The Zabriskie Memorial Church of S. John the Evangelist is a parish of the Diocese of Rhode Island in the Episcopal Church. Our church is Anglo-Catholic in doctrine and style, and we have an extensive and beautiful music programme. The services are in traditional language and reflect the beauty of the Anglican and Western Catholic traditions of liturgy and music. Our church is inclusive and open to all, and we would be delighted to have you visit us on Sundays or during the week. You are invited to the reception after the ten o'clock mass on Sundays for a bite to eat and a chance to meet others.

The Church was founded in 1875 by Peter Quire, an African-American Newport resident, who with the encouragement of The Rev'd Isaac White, Rector of Trinity Church, offered his home in the Point section of the city for services. It was out of this that the Mission grew rapidly; and, in 1876, the first church building (now the Guild Hall) was built. Our current church building was built through the generosity of Mrs Sarah Jane Zabriskie in loving memory of her daughter, in 1894. Reflecting the aims of the Catholic Revival within the Episcopal Church, all seats in S. John's were from the first day free (that is, you didn't have to pay rent to have a seat in church, as was the custom for most Episcopal parishes of the time). Over the years, our parish has been enriched with beautiful gifts, including the following outstanding and unique treasures:

• The splendid 1914 Blessed Sacrament Chapel, designed by Ralph Adams Cram and given in memory of Sidney Webster, a member of Abraham Lincoln's cabinet.



• The superb Rood Screen, which separates the main body of the church from the Altar and choir area, given in memory of Father Charles Beattie in 1920.



• The Christmas Creche (Crib), which is made up of various 18th Century Italian figures, displayed in a decorated housing, given in the early 20th Century and painted by a talented parishioner of the time.

Being the only church on the Point, the atmosphere of our building, extensive grounds, and proximity to Narragansett Bay has long been an attraction, and since the late 19th Century, the Anglo-Catholic doctrine and style of worship have been a draw to many from throughout the city and beyond.

Our parish family is a small enough one that it is quite possible for a newcomer to know everyone in short order, and we are well known for the friendly welcome given visitors. The congregation has been growing slowly since the arrival of our Rector; and, we are always happy to welcome new members. The Choir of our church is a small ensemble under the direction of Jonathan Babbitt, an eminently respected organist, choir director (he helms The Swanhurst Chorus here in the city and The Litchfield County Choral Union in Connecticut) and composer; and, they perform a wide repertory of church music from the last two thousand years, with an emphasis on polyphonic and English Cathedral Church Music. Much of this music in the Church has been unjustly neglected; therefore it is a great pleasure to be able to offer the richness of the Western Choral tradition in the Liturgy for which it was written.

The congregation includes people of all ages, races, national origins, sexual orientations, economic backgrounds, and social classes. We should certainly be most pleased to make your acquaintance, and to have you return any Sunday for Sung Mass or to masses offered daily (except Mondays) during the week.

More on Saint Johns Parish History