A Parish Older Than the City, Still Standing in the Heart of Covina
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church sits on the corner of North Third Avenue in downtown Covina, in a stately 1910 sanctuary whose architecture has watched over the parish for more than a century. The parish itself is older than much of the city around it: it was formed on Trinity Sunday in 1887 in the living room of J.S. Phillips, the founder of Covina, when Mrs. Phillips and Mrs. B.F. Cook began organizing what would become a fixture of the San Gabriel Valley. The church is a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles and belongs to the worldwide Anglican Communion, and its identity today is shaped by three threads - a deep High Church liturgical tradition, a substantial Latino ministry centered in a dedicated chapel, and a music program built around a historic pipe organ and two choirs.
The Building and Its Architect
The present church was designed by Arthur B. Benton, the architect best known for much of the Mission Inn in Riverside. The cornerstone was laid in December 1910 by Bishop Johnson, and the design grew from sketches the rector made of English country parish churches during travels abroad, combined with elements of the Gothic Revival and American Craftsman movements. Benton had earlier supervised the restorations of the San Juan Capistrano and San Diego missions, and Holy Trinity's blend of Gothic and Craftsman stonework and rich wood became a signature of his church work.
That building replaced an earlier 1891 structure that was destroyed in a windstorm soon after its consecration. The replacement church, built for about $1,300, served the parish until the present sanctuary was ready. Inside, the chancel houses a two-manual pipe organ whose history reaches back to the late 1800s, when Mrs. B. F. Cook served as the parish's first organist. The current instrument includes an 11-rank Henry Pilcher's Sons installation from 1926, with later additions by Möller, O'Neal Pipe Organ Service, and preserved Wicks ranks from the former St. Martha's Church in West Covina. A 2025 renovation campaign is re-leathering the windchests and restoring the instrument's reliability for the next generation.
Worship in the High Church Tradition
Holy Trinity describes itself as part of the High Church tradition within Anglicanism, with an emphasis on liturgy and the sacraments, the frequent celebration of the Holy Eucharist, traditional vestments, incense, and the three orders of ministry - deacon, priest, and bishop. The Book of Common Prayer sets the words and prayers for the services, and the same liturgy that an Episcopalian would find at any other Episcopal church in the world is found here.
The Sunday schedule opens with a quiet, spoken Low Mass at 8:00 a.m. without music, followed by Morning Prayer at 9:00 a.m. - a service of prayer and scripture that prepares the congregation for the day's Eucharistic celebrations. The principal service of the week is the 10:15 a.m. Choral High Mass, sung by the Parish Choir and accompanied by the pipe organ, with incense and full ceremonial. At 12:15 p.m., La Santa Misa is celebrated entirely in Spanish in the chapel.
Wednesday evenings bring the Rosary at 5:00 p.m., followed by a simple Weekday Mass at 5:30 p.m. On the second Wednesday of each month, that midweek rhythm shifts into a Recovery Eucharist at 6:00 p.m. for those in recovery and the people who love them.
All baptized Christians - whatever their denomination - are welcome to receive communion at Holy Trinity. Visitors who are not baptized are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing. The church's published welcome is explicit about inclusion: people of every age, gender, ethnic or national origin, economic status, and sexual orientation are welcome to make the parish their spiritual home.
La Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
The heart of Holy Trinity's Latino ministry is La Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a sacred chapel within the parish campus that was dedicated under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe on August 17, 2013. Originally built in 1961, the chapel was renovated in the style of California's first Spanish mission, Mission San Diego de Alcalá, with altarpieces built by Rogelio Aguillón and painted by Kathleen Miller. The retablos honor the people of St. Martha's Church, whose community brought new life to Holy Trinity after their own parish was disbanded.
La Santa Misa is celebrated in Spanish every Sunday at 12:15 p.m., and on special feast days throughout the year. The chapel's life is shaped by the great traditions of Latino Catholic and Anglican devotion: the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in December with traditional mañanitas and mariachi; Las Posadas during Advent with live donkeys; altars and ofrendas for El Día de los Muertos; and fiestas marking the independence days of Hispano-American countries. An advisory guild, El Gremio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, plans the chapel's celebrations and gatherings.
Music, Choirs, and the Pipe Organ
Music is one of the strongest calling cards of the parish. The Parish Choir, made up of skilled volunteer and professional singers, rehearses and sings on Sunday mornings from September through June and presents a wide repertoire spanning Gregorian chant to works of the present day, with particular emphasis on Anglican and Episcopal music. The Festival Choir is open to anyone in the community - no audition, no long-term commitment - who wishes to add their voice to the great services of the church year, from Homecoming Sunday in September through Holy Week and Easter.
