Religion has long played a role in the lives of Cape Codders, beginning with the American Indians thanking their Great Spirit for all the life-giving gifts they received each day. The religion of the Wampanoag Indians was the only religion of the area for 10,000 years, until European settlers came at the beginning of the 17th century.

Our Religious Roots

This migration commenced with the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620. These 102 hearty souls braved the Atlantic and hardships in the New World so that they could be free to live and worship as they pleased. Half of them did not survive the first winter and would never realize that dream. The Pilgrims were certainly devout to begin with, and New World adversity only caused the Pilgrims to turn more deeply toward their faith. It is against this backdrop that the settlements of the area were built and laws formed.

England's established church of the time was the Church of England. In opposition to this establishment were the Pilgrims, separatists seeking to forge their own church. Their pilgrimage to Plymouth brought more settlers in the following years. These settlers brought a Congregational church with more conservative ideas with them. They established settlements all along the northeast coast, including the Cape, as early as 1637.

As soon as enough Congregationalists gathered and built a meetinghouse (and encouraged a minister to relocate to their corner of the wilderness to preach to them) they were in line for incorporation. Incorporation brought more settlers to add to the flock. As the flock grew and people began to settle in the outlying areas, east and west parishes and north and south parishes were established. Many of these local parishes would lead to the incorporation of completely separate townships in years to follow. (See our Historic Cape Cod chapter.)

In those days, religion and community meant the same thing. The meetinghouse served as both the religious and political center of the community. Church and state were one and the same (and would be until 1692 when a charter provided religious freedom). All members were expected to contribute to the church that had earned their township incorporation.

Congregationalists were not the only ones settling during the 17th century. By the mid-1600s, Quakers began to settle in Sandwich, Falmouth, Barnstable, and later Harwich. These Quakers, whose religion taught them to tremble or quake at the fear of God's wrath, attempted to gain converts from the Congregationalist flock, and in some cases succeeded. Despite their efforts the Quakers were singled out as heretics. Many were forced through repeated persecutions to flee town for other parts. Some, such as John Wing of Falmouth, relocated to a remote wilderness lying between Yarmouth and Eastham to begin the settlement of what would become the town of Harwich. Quakers tended to settle in sparsely populated areas, such as in South Yarmouth, which became a Quaker village. The Quakers were followed by Baptists, who settled at Harwich during the mid-18th century and later spread outward across the Cape.

By the late-18th century, a new religious group arrived on Cape Cod. In England Methodism had grown from the spiritual awakening of John Wesley in 1738. Great Britain and Ireland saw the spread of this new religion, and by the latter quarter of the 18th century, Methodism made its way across the Atlantic. The first Methodist meetinghouse on the Cape was erected in Harwich in 1792, followed by another in Bourne in 1794. By the early to mid-19th century, Methodism had rattled the Congregational spires and the latter began to see many divisions and splinter groups emerge.

The middle of the 19th century saw a religious revolution on Cape Cod, as small religious sects began to form from factions of the more established churches of the day. During this period, the town of Dennis saw its church separate into a half-dozen groups, while in neighboring Harwich no less than 15 divisions formed from the church in that town. Each group had its own issues, its own agenda, and its own particular belief system that set it apart from the others. It was during this time that the Unitarian Universalists came into being. By the end of the century, though, many of these groups were able to resolve their differences, and they came back together.

Meanwhile, Catholicism began to emerge with the coming of Irish immigrants during the 1830s and throughout the 19th century. The first Catholic parish was established in Sandwich in 1830 as Irish immigrants were settling there to work in the factories. A second parish was erected in 1869 at Harwich. Portuguese fishermen in Provincetown had already brought their Catholic church along with them. Cape Verde Islanders, who settled in Falmouth as farmers, did the same. As the 20th century arrived and people began to migrate southward from around Boston, the Catholic population of the Cape began to grow. Today, this once predominantly Protestant peninsula, settled initially by Congregationalists, is largely Roman Catholic.

Worship Today

Despite more than three centuries of change and growth, religion continues to play a major role on this sandy peninsula, as is evidenced by the many churches here--150 in total! Some of the best examples of the Cape's ability to blend its religious tradition with secular festivity are the blessing of the fleet celebrations at the beginning of each summer season.

Recent trends on the Cape reflect the national growth of many conservative congregations. Here on the Cape you also see many interfaith efforts to address social issues, such as homelessness, domestic abuse, and poverty. By most accounts, religious attendance is on the rise. While it might not seem unusual to see the older generation religiously active, many young families living on or visiting the Cape take part in regular worship as well. As a matter of fact, during the summer, several parishes host vacation Bible schools in August.

Some of the Capes private religious schools have significant waiting lists--further indication that young families, like so many Cape Codders before them, place a high value on religion.

