We are a church with a history as long and meandering as the history of European settlement in Manhattan. We are the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City and the burial site of Peter Stuyvesant and other prominent Dutch founding families of New Amsterdam. Mark’s Sunday service is both rooted in the Episcopal tradition and celebratory of the creativity and the diversity of the congreg
ation. Many feel strongly that this balance is what makes the worship meaningful to them. Our congregation is comprised of activists in a number of issues, including issues of racism, gender- identity, and economic justice. We like to be challenged to action in pursuit of justice. We like to hear from leaders in these struggles who can bring us information from other parts of these movements. Our congregation celebrates marriage as gender-neutral and all couples wishing to solemnize their vows are welcome to be wed at St. Mark’s after appropriate pre-marital counseling. St. Mark’s campus includes the Sanctuary, Parish Hall, East Yard, West Yard, and the Ernest Flagg Rectory. Three resident arts projects share the space:
• Danspace, which holds performances in the Sanctuary Thursday through Saturday evenings during their season, which generally runs from September through May. It has an office on the second floor of the Sanctuary.
• The Poetry Project, which has readings in the Parish Hall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with workshops on Tuesday and Thursday. It also has an office on the second floor of the Sanctuary and storage space in the basement.
• The New York Ballet Theater, which offers classes for children and adults during the day in the former theater space on the second floor of the parish hall. The Ernest Flagg Rectory currently houses:
• A 1200-square-foot apartment on the third floor for the Rector
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• The Neighborhood Preservation Center, operated by the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund, on the first floor
• The Historic Districts Council and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation on the second floor
