A Faith Community on the Corner of Randall and Highland
St. Hugh of Lincoln Episcopal Church sits on the southeast corner of Randall Road and Highland Avenue in Elgin, Illinois, a single-story building with the kind of red front doors that Episcopalians have used for generations to signal welcome. Inside, the congregation describes itself with a simple three-part rhythm: To Know Jesus, To Glorify Jesus, To Share Jesus. Knowing happens through thoughtful education and study for all ages; glorifying happens through meaningful, traditional worship following the Book of Common Prayer; sharing happens through a wide network of outreach ministries that touch the wider Elgin community and beyond.
The church has become, by its own description, a regional parish rather than a neighborhood one. About a third of its members live ten or more miles away, drawn by a style of worship that blends Episcopal liturgy with a contemporary focus on issues of justice and inclusion. The phrase that the parish uses most often to describe itself is also its motto: "God loves you. No exceptions." The slogan of the wider Episcopal Church, "Loving, Liberating, and Life-Giving," is taken seriously here, and the parish's welcoming initiative for LGBTQ people is woven into nearly every part of its life together.
From Mission Church to Self-Sustaining Parish
St. Hugh was founded in 1967 by twenty charter members, named for a twelfth-century Carthusian monk from France who established an abbey in England and served as Archbishop of Lincoln during the reign of Richard II. The new mission congregation met in the classrooms of nearby churches and schools while a house was built on the property for the first vicar and his family. The church building itself was completed in September 1971.
As Elgin's population grew, so did the need for space. In 1994, the parish added a 3,000-square-foot expansion that created the church offices, a fellowship hall, a kitchen, a library, and a nursery. In 2001, St. Hugh of Lincoln Mission was renamed St. Hugh of Lincoln Parish, signifying that it no longer needed financial support from the diocese. The members marked the congregation's fiftieth anniversary in 2017 with special events throughout the year and established a long-range planning committee to address the changing needs of both the Elgin community and the parish family.
Sundays at Eight and at Ten-Thirty
Worship at St. Hugh is offered twice on Sunday morning, and both services celebrate Holy Communion. At 8:00 AM, the congregation follows the traditional Rite I service from the Book of Common Prayer, a quieter liturgy without music. At 10:30 AM, the service uses the more modern Rite II liturgy and includes music drawn from the 1982 Hymnal and the contemporary Renew hymnal. Most young families choose the later service so their children can take part in Second Sunday Sunday School activities afterward.
Both services are hybrid, with worshipers gathered in the sanctuary and others joining by Zoom. Each Zoom meeting has its own Meeting ID and passcode, and people can connect by computer, tablet, smartphone, or phone. The instructions for phone worshipers include dialing 312-626-6799 and entering the relevant Meeting ID for the service they wish to join. Worshipers who are not feeling well are asked to stay home and worship remotely.
Between the two services, from 9:15 to 10:00 AM, the Rector's Class meets over Zoom. The current study walks through the Gospel of Mark using N. T. Wright's Mark for Everyone. Other adult education offerings through the year include a book club and a variety of Bible studies scheduled to fit different days and times.
Through the Red Doors: What a First-Time Visitor Finds
Visitors who arrive at the red doors are greeted at the entrance, find restrooms down the left-hand hall, and a place to hang coats straight ahead. Inside the sanctuary, ushers hand out a bulletin that references the book and page number for every element of the service so newcomers can follow along. The format follows the Book of Common Prayer: a procession opens the liturgy, followed by a collect, three readings, a sermon, communal prayer, the exchange of the peace, Holy Communion, announcements, and a dismissal. As the parish notes with a smile, Episcopalians are known for their "pew aerobics," and visitors who are unsure when to sit, stand, or kneel should simply do what feels right.
At the close of the service, parishioners exit the sanctuary and greet the rector. Visitors are invited to sign the guest book and are gifted a St. Hugh mug along with a brochure. Children of all ages are welcome in worship, and small toys, books, and coloring sheets are provided in the sanctuary for those who need them. After the 10:30 AM service, coffee hour is held in the fellowship hall with light snacks such as fruit, veggies, pretzels, and coffee cake.