The Cape remains largely Christian, but there are two Jewish synagogues and other groups such as Baha'i spiritual assemblies. For a listing of all church locations, consult the Yellow Pages of the local phone book. Most Cape Cod newspapers have information on services. The Cape Cod Times prints a listing on Saturday. Also, the Cape Cod Council of Churches at 320 Main Street in Hyannis,
(508) 775-5073, is an excellent source of information on places of worship. The Council operates a food and clothing service center at 355 Main Street in Dennisport, (508) 394-6361, and encourages the various religious societies to work together in an effort to provide for the Cape community.

United Church of Christ churches, which grew from the old Congregational parishes, are the largest Protestant sect on the Cape. Three UCC churches can be found on the Upper Cape, seven in the Mid-Cape area and six along the Lower Cape. Among them are a number that lie along Main Street in the following towns and villages: Sandwich, Falmouth, Centerville, South Dennis, Harwich, Harwichport, East Orleans, Chatham, and Wellfleet. Other UCC churches are in North Falmouth, Waquoit, Cotuit, West Barnstable, West Yarmouth, Dennis, and Truro. The First Congregational Church of Yarmouthport is not a member of the United Church of Christ, retaining its original congregational charter as a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.

There are some 16 Baptist churches on the Cape--American Baptist, National, and Independent. Five of these churches are in the Upper Cape, seven are in the Mid-Cape, and four are along the Lower Cape. Baptist churches can be found in the towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Brewster, Chatham,and Eastham.

United Methodists have 14 churches, five in the Upper-Cape towns of Bourne and Falmouth, two in the Mid-Cape towns of Barnstable and Yarmouth, and seven in the Lower-Cape towns of Harwich, Orleans, Chatham, Eastham, Wellfleet, and Provincetown.

Roman Catholic churches account for 21 of the Cape's more than 150 places of worship. Adding seasonal parishes brings the total number of Catholic churches closer to 30. There is at least one Roman Catholic church in each of the Cape's 15 towns. The town of Falmouth has four Catholic churches, as does Barnstable. Although the Protestants on the Cape have more church buildings, the average membership of a Catholic parish is much larger than that of a Protestant congregation. As a result, the Cape is predominately Catholic by a ratio of nearly 2-to-1. President John F. Kennedy was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Church in Hyannis, where he and his brothers, Joe, Bobby, and Ted, served as altar boys.

Episcopalians arrived at Woods Hole in 1852 and at Sandwich in 1854. Today they are well represented on the Cape. There are 11 Episcopal churches in Buzzards Bay, Sandwich, Woods Hole, Falmouth, Osterville, Barnstable, South Yarmouth, Harwich-port, Orleans, Chatham, and Provincetown. Three Assembly of God churches can be found in Hyannis, Dennisport, and Wellfleet. Lutheran churches are in Falmouth, West Barnstable, East Harwich, and Brewster. Pentecostal churches are in Mashpee and Dennisport. Two Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints congregations are on Cape Cod, one in Cataumet and the other in Brewster.

Community Churches can be found in Mashpee, East and West Dennis as well as in South Chatham. For Unitarian Universalist parishes, you'll want to look in the towns of Falmouth, Barnstable, Brewster, and Provincetown. The Society of Friends has meetings in West Falmouth and South Yarmouth (once known as Quaker Town and Friends Village). In East Falmouth and South Dennis you can find a Church of the Nazarene, while Buzzards Bay, Sandwich, Falmouth, Hyannis, Brewster, Harwichport, and Orleans all have Christian Science churches. Jehovah's Witnesses can be found in four locations across the Cape: Hatchville, Hyannis, Harwich ,and Eastham. West Barnstable has a Presbyterian church and Centerville is home to a Greek Orthodox church with its Byzantine building erected in 1949.

Rounding out the Christian places of worship are two Christian Missionary churches in Buzzards Bay and Brewster, and two Federated Churches in Cotuit and Hyannis. Seventh Day Adventists are in Osterville. Full Gospel churches are in Sandwich, Mashpee, West Barnstable, and Dennisport, and the Church of New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) was established in 1870 in Yarmouthport. Orleans is home to the Chapel of the Community of Jesus, Hyannis is home to the Salvation Army, which holds services, and South Dennis is home to an American Apostolic Catholic Church.

Hyannis has a Zion Union Church that caters to the black members of the community. Interdenominational parishes are in Centerville and Hyannis, nondenominational parishes are in Sandwich, Mashpee and Marstons Mills, a Christadelphian Ecclesia parish is in Cataumet and an Evangelical Covenant church is in Brewster. Unity Church of The Light is in West Barnstable.

Cape Cod also hosts the Falmouth Jewish Congregation in Hatchville (East Falmouth). It is housed in what was once the East End Meetinghouse of the United Church of Christ, founded in 1797. The Cape Cod Synagogue in Hyannis was erected in 1949. There is also a Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Center in Hyannis.

Baha'i World Faith can be found on Cape Cod. Groups meet every 19 days for feasts and services. The Baha'i belief is one of world peace, social justice, and the reunification of all humanity.