The colonial church¶
The colonial church is the small, very old, well-kept church in Marblehead where the Sons of Adam hold several services a day and serve worm-filled communion wine.
| Type | Location (church) |
| Aliases | The church |
| Region | Marblehead, Massachusetts |
| Affiliation | Sons of Adam |
| First appearance | Summer Service 01 |
Description¶
The church is "colonial old": small, well maintained and fitted with an old, slightly out-of-tune organ. The preacher wears a ceremonial robe. The congregation is a mix of the town's business leadership and "salt-of-the-earth" fishermen. Communion is a small cup of wine and nothing else (Summer Service 01, Summer Service 03).
Services are frequent. The team scouts the church after missing the 3 o'clock service and returns for the evening service at nine, in Summer Service 01. Summer Service 03 attends a 7 a.m. service, and Andre says the church holds three a day (Summer Service 01, Summer Service 03).
History of events there¶
Summer Service 01¶
The team plans to attend first, pretend interest or conversion, and talk to the priest later ("we shouldn't be trying to speedrun the human sacrifice"). At the 9 p.m. service the preacher, Amos Shaw, preaches that angels are terrifying monsters, that good is not nice and that the world comes from water and returns to it. Huell and Kurt take the wine, which tastes fishy, like bad Pruno; Kurt only pretends to finish his. Afterward Shaw introduces himself as "Mr. Shaw", not "Father", and scolds the Biz for swearing in "God's house" (Summer Service 01). Outside, Kurt spots an FBI counterintelligence agent on a nearby rooftop.
Summer Service 03¶
Andrew attends the 7 a.m. service alone, because he looks "too much like a Fed" for the visit to Ma Gramoire. Shaw is gone. A new priest, opalescent, translucent and slightly bloated like a drowned man, preaches against doubt and the secular world and says "Blood of Christ" while examining Andrew. Andrew holds the wine in his mouth, fails to bluff the priest (Manipulate Someone 6) and spits it into an empty bottle outside. McManley later finds worms in it (Summer Service 03). See Communion wine.
Summer Service 05¶
The church is not entered, but it hangs over the whole session. Madeline Weathers blames "that fucking church" for her uncle's disappearance and vows to burn it. At 4 a.m. silent, armed church members gather in the rain around the hotel (Summer Service 05).
Inhabitants¶
Amos Shaw; the replacement priest, revealed in Summer Service 04 to be the Mayor of Marblehead; Jester; and the congregation.