The choirs are supported by the St. Cecilia Music Guild, named for the patron saint of musicians. The Guild underwrites special musical events and guest musicians, cares for the historic pipe organ, and is building a music endowment to sustain the program for the long term. Beyond Sunday mornings, the music program shapes the parish's most beloved traditions: the St. Michael & All Angels Evensong honoring first responders, the All Souls' Requiem, the annual Remembrance Day Evensong with bagpipes and trumpeters, Advent Lessons and Carols by candlelight, and the Madrigal Feast, a Renaissance-style evening of music and merriment.
Outreach, Hospitality, and the Wider Community
Outreach is woven into the parish's stated mission, with ministries designed to serve neighbors who need a meal, groceries, or simply a place to belong. The A.C.T.I.O.N. Food Pantry distributes groceries to neighbors in Covina and the surrounding valley. The Hot Dog Ministry serves a hot meal with no paperwork and no preconditions. The Gift Card Ministry lets households choose what they actually need rather than receiving a prepared box. The Rector's Discretionary Fund and St. Martha's Hospitality Guild extend further direct help, while a chapter of the Order of the Daughters of the King offers prayer and support to the sick and grieving.
Twelve Step programs meet on the parish campus during the week, and the parish participates in the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless and the Covina Valley Compassion Council. The parish is represented on the Faith Relations Committee of Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity, and parishioners take part in build days across the valley. Holy Trinity also partners with Options For Learning Toddler Care, hosts American Red Cross blood drives, and supports GLEAM Covina's outreach to the LGBTQ+ community.
Children, Youth, and Family Life
Holy Trinity keeps a staffed nursery, a Sunday School, and a summer Vacation Bible School, along with seasonal family traditions such as the Children's Christmas Tableau and an annual Spaghetti Dinner. Volunteers who work with children go through background screening, with the parish walking applicants through the process. The Acolyte Corps is one of the oldest ways young people take a visible part in worship, carrying the cross and torches, lighting candles, and assisting the clergy - and adults serve as acolytes too. A Youth Group meets alongside the children's ministries, and Discipleship Groups, Bible Studies, and an Inquirers' (Confirmation) Class run throughout the year, along with a Class on the Sacraments for those preparing to receive their First Communion.
Clergy, Vestry, and Stewardship
The parish is led by the Rev. Fr. Steven H. De Muth, Rector and Pastor, a former church musician and graduate of the Church Divinity School of the Pacific who was ordained a deacon in 2013, became Associate Priest and Director of Hispanic Ministry, was appointed Priest-in-Charge in 2016, and was elected Rector in 2017. He serves on the Diocesan Program Group on Hispanic Ministry, the East San Gabriel Valley Coalition for the Homeless, the Covina Valley Compassion Council, and the Faith Relations Committee for Pomona Valley Habitat for Humanity.
Assisting the Rector is the Rev. Fr. William L. Peyton, who was ordained in the Old Catholic tradition in 1981 and has served Holy Trinity since 2013, and the parish's Priest Emeritus is the Very Rev. Canon Judith A. Heffron, Rector from 1995 to 2013. Garrett John Law, an organist, conductor, and composer trained at the Cleveland Institute of Music, serves as Director of Music. The elected Vestry, led by Senior Warden Kathy Slimak, shares responsibility for the parish's mission, planning, finances, and property.
Members and friends support the parish through annual pledges to the General Fund, with options to give by check, by automatic bank deduction, or online. Gifts to music can be directed to the St. Cecilia Music Guild. Bequests and memorial gifts, large and small, have long been a part of how the parish maintains its historic building and grounds.
Hall Rentals and Practical Details
The Parish Hall, in the same historic campus at 100 North Third Avenue, is available to members and non-members for weddings and receptions, quinceañeras, funerals and memorial receptions, baptism and First Communion celebrations, bridal and baby showers, birthday and anniversary parties, corporate functions, and community gatherings. The hall seats more than 150 guests and is offered at affordable rates.
The parish office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and is closed on Mondays. Visitors with questions before their first service can call (626) 967-3939 or email holytrinitycovina@yahoo.com. A staffed nursery is available on Sunday mornings, and the parish offers a bilingual Good Tidings newsletter by email to anyone who wishes to keep up with the parish's services and ministries.