The Compass, November 12, 2025
- 5 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend, Laurence (Larry) Jaquith, on Sunday, November 9.
Larry grew up in Lexington, encouraged to discover the wonder of words by his father, a lawyer who collected rare editions of Dickens, and his mother, who frequently took him to museums and exhibitions.
Larry attended Hanover College in Indiana and continued to graduate studies in theater arts at Brandeis University, eventually teaching theater at the college level in Michigan. After earning a degree in architecture from Harvard University, he ran his own architectural firm in Cambridge for 12 years.
He later retired to New Bedford and joined our congregation, where his ongoing love of books led him to volunteer to develop the book section at the church’s thrift shop.
THE BURIAL OF THE OLD by Wendell Berry
The old, whose bodies encrust their lives,
die, and that is well.
They unhinder what has struggled in them. The light, painfully loved, that narrowed and darkened in their minds
becomes again the sky. The young, who have looked on dying, turn back to the world, grown strangely
alert to each other's bodies.
Garden Committee Update
Hello all,
Just a note for all you folks who like to get your hands dirty :-) Your Garden Committee will have a space again this year at the upcoming Holiday Market on December 6 as a fundraiser for the church. So, we need your house plant divisions, holiday greens, or whatever you can come up with!
Also, if you could sign up to volunteer at the plant table, that would be helpful too!
Any questions, feel free to email me at nannyoggskin@charter.net
Cheers,
Bet
Did you miss Sunday service last week? Watch it here!
Social Justice Committee Meetings - New Day!
Join the SJC virtually every other MONDAY at 6:30 PM starting on November 17. Be part of the change you would like to see in your community and beyond.
Join us for AHA!, Thursday, November 13, in the Sanctuary
Thank you to the Outreach and Social Justice Committees for representing UUNB in the Veterans' Day Parade on November 11.
November 23 is our Thanksgiving Service & Potluck
All are welcome to attend the potluck after service. There is a food signup sheet in the Parish House if you would like to bring your favorite dish.
Reminder
When writing check out to the church, please write them out to First Unitarian Church in NB. Unfortunately, the bank will no longer accept checks made out to FUCNB or any other abreviation. Thanks for your understanding.
November 13: Art, History, Architecture {AHA} Made in New Bedford
UUNB Hosts the Green St. Band in the sanctuary from 6 to 8 PM
November 16: Gratitude & Happiness - How Gratitude Gives Us Hope
November 23: Gratitude & “Reciprocity” - How Gratitude Asks Us to Respond
Thanksgiving Potluck Sign Up in Parish House
November 30: Gratitude & The Power of Thank You - How There Are Many Ways to Say Thank You, A Child's Christmas in Wales
Save the Date: Solstice Service 12/21/2025 Hosted by The Way Cool Sunday School
From the UUA: A Bruise on the Soul
By Rina Shere
“The biggest thing that [the veterans] told me was that they’re carrying around this horrible idea that they are bad people because they’ve done something bad and they can’t ever tell anybody about it—or they don’t dare tell anybody about it—and may not even be able to admit it to themselves.”—David Wood, Journalist
I wasn’t raised to be particularly patriotic. In fact, I used to be against military funding and intervention. Today, however, I spend my days as a mental health chaplain ministering to veterans who live with the aftermath of trauma: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), addiction, and moral injury.
Serving veterans has shifted my relationship with people who have served in our military—including my late father, who was drafted into the Army but never wanted to talk about his time in Korea. He was wounded there; he also contracted malaria. I remember once seeing him in a malarial fever, having nightmarish flashbacks of being under enemy fire.
I work with veterans who, like my father, live with trauma. What’s different is how they seek help to process experiences that have impacted their relationship with themselves, their loved ones, and sometimes their faith. My ministry is centered on creating sacred space where they can feel safe enough to tell their stories without judgement. I enter into what Sr. Helen Prejean calls a “dreadful intimacy” with veterans who tell me the worst thing they ever saw or did, and were unable to stop because of their duty to protect the citizens of the United States.
Sometimes the veterans ask me, “How could God allow what I’ve seen? There can’t be a God who would allow that,” or, “Chap, I’ve done some really bad things. Will God forgive me?" These questions reveal the loss of a veteran’s relationship with God—their Holy ideal—or their trust in the goodness of humanity.
My Universalist theology guides me to remind our veterans that they are not defined by their worst moment or action. Indeed, many of the veterans I minister to would re-enlist if they could because the military provided a deep sense of purpose, shared mission, and camaraderie they haven’t found in the civilian world. For some, their moral injury is compounded by the loneliness and grief of discharge.
No one is outside of our circle of compassion and love. No one is outside of responsibility or accountability, either. There may be a necessary journey of making amends, and I try to help them craft a path forward—a journey that involves grieving for others as well as the loss of one’s ideal self. Whatever their faith belief is, we start there and slowly try to work toward a perspective that includes acceptance, compassion…and maybe forgiveness.
