The Parish Community of Saint John ~ New York City
The Parish Community of Saint John
All are welcome here!
Informal, intimate, inclusive, sincere ...
Ours is a small, intentional, progressive Christian faith community. By 'intentional' we mean that we are not formed out of a particular neighborhood or area, but have made a conscious decision to be a part of this small and personal community.
Our Archbishop recently pointed out that what binds us together is fidelity to the gospel, the apostolic teaching, and the faith of the seven great Councils of the Church in the first millennium of Christianity. More specifically, what unites us is prayer grounded in the Divine Liturgy and in the solitude of each person's struggle with God. Ours is a spirituality grounded in the great sacramental tradition, which calls us to reach out to one another in friendship. St. Basil said that "God arranged things so that we need each other." Out of that need, and out of our struggles in prayer, we reach other so that we can go on together.
In our parish, as in other parishes of the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, we receive people who have experienced deep personal suffering of mind, body, soul and spirit, and we have received others who have been deeply moved by significant experiences of God's overwhelming love. We pray each other more deeply into the Christian mystery, sharing as adults the faith, hope and love that are our gifts from God. We are a parish community offering something for those who are looking beyond the large, major congregations.
Come to the living water.
As George Bernard Shaw is reputed to have said, "We're pilgrims sitting at the roadside on the way to Jerusalem, and as the other pilgrims pass by we like to be able to give them a little word of encuragement, to put them back enroute again."
We affirm, honor and celebrate the lives and life-experience all people of good will; and we are glad to number women and LGBT people among our members and clergy.
On Sundays, the parish meets for worship (The Sacrament of the Eucharist, sometimes called the Divine Liturgy or the Mass) at 10.30 am at the Spark Cafe and Art Center. The address is 161 West 22 Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, in Chelsea.
On most Sundays, after Liturgy, we adjourn to a local diner for coffee and conversation, and on certain other feasts (including, among others, St. Joseph, St Patrick, St Anthony, St Jude, and St Francis), we meet for worship at a private apartment on the Upper West Side. Please contact us for details.
This web site was established on 03 February 2006, and was updated on 29 December 2008.
For More Information
... where two or three gather together ....
We are a small parish in a time when mega-churches serve huge congregations. While many of our brothers and sisters are thinking 'bigger and bigger,' it is our place to continue to 'think small.' Smallness may be an icon of sorts, both among the churches and in the world in general. God's ways, certainly, are not our ways, and what is small and weak comes also from God. If you are interested in knowing more about The Parish Community of Saint John, please click on the "About Us" tab.
Alternatively, of course, you can always stop by on Sunday morning at 10.30 for worship.
If you want to contact any of the clergy, click on the "Contact Us Page" tab.
If you want to know more about the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, click on the "Links" tab.
To reach our voice mail or to leave a phone message, dial 1.212.330.6571.
The Sacraments
The Parish Community of Saint John celebrates the Sacraments (or Mysteries) according to the needs of those who come for worship with us.
In addition to the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, we are blessed to celebrate Holy Baptism, Chrismation (Confirmation), Reconciliation, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Matrimony and Holy Union.
Please confer with one of the clergy with any concerns or questions about any of these Sacraments.
The Parish Community of Saint John, a ministry of the Saint John of Kronstadt Western Rite Centre, in the Orthodox-Catholic Church of America, was established in Manhattan in 2002. People come to us from many different faith traditions. Some settle into the community, while others stay for a while to re-ground their faith, then move on to other faith communities.
Our ministry is always one of hospitality for all who come through the door.
All are welcome here!
