Our Liberal Heritage

Since its founding more than a hundred and fifty years ago, our church has embraced its liberal heritage. Our founders included abolitionists, and our members have been civil rights activists, champions of women’s suffrage and the feminist movement, environmentalists, antiwar and antinuclear activists.

Kathy Santo at anti-war protest

Environmental Activism

In the 1960’s and 1970’s, members of the church participated in the organization that advocated to preserve acres of public and private land on Staten Island, which came to fruition in the largest network of public parks and green spaces in the five boroughs of New York City. Our church provided a venue for the meetings that led to the development of the Greenbelt.

Commitment to Social Justice

Since 1987, our church has served the homeless, through our association with Project Hospitality, by providing shelter beds year-round for homeless men.

Our church addressed the thorny social justice issues that arose in the wake of the September 11th attacks that leveled the World Trade Center.  The popular “In the Aftermath of 9/11” series of monthly public forums helped our congregation and our community to put these issues into context.

Support for LGBT Issues

During this first decade of the new century, our church has continued to engage social justice issues. Our membership voted unanimously to become a Welcoming Congregation opening our hearts and our church community to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities.  

Human Rights and “Standing on the Side of Love”

We joined “Standing on the Side of Love”, an interfaith public advocacy campaign, sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Association, promoting respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person.  The purpose of the campaign is to pursue social change through advocacy, public witness and speaking out in solidarity with those whose lives are publicly demeaned.

Throughout our history, the Unitarian Church of Staten Island has offered a liberal religious choice governed by democratic principles that hold the rights and well-being of the individual sacred.

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