We welcome all people. We strive to reflect the diversity of the kingdom of God. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and wherever you are on your spiritual journey, you are welcome at Epiphany.

We care about our neighbors. Through our ministries we strive for justice and equity for all God’s children.

We love each other. We are never perfect, but in a busy city it is good to find friends to laugh and cry with, to share stories of your day, your children, your parents, and your job.

We pray together. We are an Episcopal Church. Our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls us the“Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement— individuals, small gathered communities and congregations whose way of life is the way of Jesus and his way of love. Our worship is a time to connect deeply to God through stories, music, silence, sacraments, and prayer.”

Meet Our
Clergy & Staff

The Rev. Matthew Dayton Welch

Rector

Jackie Klein

Director of Day School

212-737-2720 • ext. 25

The Day School is where children ages 2-5 are involved in various programs including art, music, yoga, etc. that…

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Robert Howard

Director of Parish Administration

Robert Howard is an active member of the Episcopal Church, serving on the Vestry at Christ & Saint Stephen’s…

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Christina Itwaru

Operations Manager

212-737-2720 • ext. 101

Joe Arzaga

Deputy Facilities Manager

Joe is involved with cleaning, maintenance, and repair for the Church and Day School.

Marilyn Castillo

Sunday School Director

Marilyn is a true Tex/Mex, bilingual teacher with a flavor all her own. When she’s not teaching Sunday School at Epiphany she is singing with…

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Gerald Jenkins

Head Sexton

Gerald is involved with cleaning, maintenance, and repair for the Church and Day School.

Jennifer Stevens

Minister for Hospitality

212-737-2720

Kathryn O’Neal-Dunham

Warden

Novia Ramsay

Warden

Caroline Angell

Denise Cruz

Carron Donohue

Janette Gautier

Stacey Gutman

Edward Kelleher

Carolyn Hale

Torrey Lind

Pamela Byrd

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TIMELINE

The History of Epiphany is the History of New York

From 1832 through the present, click through our Timeline to discovery the history of The Church Epiphany alongside the history of New York City.

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1832

Church History

The Rev. Dr. McVikar

The Rev. Dr. McVikar “having one Sunday…to pass through Stanton Street, encountered throngs of idle and destitute boys playing in the street or lounging. His heart was moved…and he reported the case to two Christian women who immediately placed in his hands seventy-five dollars saying: ‘We will have on that spot a mission church’. A room was sought, and with some difficulty obtained. It was a small, dark room over an engine house.”

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1832

City History

Cholera Appears

Andrew Jackson is elected President. Manhattan’s population is 250,000. In June, cholera appears; 3,000 New Yorkers die within weeks. Crowded working-class neighborhoods below 14th Street— particularly the notorious Five Points Ward just blocks from Epiphany—are hit first.

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1834

Church History

Rev. Lot Jones is called as Rector

First “free church” and mission chapel opens at 130 Stanton Street, located between Essex and Norfolk Streets. The Rev. Lot Jones is called as Rector.

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1834

City History

Street Cars go North

New York City populace migrates northward with The New York and Harlem Line, extending horse car service up to 84th Street.

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1852

Church History

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Rev. Lot’s sister-in- law, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s antislavery novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin is published.

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1852

City History

Uncle Tom's Cabin

The publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin has a profound effect on attitudes toward slavery and is said to have “helped lay the groundwork for the American Civil War.” It is the second best-selling book of the 19th century, following the Bible.

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1874

Church History

Epiphany Moves Uptown

Epiphany moves uptown to 50th St., its third home, a small wooden church owned by Church of the Reformation. They exchange properties and Epiphany gets title to 228 East 50th St. Members of both churches became one congregation, retaining the name Church of the Epiphany. Uriah Tracy is called as Rector.

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1881

Church History

Epiphany Moves to East 47th

A new place of worship is needed as the wood begins to rot at the 50th Street building. Epiphany buys St. Alban’s, a stone church, “on favorable terms” on East 47th Street. This will be Epiphany’s home –its fourth — for the next twelve years.

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1893

Church History

Epiphany Merges with St. John the Baptist

In an effort to consolidate costs, Epiphany merges with St. John the Baptist, located at Lexington Avenue and 35th Street. It remains in its fifth location until 1936. The Church of the Epiphany again keeps its name, as it is the oldest of the two. The Rev. Dr. Cornelius Roosevelt Duffie, a wealthy New Yorker, is called as rector of the two churches. He serves the parish with little or no salary.

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1903

Church History

Rev. William T. Crocker

The Rev. William T. Crocker is called as rector. He serves until 1933— nearly one-third of the entire history of the church.

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1936

Church History

Epiphany moves to St. Thomas Chapel

Epiphany moves to St. Thomas Chapel, 230 East 60th Street (now All Saints Episcopal Church). This is Epiphany’s sixth location until the new church is completed at 1393 York Ave at East 74th Street.

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1938

Church History

Epiphany’s 105th Anniversary

October 16: Epiphany’s 105th anniversary is celebrated. Parishioners, dignitaries and descendants of early congregants gather to lay the cornerstone of the new church.

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1939

Church History

Dedicating New Church

October 29. Bishop Manning dedicates the new church at 74th St. and York Ave., at its first service, the 2nd Sunday after Trinity. The church is designed in a simplified Norman Gothic style by the firm Wyeth and King.

November 1 — A Society Benefit featuring Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo is held at the Metropolitan Opera House to raise money for the completion of the new church.

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1939

City History

The World's Fair

World’s Fair opens in Queens.
LaGuardia airport opens.
Germany invades Poland.

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1945

Church History

Rev. Hugh D. McCandless

The Rev. Hugh D. McCandless is called as rector. He serves at Epiphany for 27 years.

