Welcome to St. Monica and St. James Episcopal Church

Welcome to the website of Saint Monica and Saint James Episcopal Church. We’re delighted that you’ve decided to look around, and we would love to have you join us for worship and life in community.

We come from many walks of life. Our congregation consists of families and individuals; young and old; city dwellers and suburbanites; white people and people of color; people of all sexual and gender identities. All of God's children are accepted and loved at St. Monica and St. James. We take pride in both our diversity as a congregation and our oneness in the Holy Spirit. It is our joy to welcome you to our community.

Worshiping With Us

Sunday Services
8:00am Said Mass
11:00am Sung Mass

Our community uses the rich liturgical tradition found in the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer (BCP). The Mass on weekdays, and at 8:00am on Sunday, uses Rite I from the BCP. The Sung Mass at 11:00am on Sunday Uses Rite II from the BCP. 

These services follow the typical pattern of the Western Churches: hymns are sung, Scripture is read, prayers are offered, sins are forgiven, and the Eucharist is celebrated. The choir sings a wide range of repertoire from Gregorian chant to contemporary pieces. The service music and hymnody represent a breadth of music tradition. Music is often accompanied by the organ. Everyone with a desire to receive Communion is welcome to do so; you need not be a parishioner or a confirmed Episcopalian.

 As an Anglo-Catholic parish, we use liturgical incense and bells in our worship. The incense reminds us that our prayers rise to heaven as a fragrant offering. The bells direct our attention to key events in the service, calling us to take notice of what is happening. 

There is no “dress code” or need for fancy attire. Worshippers dress as they themselves feel is appropriate. 

Accessibility

When you arrive on a Sunday, an usher will greet you at the door and give you a bulletin which contains our order of service. Additionally, we have full-text bulletins available to help people with hearing loss better access the service in English. Recognizing that many people in our neighborhood also have connections to Gallaudet University, we are actively working towards offering regular and consistent ASL interpretation at Mass. 

Accessibility is a priority at Saint Monica and Saint James. We have installed an elevator and have updated our restrooms to meet ADA standards. Should you have any access-related concerns, please contact us at office@smjec.org. 

 

Location and Parking

222 8th St. NE
Washington DC, 20002

Parking
There is limited on-street parking available. Make sure to allow time to find a parking space before services.

Public Transit Options

There are a variety of transit options open to you. Our closest bus stops are for the 90 and 92 (8th St. & Constitution Ave), the D6 (C St. & 8th St.), and the 96 (8th St. & Mass Ave).

We are a short walk from multiple metro stations, including Eastern Market (Orange, Blue, Silver—14 min), Union Station (Red—18 min), and Capitol South (Orange, Blue, Silver—20 min).