Last modified: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:51 PM EST Many area churches moved in 2006 BY GLORIA LaBOUNTY / SUN CHRONICLE STAFF Seeking the spiritual side of life took local residents to many places this past year, including some that were unlikely, and others that were quite familiar. Changes in locations, buildings and affiliations marked some rites of passage for several congregations, while some faith-based groups took on new challenges. The parish facing the greatest unknown was All Saints in Attleboro. Members voted this year to break ties with the liberal Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts and the national Episcopal church, and to align with other orthodox Anglicans in a network of conservatives across the country. At year's end, the parish, now known as All Saints Anglican, was awaiting word from the diocese on whether it would have to move out of its North Main Street church and worship elsewhere. Several other congregations were on the move this past year. Living Waters Christian Church left its North Main Street building in Attleboro and began worshipping temporarily in Community School in North Attleboro while its new permanent home on John Dietsch Boulevard is being renovated. Meanwhile, Christian Fellowship, an evangelical congregation from Lincoln, R.I., moved into the North Main Street church. Another move left a historic void in Attleboro. John Wesley AME Zion, which had been in the city since the 1800s, sold its church on Leroy Street and moved to a vacant and much more spacious church in North Attleboro. Meanwhile, Fruit of the Spirit Mission Church from Providence moved into the Leroy Street building with the intent of preserving the African-American history and heritage established by AME Zion. In a nearby community, Plainville Baptist Church worshipped in rented space most of the year while a new church building was constructed on South Street to replace the rambling white house that had been the congregation's long-time home. By year's end, members were in their new church and preparing to officially dedicate it in early January. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open the doors at 9 a.m. on Jan. 7, and visitors can then tour the building and enjoy refreshments until 10:30, when the dedication service begins first in song, and continues with a presentation on the history of the church and its former home, and on the year of construction that resulted in the $1.1 million new church. Two Congregational churches in North Attleboro underwent partial facelifts in 2006. First Congregational Church on Old Post Road, known historically as Oldtown Church, got a whole new steeple, while Central Congregational in Attleboro Falls had repairs done to its clock tower and its historic clock, which is due to be reinstalled in the new year. Back in Attleboro, the newly established Candleberry Chapel began flourishing after being opened the previous year by a retired pastor, the Rev. Kenneth Boyle, in the carriage house behind his home on South Main Street. Leadership changes Pastors came and went in 2006, and the most notable for Catholics was Monsignor Daniel Hoye, who left St. John the Evangelist in Attleboro after 17 years to become pastor at Christ the King Parish in Mashpee. Another move to the Cape took place when the Rev. George Bellenoit, pastor of St. Mary's in Mansfield for 10 years, was transferred to St. Pius X in South Yarmouth. Replacing Hoye at St. John's was the Rev. Richard Roy, while Bellenoit was replaced by Monsignor Stephen Avila. Two other Catholic parishes in the area stepped into the future when the Rev. David Costa, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in North Attleboro, took on the dual role of pastor at neighboring St. Mary's in the same town. Costa became the first priest in the area to be in charge of two parishes, a model that may be followed again as the Diocese of Fall River continues to study ways of dealing with the priest shortage. LaSalette changes planned After a record holiday season of lights, LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro set its sights on the new year with plans to tear down the former chapel building on the shrine grounds and replace it with a new $4 million Welcome Center that hopefully will be ready by the 2007 Christmas season. The LaSalette staff, meanwhile, continued to actively participate in the Attleboro Area Council of Churches, which this year launched its new Homes with Heart program to house and support area homeless, and a new breakfast delivery program. The council's hopes for interfaith dialogue got a major boost this past year from local resident Steve Fullerton, who independently stepped forward and organized a core group of representatives of various faiths. They met in early November, and another session with much broader representation is set for January. In addition, the Muslim-Christian interfaith group in Mansfield continued its conversations through 2006 and hoped to expand its reach in the coming year in its aim of promoting understanding and respect. Finally, Hollywood had a local impact this year as a group of Christians took offense to the film "The Da Vinci Code" and protested outside Showcase Cinemas. Instead of picketing, some religious leaders turned the movie into a teaching opportunity by giving talks and sponsoring discussion groups to dispute the movie's claims about the bible and church history. But the uproar over the film was short-lived as critics and many movie-goers gave it mediocre reviews that quickly sent it to second-run theaters. By year's end, the DVD of the movie was available online for $15. GLORIA LaBOUNTY can be reached at 508-236-0333 or at glabounty@thesunchronicle.com.