On a leafy stretch of Tremont Street in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, a brick church has stood since 1924 as the house of worship its founders built with their own hands. St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church began in May 1910 as a small gathering of Black Episcopalians and West Indian Anglicans meeting for family prayer in a private home on Northampton Street, and the congregation has now been living and worshipping into its second century on the same corner of Roxbury. The parish is known today for its sung Sunday Eucharist, its two choirs, a weekly food pantry, and a deep institutional commitment to the empowerment of the people it serves.
From a Northampton Street Parlor to Tremont Street
The first decade of the twentieth century brought the largest wave of migration from the British West Indian islands to the United States. Although most arrivals settled in Harlem and Brooklyn, a substantial number made their way to Massachusetts, taking root in Boston and Cambridge. Alongside them came African Americans from the southern states, some of them Episcopalians. The West Indians, who were predominantly Anglican, and their African American neighbors immediately sought membership in the Episcopal Church, only to meet the effects of racism and prejudice in the very place they expected welcome.
Founding members describe a cold reception that bordered on explicit rebuff. One early member recalled the need that drew the community together: "What we needed most was a sense of fellowship, a feeling of belonging and continuity. For us the church was the obvious place to turn to for these experiences but it provided none of these things." Worshippers were directed to segregated seating or given the unmistakable message that they were not welcome. One congregation that did permit Black worship on Sunday evenings was found to have been fumigated afterwards, an assault on the dignity of those present that hardened the resolve of the community to build and own a place of its own.
That resolve produced St. Cyprian's. After meeting in a private home at 218 Northampton Street in May 1910, the group moved to Franklin Union on Berkley Street, where a layreader who was a medical student in Boston led services. A congregational minister, the Rev. Mr. Barrows, presided over them for a time. In 1913, during the episcopacy of Bishop Babcock, the congregation was organized as a Mission of the Diocese of Massachusetts, and the first Episcopal Priest-in-Charge, the Rev. Joseph M. Matthias, was appointed. The Mission worshipped for a season at St. Paul's Cathedral and later at the Church of the Ascension before settling into a permanent home.
In December 1920 the Rev. David Leroy Ferguson began a ministry that would last until 1951. Under his leadership the persistent dream of a dedicated building came to fruition. In July 1921 a lot on Tremont Street in Roxbury was purchased. Ground was broken on June 25, 1922, and the church was opened for worship on Sunday, February 10, 1924. It was named for Cyprian, the theologian and Bishop of Carthage whose life and teaching had long inspired the African and West Indian members of the congregation. The building, in the parish's own telling, was "not just a house of worship, but the embodiment of their pride and dignity," and the social context that gave St. Cyprian's its origin has continued to shape its ethos and mission.
A Patron Saint from Carthage
The choice of Cyprian as patron was no accident. Thascius Caecilianus Cyprianus was born about the year 200 in Carthage in North Africa, a man of wealth and education who had won distinction as a teacher of rhetoric before his conversion to Christianity around the year 246. He was ordained to the priesthood two years later and almost immediately consecrated Bishop of Carthage. In that office he showed high executive ability and became a prolific writer and apologist for the faith.
Cyprian used his pen to defend and expound the fundamental doctrines of the ancient church. He taught that the Church is one visible orthodox community of Christians, summing up his conviction in the famous declaration, "He can no longer have God for his Father who has not the Church for his mother." He lived through the Decian and Valerian persecutions and faced the difficult pastoral question of how to treat Christians who had renounced their faith under pressure, favoring restoration through councils convened for the purpose. In 257, during the Valerian persecution, Cyprian was sent into exile. He eventually surrendered himself and was beheaded in Carthage on September 14, 258, the first bishop in Africa to suffer martyrdom. His feast is observed at St. Cyprian's each September, and the parish marks his witness as a profound affirmation of common African roots.
Sunday Worship at 10:30
The principal act of the parish each week is the Sunday service of Holy Eucharist, Rite II, celebrated at 10:30 am in the church on Tremont Street. The worship follows the liturgy of the Episcopal Church and is most often sung, with sermon and Eucharistic prayer. From the first Sunday in July through the first Sunday of September the parish moves to a summer schedule, with services beginning at 9:30 am; outside of summer the livestream returns to the parish's YouTube channel throughout the fall, winter, and spring.
When the Rev. K. Vetiac presides, the Rite II celebration gathers members and visitors around a familiar Anglican shape: a gathering hymn, the collect for the day, the readings appointed in the lectionary, a sermon, the Prayers of the People, the exchange of peace, and the sharing of Holy Communion. Worship is offered in English.
