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Welcome

Welcome to St. Alban’s Church! Every Sunday, and most days in between, people gather in this place to worship, to learn, to grow, to share the joys and struggles of our lives, and to seek God’s grace in the midst of our lives. We do not come because we have it all figured out, but because we are seeking light on the way. We come as we are and welcome one another.

On this website, you can find information about our worship, our classes for people of all ages, membership at St. Alban's, and about how we seek to make a difference in this world. We warmly encourage you to join us for a Sunday service or for some of the many other events that happen here. You belong at St. Alban’s.

Please fill out this welcome form to connect with us.

Contact us with any questions. Call (202) 363-8286 or email the church office.

 

Service Times

Beginning on Trinity Sunday, May 30, 2021, worship will be open to anyone without pre-registration or distancing requirements. We will continue requiring that worshippers be masked for now. 

Our schedule of services will remain the same throughout the summer:

 - 9:00 a.m. (English) in the church

 - 10:30 a.m. (English) in the church

 - Noon (Spanish) in Nourse Hall

Communion in one kind (i.e. wafers) will be offered at the main altar, although we will happily bring communion to those for whom steps are challenging. 

Masked hymn singing both indoors and outdoors will be permitted, and music will be supported by a soloist and organ. 

On-line worship services in English and Spanish are available on Sundays beginning at 8:00 a.m. on our YouTube channel.

 

 

Directions

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church is located next to the Washington National Cathedral at the corner of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues in the northwest section of the District of Columbia.

From either direction on the north loop of the Capital Beltway/I-495 follow signs for Route 355/Wisconsin Ave south toward DC. St. Alban’s is located on the left just before the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Make a left onto Lych Gate Rd before you reach Massachusetts Ave. As you enter the drive, the church will be on your left and Satterlee Hall and the Rectory on the right. Stay on Lych Gate until it becomes Pilgrim Rd.

From any Virginia main in-bound thoroughfare (George Washington Memorial Parkway, I-395, Route 50, I-66), follow signs to Rosslyn and take the Key Bridge from Rosslyn north across the Potomac River into Georgetown. Go right on M St, left on Wisconsin Ave. St. Alban’s is located on the right just after the intersection of Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues NW. Make a right onto Lych Gate Rd after passing Massachusetts. As you enter the drive, the church will be on your left and Satterlee Hall and the Rectory on the right. Stay on Lych Gate until it becomes Pilgrim Rd.

Parking is available on Pilgrim Road Monday-Friday after 3:30 pm and all day Saturday and Sunday. Parking is also available in the Cathedral’s underground garage for a fee Monday- Saturday and for free on Sunday.  You may also park on neighborhood streets according to DC parking signs.

What to Expect

Visiting a church for the first time can be a bit daunting. So we have tried to put together the answers to some of the questions you’re likely to have and to ensure that you find a warm welcome here. Click on the questions to learn more.)

How do you worship?

What time are services on Sunday morning?

How long do services last?

Where can I park?

Do you offer programs for children?

What should I wear?

Do you have provisions for the differently-abled?

For Your Kids

Children’s Ministry

At St. Alban’s, we believe that a child’s spiritual growth is just as important as their physical and intellectual growth. Our goal is to help children name and value the presence and love of God in their lives. We do this through a variety of means – by providing stable and consistent adult mentors, encouraging strong peer relationships, and supporting parents in their families’ faith lives at home.

Worship: Children’s Chapel meets at the start of the 9:00 a.m. service. Starting in September 2021, Children’s Chapel with Communion will be held outdoors on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at 9:00 a.m. To learn more, contact the Rev’d Emily Griffin.

Education: All church school classes resume the Sunday after Labor Day with our annual Open House. Instruction starts the following Sunday.

Learn more about Children's Ministries


Youth Ministry

Four teen groups participate in formation classes at St. Alban’s on Sunday mornings. We use the nationally recognized Episcopal curriculum “Journey to Adulthood," or J2A. J2A has two guiding principles: 1) Manhood and womanhood are gifts of God; and 2) Adulthood must be earned. This is a strong program with over 50 youth participating, many of whom engage in a wide variety of ministries at St. Alban’s. Two or three adults mentor each of the groups for two years, sharing their own faith journeys and forming strong bonds of fellowship with the participants.

Learn more about Youth Ministries

The Episcopal Church

As Episcopalians, we follow Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe God is active in our everyday lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and with each other in Christ. The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the gospel, and promotes justice, peace and love. The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all of its members.

We uphold the Bible and worship with the Book of Common Prayer. We believe the Holy Scriptures are the revealed Word of God. In worship we unite ourselves with one another to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God's Word, to offer prayer and praise, and to celebrate the Sacraments. The Celebration of Holy Eucharist is the central act of worship in accordance with Jesus' command to His disciples. Holy Communion may be received by all baptized Christians, not only members of the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion with 70 million members in 165 countries.  The word "Episcopal" refers to government by bishops. The historic episcopate continues the work of the first apostles in the Church, guarding the faith, unity and discipline of the Church. Both men and women, including those who are married, are eligible for ordination as deacons, priests and bishops. 

We strive to love our neighbors as ourselves and respect the dignity of every person. We welcome all to find a spiritual home in the Episcopal Church.

