcopal Church, continues to thrive as a community engaged in worship, music, education, and community-service activities seven days a week. Tens of thousands annually visit to pray, tour, or come together in this National Historic Landmark, recognized by the American Institute of Architects as one of the ten most architecturally significant buildings in the U.S.
Learn more at trinitychurchboston.org