The parish names some of its special Sundays in advance. Trinity Sunday is observed with the annual Women's Day celebration honoring the women of the community. Children's Sunday and Youth Sunday are recurring festivals in which the young people of the parish take leading roles at the altar, as preachers, ushers, readers, and acolytes. Harvest Sunday, observed in late autumn, is the day the parish shares its bounty, with a second collection funding fruit baskets sent to the sick and shut-ins of the community. On Breast Cancer Awareness Sunday worshippers are invited to wear pink, and a second collection supports the Hope Lodge in Jamaica Plain, which offers free accommodation to cancer patients and their caregivers traveling to Boston for treatment.
The choir and A/V staff take a holiday in July, so the livestream is in recess during the summer months. Outside of summer, the Sunday service is broadcast live on the parish's YouTube channel whenever staff are available, and members and friends who cannot be present in person are invited to worship along through the live stream.
Music that Fills the Sanctuary
Music is woven through the life of St. Cyprian's. Two distinct choral ensembles lead the congregation in song.
The Senior Choir provides music for the liturgical services of the parish throughout the program year. Its repertoire draws on Anglican chant and classical liturgical music, and the choir is under the direction of Ms. Laura Weiss. Each year on the evening of Good Friday the Senior Choir offers a recital to mark Holy Week, a tradition the parish has sustained as a way of setting the tone for the Paschal Triduum.
The Naarah Thornell Gospel Choir is an integral part of the parish's music ministry, named for one of its beloved soloists, the late Mrs. Naarah Thornell. The Choir's musical repertoire is the rich heritage of gospel song, old and new. It sings at least monthly during Sunday worship and performs throughout the Diocese of Massachusetts at various celebrations, carrying the sound of St. Cyprian's beyond Roxbury.
Acolytes, the Altar Guild, Readers, and Eucharistic Ministers
The Sunday liturgy is supported by a deep bench of liturgical ministries. The Acolytes, both men and women, dedicate themselves to service at the altar and assist the priest in the celebration of the Eucharist and other acts of worship. The ministry is open to all of confirmation age and older.
The Altar Guild is one of the original organizations of the congregation. Its members prepare the altar and sanctuary for divine service, care for the sacred vessels used during the Eucharistic celebration, maintain the vestments, and look after the service books. The Eucharistic Ministers are commissioned to assist the priest in the distribution of Holy Communion by administering the chalice during the Eucharist. A subset of these ministers serves as Visitors who bring the sacrament of Holy Communion to the sick and shut-in members of the parish who are unable to attend Sunday worship. Alongside them, Readers proclaim the lessons at every Eucharistic celebration.
The Ushers' Guild, made up of men and women, greets visitors at religious services, takes up the Sunday collection, assists in the orderly conduct of services, and fosters fellowship through projects that support the congregation's needs.
Teaching the Next Generation
The Church School ministry provides instruction to the youth of the parish in order to educate them in the Christian faith and help prepare them for Christian adulthood and service. Children are present and visible throughout the life of the parish. Children's Sunday, observed in mid-summer, places the parish's young people at the center of the community's celebration. Youth Sunday, observed in late summer and again in late winter, invites young members to serve as preachers, ushers, and readers. St. Nicholas Sunday is another favorite, with the youth of the parish taking part and a guest appearance by St. Nicholas himself, who has been known to arrive with homemade cookies for the children.
The parish's commitment to its young people extends into secondary education. The Men's Fellowship awards an annual monetary scholarship to graduating high school seniors, recognizing the academic promise of the young adults of the congregation.
The Episcopal Church Women and the Men's Fellowship
The Episcopal Church Women is a ministry of the parish that seeks to unite the women of St. Cyprian's, to further the work of the Church, and to lead them into service for the Church, the community, and the diocese. The women of the church visit the sick and shut-in members of the parish whenever possible, a quiet work of pastoral care that complements the visits of the Eucharistic Ministers.
St. Cyprian's Men's Fellowship is a strong Christian brotherhood functioning within the church community to foster support for other church constituents through worship, service, education, and fellowship. Its varied activities include hosting community leaders to speak to the parish on every facet of social life. Its membership sponsors an annual St. Andrew's Day Breakfast, recognizes the "Man of the Year" within the parish, produces the annual Parish Calendar, and grants a monetary scholarship to graduating high school seniors. The fellowship meets on the third Saturday of each month and currently numbers twenty members, who support the parish in whatever ways they are called upon to assist, both financially and manually.
