Church of St. Paul's, K Street (Washington, D.C.)

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This article is about Church of St. Paul's, K Street (Washington, D.C.). For St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish (D.C.), see St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish (Washington, D.C.).

St. Paul's Church, K Street is a parish of the Episcopal Church in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. It is known for being one of the first Anglo-Catholic churches in the United States.

1 History
2 Traditions
3 Worship Service
4 External links

[edit] History

St. Paul's Parish was founded in 1866 with the building of its first church at Washington Circle, where the congregation worshipped until the end of World War II. As a new hospital for George Washington University was planned to be built nearby, the government bought the property and the old building was closed at the end of 1944. On new property on K Street, purchased by the church, the architect Philip H. Frohman was engaged to design a new building. During a prolonged period of construction, the parish worshiped at St Thomas Church near Dupont Circle. The first service was held in the new church in June of 1948. Numerous additions of stained glass windows and appropriate religious adornments had been added in the intervening years. In 1966, St. Paul's celebrated its centenary with a liturgy of consecration.

[edit] Traditions

From its founding, St. Paul's has been noted for being in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism. The first vested choir in Washington and the first "choral service" were led by the first processional cross in the old church. Its "Midnight Mass" of 1870 was perhaps the first in the United States in an Anglican church. The Eucharist has been celebrated daily since before 1900, with the use of vestments before that. The Parish was also one of the first churches to use envelopes for offerings.