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There's a place for you here.

New to Richmond? Unfamiliar with the Episcopal Church, or with Christianity? Welcome. 

Whoever you are, wherever you are in your spiritual journey, the people of St. Stephen's Church hope that your experience with this church will encourage and strengthen you. 

As you browse our Web site, you might consider: 

  • visiting St. Stephen's for a worship service and/or watching our livestreamed services

  • coming to an informal supper

  • stopping by the Farmers Market on Saturday morning

  • attending one of our receptions for visitors and newcomers

  • signing up for an Inquirers Class

  • subscribing to St. Stephen's weekly email, the eSpirit; there is no cost, no obligation, and we will not share your email address with any outside group

  • attending a retreat, workshop or group, or participating in any of the other offerings you'll see on these pages.

Do as much or as little as you like. There are no "requirements" for being a part of this community of faith. If you wish to be baptized or confirmed, or to transfer your membership from another Episcopal parish, we'd love for you to do so. But it's not required. Everything we do, everything we offer, is open to all, regardless of whether you are a "member" of this church. If you're here, you belong. 

Here's an online visitor card: it's not required--it just helps us to be more responsive to you!

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
6000 Grove Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226
804.288.2867

Our services

St. Stephen's is a vibrant parish offering several kinds of worship services. Sunday, of course, is our big day. You are most welcome at any of the services held here.

Sunday schedule (from the Sunday after Labor Day through the Sunday before Memorial Day)

8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite One
9:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*, in the main church and in Palmer Hall Chapel
10:10 a.m., Education for all ages*
11:15 a.m., Holy Eucharist, Rite Two*
5:30 p.m., Celtic Evensong and Communion
6:30 p.m., Sunday Community Supper
8:00 p.m., Compline

Sunday schedule (from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend)

8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite One
10:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist: Rite Two*
5:30 p.m., Celtic Evensong and Communion*
6:30 p.m., Sunday Community Supper
8:00 p.m., Compline

*indicates child care available through age 4

Weekday worship

Year-round
8:10 a.m., Morning Prayer with Communion

(When the parish office is closed for a holiday or due to inclement weather, weekday Morning Prayer does not take place.) 

Where we're located

St. Stephen's is located at the corner of Three Chopt Road and Grove Avenue (the address is 600 Grove Avenue), near the University of Richmond and across the street from St. Catherine's School.

If you are coming to the church office, the most direct route is through the double glass doors to the parish house off the parking lot on Somerset.  If you're coming for a worship service, you can enter from Grove Avenue or Three Chopt Road.

Accessibility

There are several entrances to the church and parish house that are designed to be accessible to those with mobility issues or other physical limitations:

All entrances to the church, and the main entrance to the parish house, are equipped with power-assist doors. In addition, the main entrance to the parish house, from the large parking lot, has an elevator on the ground floor that allows you to bypass the steps. The Grove Avenue entrance to the main church is gently sloped, without steps, and the Three Chopt Road entrance has a ramp.

Inside the church, several pews are shortened to allow space for a wheelchair or walker: the first pews on either side of the center aisle, nearest the altar, and the pews near the large baptismal font.

The church is equipped with assistive hearing devices for the hearing-impaired. Please ask an usher for one of these devices as you enter the church.

From birth through high school

St. Stephen's Church has an active ministry for children and youth, staffed by an energetic and talented family ministries staff and dedicated, well-trained volunteers. Our family ministry staff sends an email newsletter to parents for which you may sign up.

Our main offering for young children is Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. For youth in grades 6-12, we use Journey to Adulthood. Both are highly regarded spiritual formation approaches.

We also strive to provide opportunities for parents to learn, grow, and receive support from other parents and from our clergy.

HOLY BAPTISM

Holy Baptism is available for babies, children, and adults. Read more about Baptism and preparation here.

CONFIRMATION 

At St. Stephen's, young people who desire to be confirmed in the Episcopal Church may enter the preparation process in the ninth grade or later. Confirmation takes place when one of our bishops visits St. Stephen's, usually in May.

Young adults

Young adults--single or partnered, with children or not, in college or working--are invited to take part in everything St. Stephen's has to offer, from worship to small groups, choirs to Sunday Community suppers, from outreach and volunteer activities to our environmental stewardship group.

