1. Where is the church located, and how can I get there?
2. When is your church office open, and where is it located?
3. When are your services held?
4. What can I expect if I come on a Sunday?
5. Who are the people in the congregation?
6. Do I need to speak fluent French to attend an event or service at this church?
7. How do I sign up for the free French classes? And are they really free?
8. Are there any other parish activities? How can I get involved?
9. Is it possible for my outside group or association to use or rent the church’s space?
10. Do I have to be an Episcopalian to attend Saint-Esprit?
11. What is the Episcopal Church? And what is the Anglican Communion?
Where is the church located, and how can I get there?
The French Church du Saint-Esprit is located at 109 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022 (between Park and Lexington Avenues), with offices at 111 East 60th. Parking is difficult, but taxis are plentiful and subways and buses stop nearby.
By Subway:
N/Q/R to Lexington Avenue
4/5/6 to 59th Street
By Bus:
M57 or M31 to Park Avenue
M1, 2, 3 or 4 to East 61st Street and Fifth or Madison Avenues
M101, 102, 103 to East 61st Street and Lexington Avenue
Q32 to East 60th Street or East 59th Street
When is your church office open, and where is it located?
Our church office is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.. The office is located at 111 East 60th Street, next door to the church sanctuary, in apartment 3F. All correspondence for the church should be directed to the church office. You can reach the Parish Administrator, Mr, Frederic Spitz, by telephone at (212) 838-5680, fax (212) 702-0809 or email at contact@stespritnyc.org
When are your services held?
Our main Sunday service is at 11:15 am, with celebration of Holy Communion on the first, second and fourth Sundays of the month, and Morning Prayer on the third Sunday. The church offers a mid-week service on Wednesdays at 12:00 pm. Please visit our Calendar page for all event listings.
Saint Esprit also hosts Taizé-style contemplative prayers at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays in the sanctuary, and four times a year on Sunday mornings.
What can I expect if I come on a Sunday?
You can be assured of a friendly welcome, whatever language you speak. The sermon, prayers, and hymns are in French, and an English translation of the sermon is provided. The service, which lasts about 75 minutes, will be either traditional Holy Communion or Morning Prayer. After the service, everyone is invited to stay for coffee and conversation. If it is a special occasion, we will share a festive vin d’honneur during a reception.
Who are the people in the congregation?
Our membership is drawn from more than twenty different nationalities. It includes descendants of the original Huguenots, modern immigrants, visitors from Europe, the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and a wide variety of other New Yorkers.
Do I need to speak fluent French to attend an event or service at this church?
Not at all! Our parishioners have a wide range of facility in French, including the most basic. Some are native speakers, while others have studied French as a second language. And as part of our service to the City, we offer free French lessons for every level of competence. Worship and learn with us!
How do I sign up for the free French classes? And are they really free?
The classes really are free! We ask only that you purchase the textbook we use, which you can find online for about $10-15. French classes are held every Sunday from 9:00 to 10:00 and 10:00 – 11:00 am at 109 East 60th Street, from September through June. There are different groups from complete beginner to fluent conversation. To ensure students success, all new students must register on our website on August 1st of each year to start in September and follow the full course. Fluent students can request to join the conversation classes anytime. More about Free French Classes.
Are there any other parish activities? How can I get involved?
The church hosts many activities, including a bilingual play-reading group and Taizé prayer group, and occasionally hosts forums, concerts and other cultural events. Saint Esprit offers many ways for you to be involved. You can join our choir or help decorate the church for special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, Bastille Day and Afrique Fête. You can bring a dish or help serve at our receptions; you can be an usher or join the altar guild. We welcome readers for our church services and volunteers to teach the French lessons.
Is it possible for my outside group or association to use or rent the church’s space?
Saint-Esprit occasionally grants the use of its space for outside activities that are in keeping with its mission. For any gathering not sponsored by the church and using its premises, a fee may be requested, and certificate of insurance for $3,000,000 general liability is required, with French Church du Saint-Esprit as additional named insured as its interests may appear. Contact the Parish Administrator at contact@stespritnyc.org for further details.
Do I have to be an Episcopalian to attend Saint-Esprit?
No, you don’t. The church is diverse and inclusive. Saint Esprit has been part of the Episcopal Diocese of New York since 1804, but its charter allows for Christians from all traditions to participate. Parishioners hail from many different denominations, united in their love of Jesus Christ, their worship of God, and their interest in the French language and Francophone cultures. All are welcome.
What is the Episcopal Church? And what is the Anglican Communion?
In the United States, the Anglican Communion is called the Protestant Episcopal Church. The third-largest Christian denomination in the world, it has more than ninety million members, four million of whom speak French. Its liturgy combines elements found the Roman Catholic Church with theology that was shaped by the Protestant Reformation. Saint Esprit is a part of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, headquartered at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine at 111th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan.