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 Dear Visitor to our website:
Welcome y Bienvenidos to St. Paul's Episcopal Church!
Wherever you are in your life with God - whether hesitant searcher or long-time Churchgoer - we invite you to come and explore faith in this unique parish.
St. Paul’s is a near-inner-city neighborhood parish, adjacent to Ft. Sam Houston, in an area that is ethnically and socially mixed, and in the midst of dramatic change. Our parishioners come from the surrounding neighborhood and from all over Bexar county, drawn here by our style of worship and the vision of faith grounded in the sacrament of the altar and service beyond our door. This combination of worship and outreach was recently recognized with an Excellence Award.
We are one of the oldest Episcopal Churches in the Diocese of West Texas, having been founded in 1883, and proud of our rich history. We represent and affirm the Catholic or High Church tradition of the Episcopal Church, which makes us unique in this part of the world. Our rich liturgy, centered in the Holy Eucharist or Mass, is the center of everything we do. Our music program, including our Choral Scholars affiliated with the Royal School of Church Music, is one of the best in the city. Through worship on Sunday and the regular offerings of Evensong and other programs, the best of the Anglican Choral tradition is made available to the San Antonio community. Opportunities for Christian formation through study, retreat, prayer groups and service throughout the year.
Our parish day school, St. Paul’s Episcopal Montessori School, is the latest incarnation of our vision. We find ourselves in one of the poorest and most underserved areas of the city, but just a stone’s throw from one of the wealthiest and most privileged. Our school was created to bring students from these and similar communities together, uniting children and parents of differing socio-economic, educational, linguistic backgrounds in one learning environment. The school began in January 2005 with five students, and now has five classes from toddles through upper elementary, and a vision for expansion, thanks to the generosity of the parish, individual donors and foundations.
Although we are a congregation with a long history, many of our active members have come here within the last few years and have found St. Paul’s a place where they can offer their gifts and talents in the task of transforming the world for Christ. Our membership and leadership is comprised of the young and the old, the old-timer and the newcomer, married, partnered and single, gay and straight, rich and poor, native Tejanos and Texans by adoption and grace. We represent and celebrate the wonderful diversity that makes South Texas what it is, and we seek to do that in faithfulness to the baptismal command to respect the dignity of every human being. We strive to include a place for everyone around God’s table and believe there should be no outcasts in the Episcopal Church. We have prepared a Visitors Guide, which will give you more information about us.
You have found us on the web. On behalf of the wardens and members, I invite you to find us in person at 1018 East Grayson St. in historic Government Hill near the transforming Broadway corridor. Your visit and presence among us will be a grace in our lives, as we pray the time you spend with us will be a grace in yours.
In Christ,
Mr. Richard Slocum
Senior Warden
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