The Food Pantry and Social Outreach
From its earliest days St. Cyprian's has viewed its mission in terms of the empowerment of its people, and social outreach and activism have been a pivotal part of its ministry. The most visible expression of that outreach today is the Food Pantry. Every second Sunday of the month parishioners contribute non-perishable food supplies during the Eucharistic celebration for the parish cupboard. The Food Pantry is open every week and makes bundles of food available to neighbors in need, a regular rhythm of giving that has become a hallmark of the parish's presence in Roxbury.
The Social and Cultural Committee is a parish ministry that fosters fellowship among parishioners through various projects, trips, and cultural activities. This ministry builds community socially and spiritually and raises funds for the needs of the congregation. Together with the food pantry and the parish's many special collections, these efforts continue the original mission of the founders.
A Week of Prayer
The rhythm of the parish extends beyond Sunday morning. During the season of Lent the congregation gathers on Wednesday mornings at 7:00 am for Morning Prayer with a Lenten theme, and on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm the parish families of the Roxbury-Dorchester Power in Community HUB observe Compline together. Compline, the last formal prayer of the day observed mostly in monasteries and convents, has become a way for the parish to mark the closing of the day during Lent. On the second Sunday of Advent the parish gathers at 4:00 pm for its traditional Service of Nine Lessons and Carols.
Holy Week is observed in partnership with the Roxbury-Dorchester Mission Hub. The schedule published in recent years has included a Wednesday morning Holy Eucharist, a Good Friday liturgy with the Veneration of the Cross at noon, an Easter Cantata on Saturday afternoon, and the Great Vigil and Holy Eucharist on Easter Sunday morning.
Special Observances Through the Year
The parish keeps the seasons of the Christian year with characteristic care. On the second Sunday of Advent a Service of Nine Lessons and Carols takes the place of the morning service. Christmas Eve is celebrated with a late afternoon service, and Christmas Day with a morning Holy Eucharist. The season of Epiphany opens with a celebration of the Baptism of our Lord. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, and the Sundays of Lent lead into the Holy Week just described. Easter is celebrated with a sung Rite II Eucharist at 10:30 am, the Senior Choir in full voice.
Beyond the feasts of the universal church, the parish keeps two feasts of its own with particular devotion. The Feast of St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage and Martyr, is celebrated on the Sunday nearest September 14 with a sermon from a guest preacher and a renewed sense of the parish's patron and his witness. The Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is observed in late June, often with a guest celebrant. The parish also joins the wider church in marking the Feast of the Transfiguration, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of St. Bartholomew, the Feast of St. Nicholas, and the Commemoration of the Rev. Absalom Jones on the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany.
The Feast of Christ the King closes the liturgical year in late November, and the parish observes Juneteenth in partnership with the Diocesan Immigration and Multicultural Ministry and the Massachusetts chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
A Parish in Transition
At the end of 2020 the parish said goodbye to its rector of almost ten years, the Very Reverend Dr. Monrelle T. Williams. With Dr. Williams' retirement, the parish entered a period of transition and discernment.
The Rev. Kevin Vetiac now serves as Priest-in-Charge of the parish. He also serves as Chaplain at Northeastern University, and brings experience of ministry in a university setting to his work at St. Cyprian's. The parish's transitional posture has shaped its recent life in practical terms, including the rhythms of livestreamed services during seasons when staff are available and the renewed attention to its foundational call to empowerment and outreach.
Wider Connections
St. Cyprian's sits within the Diocese of Massachusetts of The Episcopal Church and maintains ties to the wider diocese in several ways. The choirs of the parish, especially the Naarah Thornell Gospel Choir, perform at diocesan celebrations throughout the year. Members of the parish participate in diocesan events and the work of diocesan committees, including the Diocesan Immigration and Multicultural Ministry. The parish is also part of the Roxbury-Dorchester Mission Hub, a collaborative of congregations that share resources for Lenten prayer, Holy Week, and other seasons of the year. Members of the parish take part in the life of the Union of Black Episcopalians and in diocesan observances such as the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. breakfast. A parish member, Justin A. Petty, was recently recognized on becoming the 74th Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A. M. Jurisdiction of Massachusetts.
Visiting St. Cyprian's
The parish warmly invites visitors to join them for Sunday worship in person or online. Sunday services are at 10:30 am, with a summer schedule of 9:30 am in July, August, and on the first Sunday of September. The church stands at 1073 Tremont Street in Roxbury, and the parish office can be reached at (617) 427-6175. Online giving is available through the parish's Realm account, and the Sunday service is livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel when possible. The parish newsletter can be signed up for online.
Visitors are always welcome at St. Cyprian's, a parish that has been gathering Black Episcopalians, West Indian Anglicans, and their neighbors in Roxbury for more than a century and continues to live and worship into its second century on Tremont Street.