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House of Prayer Episcopal Church, Philadelphia

1860 establishments in Pennsylvania19th-century Episcopal church buildingsEpiscopal Church in PennsylvaniaReligious organizations established in 1860
House of Prayer, Branchtown
House of Prayer, Branchtown

House of Prayer Episcopal Church in Branchtown/Ogontz neighborhood of Philadelphia is an historically African American church in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania near La Salle University. It was founded as a mission of St. Luke's, Germantown in 1860. It has a small adjacent cemetery for members of the Barclay family. Its name is taken from Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, and Luke 19:46: "Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." The church building was designed by noted American Anglo-Catholic architect Emlen Trenchard Littell (1838-1891), whose brother was its first rector. Littell's other work includes the Church of the Incarnation, New York City, St. Paul's, Poughkeepsie, and the former St. John's Cathedral, Wilmington, Delaware. The completed church was consecrated on July 14, 1863, by Bishop William Bacon Stevens. The rectory was built in 1908, and a large parish house was added in 1925. In 1941, a "catacombs chapel" was installed in the basement by rector the Rev. Dr. Howard M. Stuckert. A 1964 diocesan report described the Branchtown neighborhood as "formerly Jewish, now predominantly Negro." In 1964, the parish had 287 members. In 2019, the parish reported 97 members and 15 average Sunday attendance, with $39,319 in plate and pledge financial support. It reported no attendance for 2020. The church has had a number of internal organizations, including Scouting groups for boys and girls, Episcopal Church Women, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew for men, the Girls' Friendly Society, and the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament.

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House of Prayer Episcopal Church, Philadelphia
East Montgomery Avenue, Lower Merion Township

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N 40.013530360308 ° E -75.272909306704 °
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All Saints'

East Montgomery Avenue 1325
19096 Lower Merion Township
Pennsylvania, United States
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House of Prayer, Branchtown
House of Prayer, Branchtown
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All Saints', Wynnewood
All Saints', Wynnewood

All Saints', Wynnewood is a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania located in Wynnewood, Montgomery County. In 2019, it reported 149 members, average attendance of 91, and $229,361 in plate and pledge financial support. The church's first services as a mission congregation were held in a private house on January 1, 1911, with the laying of a cornerstone on October 7, 1911, by Bishop Thomas J. Garland and first services in the church on December 18, 1911. It was admitted into union with the diocesan convention in 1917. The building was consecrated by Bishop Philip M. Rhinelander on Sexagesima Sunday, January 31, 1921. The building was enlarged significantly in 1921 with additions by the Furness & Evans architectural partnership. A rood and roodscreen were erected in 1925. The current parish house was built in 1955. The church's organ is by Danish-American builder M. P. Möller (Opus R-910, 1974), previously Skinner Organ Co. (Opus 814, 1929). It has 25 ranks, 1,676 pipes, four divisions, three manuals, 21 stops, and 32 registers. It also previously had a two-manual Bates & Culley organ (1912). A lady chapel was built and consecrated in 1961. The church includes significant stained glass by Nicola D'Ascenzo and Duncan Niles Terry; many of the windows are from the Philadelphia studio of English-born artist Arthur R. Willett. The church also includes work by Philadelphia liturgical artist Davis d'Ambly. The parish's priest in charge is the Rev. Edward Rix, a graduate of the University of King's College in Nova Scotia. The church uses the 1928 Book of Common Prayer at all services. Philadelphia Orchestra Vox Ama Deus is in residence in the parish, led by the current parish organist and Choir Master, Dr. Valentin Radu. The parish hall's acoustics make it a popular venue for concerts and rehearsals, including by American rock band The Doors.