Wednesday, November 19, 2014

As a follow up to a 2012 posting on the closing of the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Providence, 
it appears that this historic church may take on a new role as a museum dedicated to the history of the slave trade in Rhode Island, according to a recent article in the Providence Journal.

Noting that ship building and the shipping industry in RI were major players in the slave trade and and that some of those businesses were owned and operated by Episcopalians, church officials say they feel an obligation and an opportunity to speak the truth about the church’s role in the slave trade.


The cathedral has remained shuttered during the last 2 1/2 years, and is considered an "endangered property", according to the article.  Church leaders are presently looking for partners and grant money to help open the center.