Get to Know: St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Carondelet
Located just blocks from the Mississippi River in South St. Louis City, St. Paul's Episcopal Church is a small parish with a big heart for serving the community. That service comes in many different forms, but always begins with a welcome to all.
St. Paul's has been a part of the Carondelet neighborhood since its founding in 1868. The parish may be best known for their community outreach, serving 25-30 "to-go" meals every Thursday to their neighbors, stocking free food and library pantries, extending free wi-fi coverage the street, and maintaining a bus stop bench in front of the church.
The congregation also has a passion for creation care and environmental justice. A generous donation made it possible for St. Paul's to install solar panels on their roof in 2021. Those panels will provide clean energy into the community’s power grid and will reduce St. Paul’s electric bills by a projected 82%. St. Paul's is also installing an air quality monitoring system as part of a university study of environmental contamination in the surrounding community.
That connection to and care for the community can also be found inside the church each Sunday morning, where you'll find adults engaging in Christian formation discussions, children playing in the back of the nave, and newcomers exploring possibilities. "This is a very honest, pragmatic, fun-loving, and deepiy spiritually committed congregation," said the Rev. Rebecca Ragland, Rector at St. Paul's. "We have a lot of working class people and you get that sense from how we worship." Rev. Rebecca says their goal is to make everything easy access for all who enter their doors.
The congregation also has a strong appreciation for the arts. The parish hosts musical concerts and exhibitions for local artists. St. Paul's proudly displays colorful icons created by church member and artist Evan T. Smith as a focal point of their worship space. Bishop Deon Johnson dedicated the final piece on Sunday, Jan. 9, 2022. For this year's Lenten season, parish members and community friends will create new artwork to place in their Stations of the Cross display in frames also designed by artist Evan Smith. St. Paul's prides itself on being a place for the community to express its creativity.
Vital Stats:
Church name: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Address: 6518 Michigan Avenue
City: Carondelet / St. Louis
Phone: 314-352-0370
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.carondeletchurch.org/
Worship Services: Sundays at: 10:30 a.m. (livestream & in-person)
Clergy:
- The Rev. Rebecca Ragland, Rector
- The Rev. Barbi Click, Deacon
Mission: We strive to love God and our neighbors through…
- Love for our community in South St. Louis City, County & Jefferson County
- Love for our community within… love for the self
- Love for our neighbors on the street
- Love for the soil
Members: 62
ASA: 29