We have tagged 20s and 30s as "young adulthood" but many who participate in young adult activities are in their 40s. The bottom line is, no one will ask you your age--if you think of yourself as a young adult, so do we!

While young adults at St. Stephen's sometimes gather with others in their age cohort, everyone is welcome to join a group or a class with adults of all ages. 

Children and teenagers love having adults who are closer to their age as teachers and mentors. You do not have to be a parent to serve in our ministries among children and youth.

Many young adults particularly enjoy the Compline service at St. Stephen's Church, held Sunday nights at 8 in the church. This ancient service is used as the last service of the day in monastic communities, cathedrals, churches, and schools, and many people say it in their homes. (It's found on page 127 of the Book of Common Prayer.) At St. Stephen's, the service is sung by a mixed a cappella choir. The choir chants prayers and psalms, interspersed with motets. It's an exquisite service, with candles (no other lighting) and incense. Those who attend sit in or lie on a pew in silence, praying, meditating or simply listening to the music. The service lasts just 30 minutes. 

We livestream our main Sunday morning service, our Celtic service, and Compline each Sunday. You'll find these on our Web site, on our Facebook page, and on our YouTube channel.

A fellowship

One of the distinctive things about being an Episcopalian is the sense of connection and fellowship one has with other Episcopalian Christians. St. Stephen's Episcopal Church is part of the Diocese of Virginia, one of the oldest and largest dioceses in the Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Our diocese includes 80,000 people who worship God and reach out to others in nearly 180 parishes in 38 counties in central, northern and northwestern Virginia. It is one of three Episcopal dioceses in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the others being the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia (based in Roanoke) and the Diocese of Southern Virginia (based in Norfolk). You can read more about the Diocese of Virginia at thediocese.net.

The best way to learn about what it means to be a Christian in the Episcopal tradition is to attend an inquirers class. This class usually meets once a week for seven weeks and is taught by our clergy two or three times each year.

 

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Sunday Schedule

Holy Eucharist: 8:00, 9:00, 11:15

Christian Education for all ages: 10:10 (returning September)

OUR LOCATION

6000 Grove Avenue Richmond, VA 23226
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Concerts and Recordings

Upcoming music events

music-brochure-cover-copy.jpgAs we look forward to the full breadth of our offerings for music and worship returning in the fall, we hope that spiritual nourishment through music will be found in one way or another by all who visit St. Stephen’s Church.

If you'd prefer a brochure version of the following descriptions, follow this link to download a PDF, stop by the parish house to pick up a hard copy, or view the brochure here.

Links to purchase tickets for ticketed events will be available soon.

Pilgrimage to Southwest England: July 20-29, 2024

The St. Stephen’s Choir and St. Stephen’s Choristers have been invited to sing for services, along with the choir of River Road Church, Baptist, in Bath Abbey, Exeter Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral, and Wells Cathedral as part of a choral pilgrimage to southwest England in July 2024. Much of the music offered in the coming program year will serve as preparation for the pilgrimage, and we look forward to sharing the fruits of the pilgrimage with the parish when we return! Visit ststephensrva.org/choir-pilgrimage-2024 for more information about the pilgrimage and how how to support it.

Three Choirs Evensong for the Feast of All Saints  

Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

This Richmond tradition returns to St. Stephen’s this fall when we host the choirs of St. Paul’s and St. James’s Episcopal churches in a combined service of choral Evensong for the Feast of All Saints. The service will feature music of American composers, including Gerre Hancock, Margaret Burk, David Hogan, and David Hurd. A reception will follow in the large fellowship hall.

Thanksgiving Day

Thursday, November 23, 2023 at 10:30 a.m.

Plan to arrive early for this festive, well-attended service of Morning Prayer! The service, a tradition begun in 1952, features celebratory music for choir, organ, and brass, including Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man,” John Rutter’s “For the beauty of the earth,” Ralph Vaughan William’s Old Hundredth, and Gratias agimus tibi from J.S. Bach’s monumental Mass in B minor.

Winter Solstice Concert

Wednesday, December 20 at 7 p.m. 

