St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church

09/02/2026

Who is St. Mary Anne? Actually, there is no St. Mary Anne. But it's a good story!
In 1706, the colonial legislature and governor of Maryland established a new parish on the north shore of the Elk River. Sometime between the years 1709 and 1715, a wooden church was built on the site of the present church. The Reverend Jonas Auren, who was a Swedish Lutheran clergyman, established the first congregation of English, Swedes, and Finns. This congregation became St. Mary’s Parish.
In 1714, Queen Anne died. Part of her bequest was to establish the Anglican Church in the colonies. St. Mary’s received a large Bible, a Book of Common Prayer, and a silver chalice and paten from this source. In gratitude for these gifts, the congregation renamed itself St. Mary Anne’s.

08/26/2026

St. Mary Anne's welcomes anyone who needs groceries. Drop by on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays 9:30 to noon.

08/11/2026

St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church is looking for an Interim Rector.

07/04/2026

Our Country is celebrating 250 years! We’ve preached Christ for 320 years!

Traditions, a sense of history and most important, faith in God, can give us a sense of comfort and stability—especially in a world that appears to be less stable each and every day.

At St Mary Anne’s Episcopal Church, we are proud of our traditions and history as one of the oldest Episcopal parishes on the Eastern Shore. The beauty of St Mary Anne’s Church surrounds us as we hear the comforting and reassuring words of the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached from our pulpit. Our liturgy, from The Book of Common Prayer, is a sacred gift of prayer and worship to God, and grounds us in our faith.

We firmly believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of hope and comfort for all—a message that is essential and relevant for our modern and chaotic lives. We also derive comfort from traditional worship in a historic church. St Mary Anne’s, though, is more than a historic building–it is filled with people who will learn your name and care about you—and the community. Our faith, traditions, and people can give you the comfort and stability you desire.

06/26/2026

We are happy to be in partnership with the local recovery community!

  [Episcopal News Service] Many medical agencies, organizations and facilities recognize substance and alcohol addictions as chronic diseases, but stigma keeps many people from seeking treatme…

06/20/2026

Bless Our Fathers

Heavenly Father,
Tomorrow on Father’s Day and always, we ask You to bless our earthly fathers
for the many times they reflected the love, strength, generosity, wisdom and mercy that You exemplify in Your relationship with us, Your children.

We honor our fathers for putting our needs above their own convenience and comfort;
for teaching us to show courage and determination in the face of adversity;
for challenging us to move beyond self-limiting boundaries;
for modeling the qualities that would turn us into responsible, principled, caring adults.

Not all our fathers lived up to these ideals.
Give them the grace to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes.
Give us the grace to extend to them the same forgiveness that you offer us all.
Help us to resist the urge to stay stuck in past bitterness,
instead, moving forward with humility and peace of heart.

We ask your blessing on those men who served
as father figures in our lives
when our biological fathers weren't able to do so.
May the love and selflessness they showed us
be returned to them in all their relationships,
and help them to know that their influence
has changed us for the better.

Give new and future fathers the guidance they need
to raise happy and holy children,
grounded in a love for God and other people -
and remind these fathers that treating their wives
with dignity, compassion and respect is
one of the greatest gifts they can give their children.

We pray that our fathers who have passed into the next life
have been welcomed into Your loving embrace,
and that our family will one be day be reunited in your heavenly kingdom.
Amen.

06/18/2026

Join us this Sunday! It’s Father’s Day! At 8am and 10am, we’ll worship God our Father and say a special prayer of blessing for the men who are our are fathers.

06/13/2026

Hidden behind the organ box in the balcony of St. Mary Anne’s is this beautiful stained glass window.
It faces west, looking towards the North East River. Some say before the organ was installed in the church, the sun shining through the stained glass would point towards the altar on the east wall and shine a light on it.
The beauty of the glass does not compare to the beauty we find in worshipping God.
Join us at either 8am or 10am.
You’re always welcome. Come as you are!

06/06/2026

WHY CHURCH?
God calls us to a life of faith and trust and obedience, not a life of taking the “obvious,” self-help option in our lives.
We come to God’s house and present ourselves, mess and all, at His feet in worship, and He cleans us up, accepts us, blesses us, and sends us back out.
If we’re having a hard time with going to church, we don’t start with our home or work situation. We start with faith and obedience in the cornerstone of our life: worship of God.

Sunday's at 8am & 10am

05/29/2026

Join us for Trinity Sunday.
Fr. John's message will be about a gospel-centered life. When we speak of a person who lives a gospel-centered life, we mean that person has believed the gospel of Jesus Christ and has made the death and resurrection of Christ the very foundation of his or her life. A true Christian must be a gospel-centered person because Christianity is a lifestyle, not an activity. Knowing about Christ does not make one a Christian; knowing Christ does.
See you at either 8 or 10 am