Dear Trinity Church and friends,
Grace and Peace and Lenten greetings. I hope this message finds you well.
As the subject line of this email will have augured, I write to you with word of the retirement of our longest-tenured companion on the Trinity way: the inimitable, Bob Yearwood. Even with the catch of bittersweetness, I know you will join me in congratulating Bob on this accomplishment and celebrating with him and his family the singular legacy he leaves with us and the city of Boston.
Bob’s last day in his current role will be Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. Thereafter, Bob will begin his tenure as “Verger Emeritus.” As this emeritus ministry begins, Bob will keep Tuesdays at the Clarendon Street desk, verge when the Spirit moves, and lend an occasional hand to our outreach volunteers. Led by grace and gratitude, these plans will evolve as we find our way together in a new season.
Please find below a letter from Bob, as well as one from the Rev. Tom Kennedy. As you will read, Tom can claim a share in the identifying of Bob for hire – back in December of 1969, holy moly! Bob has been a constant of this parish and the Back Bay community for lo, the 56-plus years since. Whether leading a procession with his verge or sitting sentinel at the Parish House door, Bob has ambassadored Trinity as a tender-hearted institution within our stony façade. Resourcing neighbors, remembering parishioners, and quick with some of the best stories you’ve ever heard, Bob presented a Trinity community where all could be known and loved.
This upcoming May 31 – fittingly, Trinity Sunday – we will give thanks for Bob’s decades of ministry. This timeline affords us opportunity to prepare for what we expect to be quite an affair, a righteous prelude to our buildings’ upcoming anniversary (especially given that Bob has been around for more than a third of its 150 years). Further, we hope this amount of notice and that timing near the end of most Program Years will make possible the attendance of old friends and former colleagues from seasons past. In any case, we will have a single worship service at 10 am that day, and we will look forward to seeing you then.
In the meantime, stop by and give the Mayor of Copley Square a fistbump, a handshake, and a thankful hug.
Lenten blessings,
The Rev. Morgan S. Allen, Rector
Dear Friends of Trinity Church,
I never imagined when the then rector, Dr. Theodore Parker Ferris, hired me in 1970, I would still be working at Trinity Church in 2026! It has been a wonderful run, full of surprises and lots of love. However, it is time for me to relinquish my duties. I have spoken with our rector, Morgan Allen, who has kindly accepted my decision to retire, which will begin right after Easter of this year.
I have frequently said, “Bob will always be with you!” I wish it were forever, but life does not work that way. Time moves on and so do I. I have had the privilege of being entrusted with an inside view of the workings of Trinity Church: not only through the work of the clergy, but the vestry, church school, choir, numerous programmatic undertakings, outreach, Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; I’ve had my name attached to Yearwood House, a Single Room Occupancy (SRO) house managed by Pine Street Inn in the Fenway. I never imagined I would ever have my name on a building! I guess that naming is confirmation of my work at Trinity Church. It was quite an honor. What a perspective I have had for these 56 years on the ministry of Trinity Church!
Most importantly, my work at Trinity Church found its meaning in the personal relationships which have made that work joyous. I have seen former church school kids returning years later and I see how they have grown due in part to their time at Trinity Church. Wonderful!! There have been a few job descriptions for me. The job was always finding my way, frequently saying to myself: “Know your role, Bob! It’s the people who make up Trinity Church. Never forget that!”
You are the best! You are my friends! I could not ask for any greater gift than your friendship.
Morgan has shared with me that I will now have the title Verger Emeritus, which means you will still see me around the block at Trinity from time to time. I look forward to celebrating our relationships and friendships. They will always remain a blessing.
With thanks and love,
Bob Yearwood
Dear Friends of Trinity Church,
As members of the clergy at Trinity Church in December 1969, my colleague Sam Tyler and I received a call from the rector, Dr. Ferris, asking if we knew anyone who might be of assistance to Mac McCloud, the sexton, who would soon retire.
Sam and I called Rudy Waker who ran Low-Cost Housing Corporation (LCHC), which rehabilitated low-income housing in Boston’s South End. LCHC had been started by Sam, members of the neighborhood, and Trinity Church. Rudy said: “I have just the person: Robert Yearwood. He works on my construction crew. He is just the person for you!” Rudy’s judgement of Bob’s character was well founded and soon Bob was hired by Dr. Ferris. The rest is history.
Bob became more than the assistant to the sexton. He gained the trust not only of the clergy but of everyone who came into his presence. His ebullient personality warmed the hearts of friend and stranger alike. As with the keys to the church which he used to open the doors to our spiritual home, Bob’s friendship imbued our lives with humor and grace. Not only did he become the voice of Trinity Church, he soon became known as the Mayor of Copley Square!
He always remembered names. As an example, Bob said to me in 2004: “Tommy boy, remember Dennis who was a member of the Canterbury Club in 1974? He came by to see me today!” Bob knew them and they had never forgotten him. There is nothing more endearing and reassuring than someone who recalls your name, not having seen you in years! These pastoral skills are part and parcel of Bob’s DNA.
His trusting nature and enduring relationships with all at Trinity Church and the wider community, are the hallmark of Bob’s presence at Trinity Church. It has been an honor to call him a colleague and trusted advisor for over 56 years. But I especially cherish his friendship which shall endure forever.
I look forward to the May 31 celebration of Bob.
Tom Kennedy, Assistant Minister at Trinity Church – 1968-1983
Share a Message for Bob Yearwood
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Identify yourself and tell us how long you’ve known Bob.
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Talk about a funny moment you shared with Bob.
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Show us a picture you drew of Bob.
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Name what you think is Bob’s best attribute.
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Share something you learned from Bob — maybe even set it to music.
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What is Bob’s most famous/ well-used phrase?
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What do you think Bob should do with his time now?