The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-04

that try to get
 films of espe-
 cial interest to
 the Northern
 folk from time
 to time.
 On East 60th
 str ct, near
 Lexington ave- flue, is Q little Swedish church, called Bethesda Missionkyrka. Not Q prosperous church, but very interesting to me. Neat, dustlessly clean, and with an atmosphere of earnest reverence.
 The narrow building, of red brick, was formerly Jewish sym agogue. It was built SO years ago. Shifting populations brought about changed conditions. A little congregation of 6wedes was meet ing in Q hall on 42nd street. Hear ing that the Jewish congregation no longer had need for this small synagogue, the swedes combined a lot of faith with Q little money, and found itself installed in e more or less permanent home. Most of the symbols usually characterizing Q synagogue have been replaced by those more ape propriate to the present use of the building, but 1t is not difficult for the observer to trace the his- tory of the edifice in certain characteristics of architecture and decor.
 The church will hold two hun. dred persons easily, buy Is seldom filled, for the shifting of popula- tons goes on. Gradually, the Swedish inhabitants of this once Scandinavian neighborhood are moving farther out. Most of them get away from the crowded con. ditions of midtown East Side as soon as they can afford more space for their families.
 So the congregation Of Bethes- do Is not increasing, but the fl. nancial problem of maintaining the church grows more serious year by year.
 Rev. Benedictus J. Thoren Is the pastor. He is c venerable niin- ister, past 70, with white hair and beard. He has Q kindly, benevolent expression about the eyes, and H respected and loved by his par. ishioners. He conducts services on Sundays and Thursdays, pub- fishes little church newspaper in Swedish, and pays regular pas toral visits to the well-scattered members of his flock.
 Services are in Swedish and English. The older people like to hear their native tongue, in church above oil other places. They cling to the culture of the homeland. The younger folk, many of whom speak English to the exclusion of oil other Ian. guages, would 90 to another church if they could not hear services in the language of this country. So both are accomnno. dated, for Pastor Thoren is Q dip. lomat as well as c minister of the Gospel.
 The biggest time of year in the Swedish community is Christmas, The Christmas season, with at- tendant celebrations and church services, lasts for 20 days before and 20 days after Christmas. The Feast of the Three Wise Men Is celebrated with joy and gaiety scarcely excelied by that evident on Christmas Day itself.
 During this festive season, the church B the center of much of the community life. At the close of the season, there is c grand farewell celebration that Is char aeterized by c lot of fun, and the ceremony of "the kicking out of Christmas Regretfully, the light- hearted Scandinavians admit that Christmas is over, and 60 back to their workaday world.
 Today seems an appropriate day to devote to the swedes, in this Saturday series of church columns. It is the birthday of Charles A. Lind5ergh, the Minne- sota boy who became Americas hero when he flew to Paris alone. Although the hero's popularity is not ct fever pitch in this country today, the Scandinavian -Ameri- leans generally hold him high In their affections. They point out that no American. hero ever TO. mains the hero of the American people for many years without considerable loss of popularity In one way or another. They believe that most Americans do not un. dersand the severe spiritual stress that has inotivated much of MT. Lindbergh's life in recent years since the Kidnapping and murder of his baby.
 Pastor Thoren will hold his lite tle congregation together as long as he lives. But the strange mi. grations of the City arc pound to leave the little red church away out of reach of most of It's people within comparatively few years. The swedes will move on to other, newer and perhaps bigger churches up-town. And who knows what denomination will be next to use the old synagogue for worship7
 Copyright, 1889. McNaught
 syndicate)
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