24. SISTINE CHAPEL OF NEW ENGLAND: St. Ann Arts and Cultural Center

Weird Island

Hidden away in Woonsocket, RI is a church that has been called the Sistine Chapel of New England. Inside is one of the largest collections of frescoes in the United States. While the artwork is incredible, it’s only the beginning. After the paintings draw you in, what you find are stories--because all 475 people painted into the frescoes are real people who lived in Woonsocket in the 1940s. And some of these stories will make you say, “Wow, I’ve never heard something like that before.”

To Visit: 84 Cumberland Street, Woonsocket, RI 02895 - Tours Sunday 1-4

Episode Source Material:

• Mission Statement
• The 40 Angels of St. Ann, the Sistine Chapel of Woonsocket
• The Miracle of the Woonsocket Mill Order
• New England Notebook: One Reporter, Six States, Uncommon Stories - p. 47
• At 100-year celebration, St. Ann Center recalls church's past military connection
• French Americans
• New England French
• Quebec diaspora
• Guido Nincheri
• Guido Nincheri: An Italian-Canadian Treasure
• Guido Nincheri, Inducted
• Guido Nincheri, 86, Won Papal Medal for his Art
• Marguerite B. Forget - Obituary - Woonsocket, RI - Fournier & Fournier Funeral Services