St. John's Church on Bear Island reopening July 4

St. John’s-on-the-Lake Chapel on Bear Island will again be holding in-person services this summer after a hiatus due to COVID last year. The first service will be Sunday, July 4, at 10 a.m. Services will be led by board member United Methodist Rev. Phil Polhemus.

As most people know, St. John’s is unique among summer chapels. It holds services in the  summer only; it cannot be reached by car; dogs are welcome; and there is no electricity. Built in 1927, services have been held regularly with the exception of the summer of 2020 and the years during and following World War II.

In the current environment, masks are optional, but social distancing is encouraged. The chapel is reached by a well-marked footpath from the church docks in Deep Cove, on the southwest end of Bear Island. In addition, there is a free “taxi boat” service from Meredith Neck; email bear.island.church.ferry@gmail.com to schedule a pick-up. For more information,  check the web site www.stjohnsonthelake.com. Everyone is welcome. 

Peter Ferber chapel watercolor available

In a special offering, highly regarded Lakes Region artist Peter Ferber has painted a beautiful picture of the St. John's chapel with four separate panels of the inside and tower view. These collector’s items will be sold this summer, with proceeds going into the chapel’s  Preservation Fund, which is a self-insurance fund dedicated to the long-term preservation of the  chapel in case of catastrophic loss by fire or storm. 

 The paintings will be available to the public in three forms. The originals, which consist of a large watercolor of the chapel building and four small separate panels of the interior and view, will be sold through a sealed bid process with the winning bidder announced near the end of  August. In addition, the five originals are being combined into a single, museum quality print called a giclee. These will be numbered and signed by Peter, and only a limited quantity will be printed. Lastly, the giclee print will be produced as posters that will also be available to  the public. 

Complete details regarding the sale of Peter’s painting will be found on the church website and  Facebook page once they are fully established. You may also reach out to us via email at bearislandchapel@gmail.com.