How Communion Works at St. Hugh
Holy Communion is celebrated at every Sunday service. Participation is welcome but never required. Those who prefer not to receive the bread or wine are still invited to come to the communion rail for a blessing; placing one's arms across the chest signals that intention to the priest. For worshipers with limited mobility, the priest will come to where they are seated.
The bread is a wheat-flour unleavened wafer, with rice wafers available for anyone who cannot consume wheat. The wine is served from a chalice tipped by a chalice bearer, with a cruet bearer who can pour a small amount into a personal cup for anyone who prefers that method. Water is available afterward to rinse and consume any wine that remains.
Parking and Accessibility
There is ample paved parking directly in front of the building, including several handicapped spaces, and additional parking runs along the exit to Randall Road. For larger events, the parish may open up parking on the grass lawn.
The building has two short sets of stairs leading up to the main floor from the parking lot. For worshipers with limited mobility, an elevator is available through the lower-level entrance on the right side of the building, with signs guiding the way. A paved ramp on the right side of the building opens to the main floor and is reserved for drop-off only, so that the ramp remains usable for those who need it.
Faith Formation for Children, Youth, and Adults
During the school year, Sunday School meets on the second Sunday of each month after the 10:30 AM service. The program has no set curriculum; instead, creative leaders design lessons around the church's liturgical calendar, drawing on Advent, Lent, Easter, and the seasons in between. Younger children learn through hands-on activities, singing, crafts, Bible stories, and videos, while older youth engage in discussion and service projects to build a foundation for their lifelong walk with Christ. The Sunday school year typically kicks off at the annual Outdoor Eucharist, held the second weekend in September.
The parish has created a library of family video devotionals on its YouTube channel, drawn from the Love First Project curriculum, which focuses on the many messages of love in the Bible. New families are also pointed toward the Kids' Choir, an entry point into the music ministry.
For adults, the Rector's Class on Sunday mornings is one of several ongoing opportunities. Book Club gatherings and seasonal Bible studies round out the offering, with the calendar updated to reflect current classes and times.
Music as a Vibrant Part of Worship
Music at the 10:30 AM service is a blended style that pairs traditional hymns from the 1982 Hymnal with contemporary songs from the Renew hymnal. The choir, a band, and a hand chimes ensemble provide special anthems and performances throughout the year. Dr. Margaret Brady, who became Director of Music in 2012, leads the choir and plays the organ at the 10:30 AM service and plans several special music performances each year. She also serves Church of the Redeemer in downtown Elgin. Worshipers who would like to share a musical gift are invited to contact the church about joining the choir.
Worship Assistants and the Wider Worshiping Community
Parishioners take an active role in Sunday services through a rotating schedule of worship-assistant roles: greeter, usher, acolyte, reader, nursery aide, altar guild, and coffee hour host. The parish notes that many hands make light the work, and signing up is a common first step for newcomers looking to connect.
Beyond the pews, the Military and 1st Responders Prayer Service gathers on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM for a special Eucharistic liturgy that prays for peace and supports the friends and family of service members. Names submitted to the prayer list are prayed for by name and celebrated with birthday cards.
Love in Action: Outreach Across Greater Elgin
The parish lives out its commitment to share Jesus through a long list of outreach partnerships, organized in part by R.E.L.I.C.S. (Retired Episcopal Ladies in Christ's Service), a service and fundraising group that has supported local, regional, national, and international causes since its founding.
On the first and third Sundays of each month, the parish collects non-perishable food and personal care items for the Elgin Community Crisis Center, which provides food, financial aid, and social services to people in crisis. A St. Hugh team volunteers on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 10:30 AM at Food for Greater Elgin, stocking shelves and assisting guests. The St. Hugh of Lincoln Jobs Ministry offers accountability, support, coaching strategies, and resume assessment to those in job or career transition. The parish also supports the Elgin Cooperative Ministry, which organizes soup kitchens at local churches that feed those experiencing hunger.
Other partnerships include an annual Versiti blood drive hosted at the church, volunteer tutoring for adults learning English through the Literacy Connection, hospice companionship through Journeycare, dog walking and cat socialization at Anderson Humane, and volunteer opportunities with Centro de Informacion, which serves immigrants and the Latino community.