Prayer
Mysterious Source of All Being, Spirit of Life and Spirit of Love, allow us to be truth tellers to ourselves and the world around us. Fortify our courage to lament; to call out in despair and rage against senseless inhumanity. May our community offer hope and healing and loosen the bonds of shame and isolation which burden so many. Amen.
Please share these events with your family and friends, and consider attending yourself. We would love to see you!
FREE Events Happening at UUNB
Being Human takes place every Friday at 11 AM. Please use the parking lot door.
There is also an open AA meeting, led by Walter Silvia, that takes place each Saturday at
noon in the Parish House.
Save the date!
In case you missed the survey last week—please take our poll! We want to know what types of programming you would like to see in 2026 at UUNB. If you have a program in mind that is not on the list, please send your suggestion to admin@uunewbedford.org
What events would you like to see at UUNB in 2026?
0%Author Talks
0%Theatrical Performances
0%Children's Programs
0%Concerts
You can vote for more than one answer.
Ticketed Events: A portion of the sales from these events will benefit the restoration of the Tryworks Auditorium
In collaboration with Infinity Productions, we are excited to present a monthly concert series. Please check the events page on our website for updates. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
Tickets to all of our shows can be purchased in the office with cash or check during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM, or online with a credit card.
This Saturday, November 15
Saturday, November 29
The calendar on our website shows everything happening at UUNB. Updates are displayed immediately, so you will always know what is planned.
Please join the South Coast LGBTQ+ Network for a candlelight vigil in observance of Transgender Day of Remembrance on Thursday, November 20. The community will gather at 6:00 pm on the steps of the New Bedford Public Library to honor the memory of the transgender and nonbinary individuals whose lives were lost to violence.
An Evening to Unite and Ignite
Indivisible SE Massachusetts is hosting the SouthCoast Activism Social on November 20, at 6 PM, in the Tryworks Auditorium. REGISTER: bit.ly/southcoast-1120
Get ready to connect, celebrate, and commit to action! You're invited to the SouthCoast Activism Social: An Evening to Unite & Ignite, This is a dynamic and fun event hosted by "Do Something" Indivisible SouthCoast New England!
This event is designed to help you plug into the pro-democracy movement in our community. Whether you're a seasoned activist or looking to get involved for the first time, this is the place to be!
What to Expect
Meet & Connect: Engage directly with local activist organizations and find the perfect opportunity to make a difference.
Networking & Fun: Make new friends and build powerful connections with like-minded community members.
Party Vibe: Enjoy music from a DJ and dancing!
Creative Activism: Get hands-on with activist crocheting.
Festivities: Fuel up with light refreshments and capture memories at the selfie station.
Kids Activity Table: Coloring, crafts, and more
Raffle: Enter to win exciting prizes in our raffle.
Come find your next step, meet your neighbors, and have a blast while standing up for democracy!
A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
Our Mission is to encourage diversity and mutual acceptance and work for positive change in ourselves and our community.
"We envision a congregation in which we practice the principles of our faith. We seek to enjoy peaceful reflection and inspiration in intellectually and spiritually satisfying church services. We aim to embrace the people and efforts of our church community by supporting our children and their programs, our committees and their goals, our staff and their efforts on our behalf, and each other."
Our Promises
Each person is important.
Be kind in all you do.
We help each other learn.
We search for what is true.
Each person has a say.
Work for a peaceful world.
The web of life’s the way.
Build the beloved community, free from racism and oppression.
First Unitarian Church in New Bedford
71 8th Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 994-9686
Administrator ext. 10
Minister ext. 13
Karen cell: (508) 441-9344
Thrift Shop ext. 12
Board Members & Officers
Steve Carmel, President
Charles Morgan, Vice President
Deborah Carmel, Treasurer
Elise Rapoza, Secretary
Rochelle Pettenati, Clerk
Trustees
Mary Rapoza
Camilla Brooks
Jack Vitale
Committee Chairs
Charles Morgan, Religious Education
David Godinez, Outreach (interim)
Pamela Sherman, Thrift Shop
Carlton Dasent, Finance & Endowment
Bett Low & Mary Rapoza, Garden
Ed Rooney, Religous Services
Steve Carmel, House & Grounds
Tonianne Wong & Isaiah Kidney, Social Justice
Staff
Rev. Karen LeBlanc, Minister
Yasmin Flefleh-Vincent, Director of Religious Education
Randy Fayan, Director of Music
Jessica DeCicco-Carey, Administrator
Tony Gonsalves, Facilities Manager
John Manning, Sunday Sexton
Mari Fay-Martin, Sunday School Teacher
Sam Angelini, Sunday School Teacher
The Thrift Shop is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 10 AM to 1 PM
(508)994-9686 ext.12