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1945

City History

World War II ends

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1962

Church History

The Vietnam War

Epiphany’s rector, the Rev. McCandless, preaches against the Vietnam War, declaring: “Every American, Vietnamese and even Vietcong men (sic) killed this summer in South Vietnam are my brothers. Every war is a civil war, a quarrel among brothers.”

Image: An Anti-War Protest in Central Park

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1962

City History

Martin Luther King Speaks In New York City

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers a speech at Park Sheraton Hotel, commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Epiphany’s neighborhood continues to change, as high rises are built near the York Avenue corridor.

The Cuban Missile Crisis.

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1978

Church History

Rev. Constance Coles

The Rev. Constance Coles becomes the first woman curate at Epiphany, and the first woman ordained at the church. Epiphany celebrates its 40th Anniversary. Rector Emeritus McCandless reminds parishioners, “The essence of Epiphany is that it has been formed by its challenges…whatever the needs of the City were at that particular time.

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1978

City History

Ed Koch becomes 105th Mayor

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1998

Church History

Rev. Andrew Mullins

The Rev. Andrew Mullins is called as rector, upon the recommendation of Rev. Zorowick. They had studied at General Theological Seminary together.

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2007

Church History

Epiphany joins Carpenter’s Kids

Epiphany joins Carpenter’s Kids — a program that provides school uniforms, supplies and breakfast for Aids/HIV orphans in Tanzania. Associate Rector Jennifer Reddall visits the school in August. Vacation Bible School (VBS) reestablished.

Lay Eucharistic Minister program launched, allowing laypersons to administer communion to hospital patients and home-bound parishioners.

Vacation Bible School (VBS) reestablished.

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2007

City History

2nd Ave Subway

Construction resumes on the 2nd Avenue subway, a project proposed in 1929 and abandoned in the 1970s.

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2011

Church History

Rector Jennifer A. Reddall

Associate Rector Jennifer A. Reddall is appointed rector at Epiphany when Rev. Mullins retires.

Dec: Rev. George Packard arrested for trespassing at Occupy Wall Street.

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2011

City History

Occupy Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street, a protest movement against economic inequality begins in NYC’s financial district and spreads across the U.S. and globally. The protest gives rise to the slogan, “We are the 99%.”

Same-sex marriage is legalized in New York.

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2018

Church History

Seeking New Location

The Church of the Epiphany seeks a new location to accommodate congregational growth and needs. With the New York Diocese Bishop’s approval, Epiphany sells its building on York Avenue to Weill Cornell Medical Center and purchases Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, one block north at 351 East 74th St. The sale enables Epiphany to renovate its new place of worship and establish an endowment that will secure the parish’s financial future.

Rev. Reddall is elected the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Arizona, the first woman to serve in that position.

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2019

Church History

The Rev. Roy A. Cole is called as Interim Rector. Under his stewardship and working with the Vestry, renovation of Jan Hus Church begins.

Congregants participate in book clubs and workshops in response to the Diocese’s call for a Year of Apology to recognize and apologize for the Church’s culpability in supporting slavery.

Epiphany partners with the Carter Burden Network to host a lunch program for seniors 5 days a week.

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2020

Church History

Rev. Elise Hanley

The Rev. Elise Hanley is called as Associate Rector.

March: COVID spreads rapidly in NYC. Epiphany responds to COVID restrictions and begins online ZOOM church services as well as Bible Study and other
programs.

May: Ongoing civil unrest is triggered after the police murder of George Floyd – another unarmed black man. Epiphany displays its own Black Lives Matter banner on York Avenue.

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2020

City History

COVID-19 Pandemic

New York City is one of the hardest hit U.S. cities at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 2.5 million cases reported and 40,962 deaths. A long period of quarantine and isolation begins here and across the world.

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2021

Church History

Construction Delays

Extensive renovation continues at 351 East 74th Street. COVID causes construction delays.

In-person services resume, with masking and social distancing guidelines followed; a live-stream option is available.

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2021

City History

The COVID Vaccine

A vaccine is released by three different pharmaceutical companies, allowing life to return to some semblance of normal. A COVID-19 variant called Omicron appears in the Fall. While not as virulent as the first outbreak, hospital cases rise again in NYC.

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2022

Church History

Completing Renovations

Most renovation is complete and the scaffolding comes down at 351 East 74th Street.

May 12: The Holy Eucharist and Secularization of the Church at York Avenue is celebrated by Bishop Andrew M. Dietsche of the New York Diocese.

May 15: The last Eucharist is celebrated at York Avenue. Parishioners anticipate moving into their new church by the end of May.

June: Slow-moving city agencies cause further delay. The Day School has clearance to move in. The parish anticipates moving in by July.

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2022

City History

Ukraine, Covid, Supreme Court Decision

Adding to the world’s strife, Russia invades Ukraine.

While COVID continues to spread; individuals choose their own precautions as mandates are lifted and vaccines are widely available.

A woman’s right to abortion is overturned by the Supreme Court

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Carter Burden Senior Lunch Program 2024

Each week, Monday through Friday, the Carter Burden Senior Lunch Program serves a hot lunch to all seniors 60 years and older. For more information, please go to https://www.carterburdennetwork.org/cblc

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Tuesday January 2nd

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11:00am

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Wednesday Night Dinner Program 2024

The Church of the Epiphany’s Wednesday Night Dinner Program is open for dine in on Wednesday's only, beginning at 6pm. A hot, nutritious take-out dinner is typically served each Wednesday evening to anyone who needs one.

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Wednesday May 3rd

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6:00pm

CEDS is an inclusive, forward-thinking preschool that is committed to delivering holistic and flexible instruction that focuses on providing children ages 2-5 a space and an opportunity to fall in love with learning. Visit the CEDS website to learn more about our curriculum and community.

CEDS Day School