This candlelit concert is an opportunity for rest and beauty in the midst of the busy holiday season. Music and poetry mark the longest night of the year while anticipating the joy of light’s return. Sanctuary and the St. Stephen’s Choristers will be joined by cellist Peter Greydanus and harpist Anastasia Jellison, and the program will include music by composers Peter Hallock, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Joanna Marsh, Sally Beamish, Marcel Tournier, Owain Park, June Collin, Patrick Hawes, and more. A reception will follow in the large fellowship hall.

Please reserve your tickets here.

Christmas Eve

Sunday, December 24 at 2, 5, 8, and 11 p.m.

Our Christmas Eve services offer the full breadth of music at St. Stephen’s, and each service will be preceded by a half-hour prelude. St. Stephen’s Choristers, St. Stephen’s Choir, and a string quartet will provide music for the 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. services, while the 8 p.m. Celtic service will feature trios of instruments and cantors. St. Stephen’s Choir will be joined by organ and orchestra for the 11 p.m. mass, this year offering Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria during the prelude and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s Missa brevis during the service, along with music by Gerre Hancock, John Rutter, and Healey Willan.

Lessons and Carols on the Eve of the Epiphany and Chili Cook-Off

Friday, January 5 at 6 p.m. (service) and 7 p.m. (supper and chili cook-off)

Similar to the beloved service of Christmas Lessons and Carols made famous by King’s College, Cambridge, this candlelit service will feature choral and organ music for the Feast of the Epiphany, including anthems by Morten Lauridsen, Andrew Carter, Eric Whitacre, Alison Willis, Philip Stopford, Kerensa Briggs, and Jonathan Dove. Bring trimmings of your Christmas greenery to burn at the conclusion of the service, and your appetite to sample the work of our chili cook-off’s entrants! The proceeds of the cook-off will support the choirs’ July pilgrimage to England.

Sign up to enter the Chili Cook-Off HERE.

Belvedere Concert Series  

Friday, January 12, 2024 at 7 p.m. 

Founded by Ingrid Keller, our wonderful Palmer Hall pianist, the Belvedere Series offers extraordinary musical experiences through chamber music in unique, intimate settings in Richmond, facilitating the discussion, curiosity, and bond between performing artists and audience. The series’ vision is to create an environment of profound means of community building and social connection, while enhancing the cultural life of Richmond. St. Stephen's Church is pleased to be the venue for the series' January 12 concert and a reception following.

On January 11, Belvedere announced that due to the illness of members of the string quartet originally scheduled to perform, the acclaimed harpist Bridget Kibbey will be the featured performer.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Belvedere Series directly.

Masterworks Concert: Royal Britannia 

February 8, 2024 at 7 p.m. | Tickets available here

In celebration and support of the upcoming choral pilgrimage to southwest England, this year’s Masterworks Concert program will showcase the richness of the English choral tradition, featuring music for choir, organ, and orchestra relating to royal occasions. The music ranges from the nearly 300-year-old coronation anthem “Zadok the Priest” by George Frederic Handel, to music by the current Master of the King’s music Judith Weir, to the 1902 coronation anthem “I was glad” by C.H.H. Parry, in the version performed for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023. The program will also include several anthems setting texts from the Psalms, a cornerstone of the Anglican tradition, by composers William Mathias, Gustav Holst, Cecilia McDowall, and John Rutter. Reserve your digital tickets here. A reception will follow in the large fellowship hall.

The American Guild of Organists Recital Series presents Ken Cowan

March 8, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.

Regarded as one of North America’s finest concert organists and praised for his dazzling artistry, impeccable technique, and imaginative programming by audiences and critics alike, Ken Cowan maintains a rigorous performing schedule that takes him to major concert venues in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Numerous critically acclaimed compact disc recordings by Mr. Cowan are available. Most recent, serving as organ accompanist, is Maurice Duruflé: Complete Choral Works (Signum Records), recorded with Robert Simpson and the Houston Chamber Choir, for which the choir received a Grammy Award in 2020 for Best Choral Recording. The recital will be free and open to the public, and a reception follows in the large fellowship hall.

Stations of the Cross: A Musical Offering  

Good Friday: March 29, 2024 at 4 p.m.

