St. Stephen’s Church

Located near the top of Lantern Hill, St. Stephen’s is a landmark as the oldest standing church in Freedom City. It was established in 1742 and painstakingly restored to its original glory in the late 1990s. The church is a tall, narrow building with high, thin stained glass windows and a tall steeple. St. Stephen’s currently holds Methodist services, but also offers tours of its historic architecture. Attendance has been up since the renovations, and St. Stephen’s claims hundreds of local people as parishioners. The graveyard adjacent to the church has tombstones dating back to just after the church’s construction. No new graves have been dug there since 1934, but it’s still church property and the church maintains it as a historical site.
The pastor of St. Stephen’s is the Reverend Madeline Dickenson, a woman with many years of experience as a minister and professional counselor. Rev. Dickenson came to the ministry relatively late in life, after raising three children and losing her husband Mark to cancer. She turned to her faith for solace and chose to attend seminary and become a minister. Her previous experience as a social worker and counselor serves her well in her new calling, and she has focused on offering spiritual support and guidance to the members of her congregation, who sing her praises to anyone who cares to listen. Madeline Dickenson is in her early-60s, with a full figure and curly gray hair. She has a bright and mischievous smile and a twinkle in her eye that gives her a warm and welcoming presence.
Reverend Dickenson knows the mysterious Lantern Jack has some connection with her church, and she has seen and spoken with him on occasion. Although she’s convinced Jack is a force for good, she still finds his ghostly presence disturbing. She has tried to encourage him to recall his compassion and humanity as well as his duty to justice.

Architecture

LANTERN HILL CEMETERY

Adjacent to St. Stephen’s Church is Lantern Hill Cemetery, surrounded by a stone wall and wrought-iron fence. It is the oldest cemetery in Freedom City, also preserved as a historic landmark. Some of the graves date back to the founding of the church in the 1730s.
Lantern Hill Cemetery has not seen any new internments since 1934 and is no longer in active use, having long since run out of space for new gravesites. St. Stephen’s maintains the cemetery and handles landscaping and similar matters. Tours of Lantern Hill Cemetery are particularly popular during October, with the approach of Halloween; the Church traditionally decorates the Cemetery with jack-o’-lanterns, and now holds an annual pumpkincarving contest for grade-school age children.

Type

Temple / Church