Creation Care, Anti-Racism, and Health
Care for the good earth is woven into the parish's prayers and practices. Members maintain native gardens to provide habitat for pollinators, share plant-based recipes to lighten the environmental footprint of meals, and learn how to dispose of hazardous waste safely through Kane County and City of Elgin programs. The parish also points toward Eco DioChicago, the creation-care committee of the Diocese of Chicago.
The Anti-Racism Team works toward a vision of beloved community in which the humanity of all persons of all races is recognized, honored, and celebrated; power is shared in common life; resources are available to all; and systems and institutions respond to the needs of people of color as fully as they do to those of white people. The team has hosted presentations on systemic racism, compiled resources for responding to racist talking points, and pointed members toward local Elgin history such as "Two Boxcars," a documentary on Elgin's African American heritage.
The Health and Wellness series has gathered the parish for presentations on living longer and well, dental health, chiropractic medicine, and mental health, all recorded for those who could not attend in person.
A Welcoming and Affirming Community
St. Hugh is committed to being open and inclusive of all persons, regardless of race, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, background, or physical or mental ability. The parish's motto, "God loves you. No exceptions." (a registered trademark of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio), reflects that commitment in the simplest possible terms.
As part of its welcoming initiative, the parish has developed a detailed study of what it calls the "clobber passages," the handful of Bible verses that have historically been used to condemn LGBTQ people. The study walks through each passage in its original language and context, drawing on biblical scholarship and translation history, and concludes that nowhere in the Bible, taken in its original language and context, is there a prohibition against loving, consensual same-sex relationships, nor against people living as their authentic genders.
Taizé and Other Special Services
Twice a year, St. Hugh has offered Taizé prayer services, a contemplative form of worship that takes its name from the monastic community in Taizé, France. Taizé at St. Hugh features chant-like songs led by the music director, prayers and scripture read by the rector, and interludes for silent contemplation supported by therapeutic harp music. The lights are dimmed and candles are lit. There is no preaching, no teaching, and no Eucharist; the focus is on rest in God. Live services are not being held at this time, but recordings of past services are available on the parish's YouTube channel.
Other annual events include an Outdoor Eucharist to kick off the Sunday school year, an Easter Program and Egg Hunt, and the annual Pet Blessing.
Staying Connected Through the Week
Worship does not end on Sunday morning. The parish keeps an active calendar of fellowship events, including a parish picnic, Thanksgiving and Easter brunches, and gatherings for young families that have included bowling, roller skating, holiday parties, and movie nights. The monthly digital newsletter is called The Voice of the Swan, and the parish communicates regularly through Facebook and email.
Members can request a St. Hugh Google ID to access member resources, including the parish directory, vestry minutes, annual reports and budget, parish policies, the constitution and bylaws, and personal giving statements. The parish also keeps a Safety Plan with documents covering emergency response, community support during a crisis, and AED protocol.
Giving and Supporting the Mission
St. Hugh accepts donations through PayPal, by mail to the P.O. Box, through the offering plate at services, and through automated bank payments. Donations may be designated to the General Fund, the Rector's Discretionary Fund (used to assist people with basic needs), the Building Fund, Altar Flowers, the Outreach Fund (which primarily addresses local food insecurity), or as a Memorial Gift to honor a deceased loved one. Pledges can be made through the online Pledge Form, and gifts of time and talent can be shared through the Time and Talent Form.
Led by the Rector and Music Director
The Rev. Marion Phipps has been priest at St. Hugh since 2010, after first serving as priest-in-charge when Father Tom Atamian retired. An Episcopalian since birth and the daughter of a priest, Marion worked as a teacher and social worker before attending Seabury Seminary and earning her Master of Divinity in 2006. She became the parish's full-time rector in 2011. Dr. Margaret Brady became Director of Music in 2012 and shares her gifts with the Church of the Redeemer in downtown Elgin.
Together with a vestry, ministry leaders, and the wider congregation, they continue to make St. Hugh a place where the love of God is known, glorified, and shared in word and in deed, on the southeast corner of Randall Road and Highland Avenue in Elgin.