The Mallet of Mitra

When Reverend Mitra returned to serve as interim minister at Grosse Pointe Unitarian in the fall of 2023, she discerned that a mission was needed to give shape and focus to her service. Mitra had previously served as our minister earlier in the church’s history. Many were grateful that she was once again available to guide us during a transitional time.

From the pulpit, Mitra often spoke candidly about matters of health and human dignity. She also recognized the importance of a clear, visible witness to the broader community. Thus, she resolved that Grosse Pointe Unitarian would place two signs on the church lawn:

“Trans people are loved here.”
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“Queer people are loved here.”

The act required more than words. It required tools. One Sunday, Mitra was seen walking through the building searching for a mallet. When none could be found, she went to a hardware store and bought one. The installation of the signs was briefly delayed, but on November 12, 2023, after coffee hour, parishioners gathered with Mitra on the lawn to set the signs in place.

The signs quickly became a visible symbol. One local fine art painter, passing by on Maumee Avenue, told me she noticed them every time and felt drawn to visit the church because of them. To this day, the signs remain on the lawn, bearing their steady witness.

On Mitra’s last Sunday with us, the service was filled with music, gratitude, and reflection. As part of her final sermon, she brought two objects to the pulpit. First, a packed roller suitcase. Second—revealed later—a mallet. The very mallet she had purchased to pound in the signposts.

Mitra made a request to the congregation: someone would need to take up the mallet, to keep the posts firm against the push of frost and weather. The St. John family—Valerie and Jen—volunteered. This was especially meaningful as Jen St. John had recently been admitted to seminary. Our board of directors voted to sponsor Jen for ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister.

On Sunday, August 24, 2025, the St. Johns gathered on the church lawn to fulfill their promise. Photos show the family driving the posts back into place, ensuring the signs would stand through the winter. When spring comes, the congregation will surely revisit the signs again, renewed in spirit and commitment.

The mallet itself now carries a story: of witness, of continuity, and of love.