In addition to the Good Friday service at noon, Sanctuary, our Compline choir, will present a special offering of music, singing one of J.S. Bach’s most intimate and moving cantatas, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, (God’s time is the best time) BWV 106. A chamber orchestra of period instruments will accompany the ensemble, and Brent te Velde and Diana Chou will play organ music by Bach. The program will also include the motet by Jacob Handl, Ecce quomodo moritur justus, which was traditionally sung just after choral presentations of the Passion within the service of Vespers for Good Friday during Bach’s time in Leipzig, Germany. A special installation of Stations of the Cross will be available alongside the music, with guided tours before and after the program.

Easter

The Great Vigil of Easter: Saturday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.

Easter Day services on Sunday, March 31

  • Holy Eucharist: Rite One at 7:30 a.m.
  • Holy Eucharist: Rite Two at 9 and 11:15 a.m.
  • Celtic Evensong and Communion at 5:30 p.m.
  • Sung Compline at 8 p.m. 

The celebration of the resurrection begins on Holy Saturday with the Easter Vigil, with music sung by our Compline choir, Sanctuary. The 9 and 11:15 services of Holy Eucharist on Easter Day feature music for choirs, organ, and brass, sung by St. Stephen’s Choir and St. Stephen’s Choristers. Our Easter service of Celtic Evensong and Communion features an instrumental trio of violin, flute, and cello, and Sanctuary will conclude with the 8 p.m. service of Compline. 

We encourage you to attend many of the worship opportunities offered for Holy Week and Easter as you can. The journey through the week, guided by music, is transformative. 

Spring Music Gala and Silent Auction

NEW DATE: May 17, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. (reception); 6 p.m. (concert), 7 p.m. (dinner) | Tickets available soon

The gala concert features the many talents of St. Stephen’s wonderful staff singers, including music both sacred and secular, serious and fun! The evening will begin with a welcome reception outside Palmer Hall, which will provide an opportunity to register for and peruse the many offerings of the silent auction. A festive supper will follow the concert in the courtyard, and all proceeds from the evening will support the upcoming pilgrimage to southwest England. 

Services of Choral Eucharist

St. Stephen’s Choir will sing choral settings of the service music on several red-letter days of the church year — all during the 11:15 service, with the exception of Christmas Eve — complemented by the chanting of some of the prayers by our clergy. The rich repertoire of choral Eucharist is one of the treasures of the Anglican tradition, and some of this repertoire will be included in the choirs’ upcoming pilgrimage to southwest England.

Sunday, October 1: Feast of St. Francis
Herbert Howells: Communion service for King’s College Cambridge (Collegium regale)

Sunday, December 3: First Sunday in Advent
George Oldroyd: Mass for the Quiet Hour

Sunday, December 24: Christmas Eve Christ Mass (11 p.m.)
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Missa brevis

Sunday, February 11: Last Sunday in Epiphany (Transfiguration)
Charles V. Stanford: Communion service in C and F major

Sunday, March 10: Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare)
Imogen Holst: Mass in A minor

Sunday, May 19: Feast of Pentecost
Philip Stopford: Keble Missa brevis

Support music at St. Stephen's Church

Choirs for young people are an important part of St. Stephen’s general music ministry, and all materials, teaching, and meals are provided free of charge to each participant. Annual pledges to St. Stephen’s support all of the church’s ministries, and are the best way to support music at St. Stephen’s.

Recordings

Recordings by St. Stephen's choirs, including Sanctuary and the Virginia Girls Choir, are available online. These newer recordings, as well as older CDs of the parish choir and the organ, are also available in the Bookshop @ St. Stephen's. All of these recordings make wonderful gifts.

Sanctuary is the self-title CD recorded by our Compline choir. It features many of the chants and motets heard during our Sunday evening Compline service.

Where to buy Amazon | CD Baby  

An Unexpected Christmas features the Virginia Girls Choir and Ana Hernandez singing some "unexpected" Christmas arrangements and songs, as well as traditional carols. More details about this recording are here.

Where to buy Amazon | CD Baby | Episcopal Books and Resources  

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is a recording of the program aired on 88.9FM WCVE on Christmas Eve 2015. It features Sanctuary, Virginia Girls Choir, St. Stephen's Choir and the new Virginia Boys Choir, and includes the nine lessons read by clergy and parishioners.

Where to buy: St. Stephen's parish office

Music staff

Dr. Brent te Velde, director of music | email
Diana Chou, associate director of music | email
Chris Edwards, St. Stephen’s Choir director | email
804.288.2867

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