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Local Boston events

Explore what’s happening at the Christian Science Plaza

The First Church of Christ, Scientist hosts a variety of local events throughout the year at the Christian Science Plaza. Events are open to the public and all are welcome to attend. Events include:

  • The Mother Church Reading Room events: daily events and special events hosted by the Reading Room 

  • Talks on Christian Science: these free public lectures are opportunities to learn about Christian Science, the Bible, and healing.

  • Mary Baker Eddy Library events: join in mission-related events, workshops, discussions, and other activities for adults and children.

  • Pipes on the Plaza: a concert series with one of the world’s largest pipe organs, featuring internationally celebrated organists. 

  • Chiming concerts: listen to the chimes of The Mother Church play on Sundays and Wednesdays, as well as other times throughout the year

Coming up next:

Church services over the holidays

Special Thanksgiving church service on November 27
Sunday services and Wednesday testimony meetings, including Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve

Daily Christmas-themed events at the Reading Room throughout December

Special events December 3, 10, & 17
Reading of the nativity story from the Bible and What Christmas Means to Me and Other Christmas Messages by Mary Baker Eddy 

First Night® Boston celebrations at the Plaza

December 31
Featuring an organ concert at 4:00 p.m. Additional activities include the Wednesday testimony meeting, free admission to the MappariumⓇ globe in the How Do You See the World?Ⓡ experience, and tours of The Mother Church.

Organ of The Mother Church

Pipes on the Plaza: Upcoming Performances

  • Wednesday, December 31 (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Part of First NightⓇ Boston 2026. In collaboration with the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, three celebrated organists play one of the world’s largest pipe organs.

2026 Pipes on the Plaza organ concert series (12:15 p.m.-12:45 p.m.)

  • Tuesday, February 10: Mark Dwyer, Organist and Choirmaster, The Church of the Advent, Boston

  • Tuesday, April 14: Natsumi Malloy, Organist, St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Boston

  • Tuesday, June 30: Stefan Donner, Concert Organist, Vienna, Austria

  • Tuesday, August 11: Joshua Boyd, Parish Organist of St. Rita Catholic Church, Dallas

  • Tuesday, October 12: Bryan Ashley, Organist of The Mother Church, Boston (Part of Fenway Alliance Opening Our Doors)

  • Thursday, December 31: (Time and performers TBD)

Christmas Chiming Concerts 

December 18, 19, 20, 22, and 23 – 12:00 noon
December 21 – 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
December 24 – 7:00 p.m.

Chiming concerts

The bells are played by musicians who are members of The Mother Church. You can hear chiming ringing out over the Plaza at the following times:

  • 9:30 a.m. on Sundays, for 15 minutes, before our 10:00 a.m. church service

  • 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays, for 15 minutes, before the 7:30 p.m. testimony meeting

  • Special concerts, as announced

Listen to the Chimes

The Mother Church has had bells in the Church’s towers for well over a century. A chime of fifteen tubular bells, founded by the United States Tubular Bell Company of Methuen, Massachusetts, was installed in the bell tower of the Original Edifice of The Mother Church in 1894. A decade later, in 1906, a chime of eleven bells (later expanded to thirteen), founded by the Meneely Bell Company of Troy, New York, was installed in the cupola of the Extension of The Mother Church. This set was used until 1984, when a new chime of eighteen bells, founded by Royal Eijsbouts of Asten, in the Netherlands, was installed in the bell tower of the Original Edifice.