Welcome to Grace! Bienvenido a La Gracia!

To Love, Proclaim, and Serve God through

Amar, Proclamar y Servir a Dios a través de

  • life-giving liturgical worship
  • joyful community
  • empowering others

We live our mission through worship, in which lay adults, children and youth participate alongside our clergy.  Traditional, life-giving Eucharistic liturgy and fine music are hallmarks of worship at our parish, and we have weekly services in both English and Spanish.  We create a joyful community with a harvest of fellowship activities and events for all ages.  We empower and serve others through vital ministries, particularly around feeding the hungry.  Please explore our website to get to know us or, better yet, come visit!

For more information or to be added to our mailing list, please contact us at welcome@gracealex.org.

 

 

Beliefs & History – In Brief

Beliefs in Brief

We are…..

  • A center for worship and fellowship;
  • A school for discipleship and stewardship; and
  • A community for healing and outreach.

We live our mission through regular participation in the Eucharist and the practice of our baptismal promises. Traditional Eucharistic liturgy and fine music are hallmarks of worship at our parish. The Holy Eucharist is celebrated during the week and in five services on Sundays, including ministry to the Spanish-speaking people of the surrounding area.

It is Christ who empowers the church to cope with life’s brokenness, sets its members on creative new paths, and gives it the warmth and joy of community.

Visit the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia to learn more about our beliefs, practices, and doctrines.

A Brief History of Grace Church

Grace Church was the third Episcopal parish to be founded in the city of Alexandria.  “Episcopal” comes from the Greek word meaning “Bishop”.  The Episcopal Church (ECUSA) is the name of our church in the United States.  We are part of the world-wide Anglican Communion of those churches with roots in the Church of England.

From our earliest days, Grace has been an active parish in the Diocese of Virginia.  Our history affirms the vision of our founders to be a church where “all may come without regard for temporal estate, freely and without fee, as brethren come one to another.”

1855   Founding by 30 members of Christ Church, Alexandria, and first services at the Lyceum

1860   First church on South Patrick Street completed and consecrated

1861   Church converted into a hospital for Union troops during the Civil War

1893   Weekly celebration of the Eucharist, and Choral Eucharist each Sunday, begins

1930   First Midnight Mass celebrated

1948   New church building on Russell Road dedicated by Bishop Goodwin
Father Edward Merrow serves as Rector

1959   Grace Episcopal School opens

1975   Father Robert Moody begins to serve as Rector

1986   First woman ordained to the Priesthood at Grace Church

1989   Father Robert Malm begins to serve as Rector

1994   Renovation and expansion of our physical plant

2005   Sesquicentennial celebration year

2019    Father Robert Malm retires

2019 – 2020 The Rev. Michael B. Guy, Sr., S.T.S. appointed Interim Rector by the Diocese of Virginia

2020  First recorded video services offered

2020  Grace Church Food Pantry rapidly and vastly expands to serve over 300 families per week

2021  First live streamed services offered via the Grace Church YouTube Channel.

2021  The Rev. Dr. Anne Turner is called to serve as Grace’s new Rector, the first woman in Grace’s history.  Due to the covid-19 pandemic, she is formally installed as Rector in 2022, although she began her service in 2021.

 

 

Top photo credit: Photo by Emmanuel Phaeton on Unsplash