GET TO KNOW US!
The Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany is a community committed to compassion, inclusion and justice.
The Church of Saint Luke and The Epiphany is a vibrant community of faith located in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood! In direct alignment with that, we are a diverse, welcoming, and affirming church. Our members come from traditions both inside and outside of the Episcopal Church, and we continue this sentiment by inviting all to join in our services and events regardless of your background.
Our Sunday worship is grounded in the Episcopal tradition, which you can read more about the history of if you click here. As stated on that site, “The Episcopal Church embraces a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; people of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church.”
Saint Luke’s offers a warm expression of our call to serve through our events. You can find friendship in our many parish activities such as “Coffee Hour” which includes light refreshments following our Sunday service, our community partner events ranging from concerts and queer-led performance groups, to volunteer opportunities that involve cooking for neighbors in need. We also have a number of fun events throughout the year including Christmas arts and crafts, the Blessing of the Animals honoring Saint Francis, and we even serve as a headquarters for Philly PRIDE and OURFest!
Apart from our church’s sanctuary and chapel, we are blessed to have additional rooms that allow us to provide safe spaces for local organizations. We house services for LGBTQIA+ nonprofits, as well as for HIV support groups, and AA meetings.
If you are seeking a welcoming environment to explore your faith, partake in the Holy Sacraments such as Baptism or Matrimony, or to host an event, we are here to connect with you! Our historic and rich architecture serves as a lovely setting for events. (Fun fact: our chapel and parish house was designed by prominent Victorian-era architect Frank Furness in 1875.)
We strive to support all of our neighbors and look forward to meeting you!
Founded in 1839 and 1834 respectively, the churches of Saint Luke and The Epiphany were merged as a unified congregation in 1898. In the past, we have worked to distribute fresh fruit and ice to our neighbors who had none in the days before electricity and refrigeration. During the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s and ‘90s, we worked hard in community outreach and were even one of the first churches to allow funerals for those who passed away due to AIDS. See a complete history of the parish at our Wikipedia entry.