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Feeding & housing ministries

09.10.15 | Serve

    St. Alban’s has a long tradition of feeding people who are hungry and helping those who are transitioning out of homelessness.

    Grate Patrol

    The Grate Patrol offers each of us an opportunity to fulfill our Baptismal vows of seeking and serving Christ in all persons and respecting the dignity of every human being.  In cooperation with the Salvation Army’s 100-year-old ministry, volunteers from St. Alban’s cook, prepare and serve a nutritious evening meal to hundreds of persons living on the streets of Washington, D.C. Our commitment is to serve meals twice a month to our neighbors experiencing homelessness. Parishioners may get involved as often as they like. 

    Please contact one of our coordinators listed below and see how much joy you could derive from this feeding ministry.

    * Cooking: Wednesdays before the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month, several cooks meet at 6 pm in the Satterlee Hall kitchen to prepare casseroles and muffins. Recipes are provided. We always welcome new volunteers. Contact Craig Morgan.

    * Sandwich Making: Every 4th Friday (2nd and 4th Friday during the summer months), a lively group gathers at 1:45 pm in the Satterlee Hall kitchen to make sandwiches and assemble the meal for delivery that evening. Contact Wendy Garner or Nancy Fetterman. On the 2nd Friday during the school year, our youth gather for sandwich making at 5 pm. Contact Geoffrey Hoare. Come and join this wonderful community. 

    * Delivery and Distribution: Every 2nd and 4th Friday at 6:45 pm, the Salvation Army van arrives at St. Alban’s and is greeted by 2 or 3 of our volunteers. After loading the van with food prepared during the week, our volunteers travel downtown and serve dinner to over 100 people living on the streets. By offering a simple meal to people who are homeless, the Grate Patrol breaks down barriers, eradicates stereotypes and changes the lives of our parishioner-volunteers, young and old alike. Contact Barbara Manard.

    Each year the Grate Patrol serves well over 3,000 meals, involving at least 384 volunteers. Don’t miss out – become part of this ministry!  

    So Others Might Eat (SOME)

    St. Alban’s parish and SOME have a relationship that spans over 20 years. SOME serves more than 315,000 meals annually—over 800 meals each day. In addition, SOME provides the following services to the city’s homeless population: medical and dental assistance, individual and group counseling, case management and aftercare, free clothing, hot showers, laundry service, job preparedness training, job counseling and training, permanent and transitional housing and temporary shelter, and programs for people with addictions.

    St. Alban’s parishioners prepare SOME Casseroles each month. On the 2nd Sunday of the month, parishioners pick up casserole tins and recipes as they leave worship and return the prepared casseroles to Trenbath Hall the following Sunday by 11:45. Donations of fresh or canned fruits and juices, vegetables, coffee, and peanut butter or powdered milk are also welcome. Donations are then transported to SOME during the 11:15 service. For more information, or to volunteer to assist with delivery, contact Marty Kerns.

    Christ House

    The mission of Christ House is to provide comprehensive and compassionate health care to sick, homeless men and women in the District of Columbia. Located in Adams Morgan, Christ House is a 34-bed medical facility. St. Alban's volunteers prepare and serve dinner to residents and staff twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Fridays. That adds up to more than 1,100 meals per year.

    The cooking team, led by Robyn Gatens meets in the St. Alban's kitchen from 2:30-5 p.m. and prepares the meal.  The serving team, led by Rob Huddleston, picks up the food from St. Alban's, delivers it to Christ House and helps serve the meal to the residents.  Contact  or  if you are interested in joining this ministry!  

    Samaritan Ministry

    St. Alban's was one of a dozen Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Washington that founded Samaritan Ministry in 1986. Our congregation contributes non-perishable food to Samaritan's pantry every week, to be distributed to participants in the Next Step program, which offers them resources and assistance as they find housing and employment. Contact: Bob Witten

    Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners

    St. Alban's provides a delicious dinner at noon on Christmas Day for our neighbors and friends. Volunteers decorate the hall, carve turkeys, cook vegetables, cut pies and serve our guests. Many of us enjoy the meal, too! Contact the church office to learn more.

    St. Alban's partners with Annunciation Catholic Church and Washington Hebrew Congregation on an annual Thanksgiving Day dinner, which we host every third year. Contact the church office to learn more.

    Youth Service Project

    Each summer, youth and adults from St. Alban's spend a week in a rural area, repairing homes in some of the poorest counties in our country. St. Alban’s volunteers have donated more than 2,500 hours of labor, helping to make homes warmer, safer and drier for our brothers and sisters in Christ. The mission trip to  Irvine, Kentucky, is organized through St. Timothy’s Episcopal Outreach Center. The cost per participant is $225.00.  Scholarship assistance is available on request. Email Renée Patrick to register. 

     

    Friendship Place

    St. Alban’s is a founding member of this coalition of congregations and civic organizations in Washington DC's Ward 3. Committed to addressing the issues of homelessness, Friendship Place works with congregationally-based shelters and apartments, and operates group homes and a day referral center. Volunteers are involved in shelter ministries, providing food and blankets on a regular van run, fundraising and working with clients. For more information, or to volunteer, contact: Sally Craig.