St. Mark's Episcopal Church stands on Main Street in Westhampton Beach, a few steps from the village center on the south shore of Long Island. The parish calls itself "a house of prayer for all people" and describes the Episcopal Church as "a spiritual home free of judgement and inclusive for all." For a century it has gathered that village and its summer neighbors for worship, formation, and the sacris of the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island.
A Saturday Garden Eucharist and a Sunday Morning Service
Weekend worship at St. Mark's begins in the Columbarium Garden. On Saturday at 5:00 p.m., the parish offers Holy Eucharist outdoors, weather permitting. The Very Rev. Christopher D. Jubinski serves as the regular celebrant and preacher. The service has the same shape as the Sunday liturgy and is a quiet, smaller gathering for those who prefer Saturday worship or who are in town for the weekend.
Sunday morning is the larger assembly. Holy Eucharist is celebrated at 9:30 a.m. in the church. Coffee Hour follows both weekend services. On the first weekend of each month, Anointing and Prayers for Healing are offered after both the Saturday and Sunday liturgies, a tradition that has long been part of the Episcopal Church's practice of bringing physical and spiritual care together in the Sunday gathering.
Healing on the First Weekend and a Thursday Eucharist
Midweek, the parish moves into more intimate spaces. On Thursdays at 11:15 a.m., Fr. Chris offers Holy Eucharist with Prayers for Healing in the Rector's Office, a smaller setting suitable for those who want a quieter weekday service. That same evening at 7:00 p.m., Compline, the church's ancient night prayer, is prayed together over Zoom, allowing members who are away for the season or unable to come in person to close the day with the parish.
Sacrament of Reconciliation is available by request, and the parish notes that this can be arranged through the office.
What the Liturgy Looks and Sounds Like
St. Mark's follows the liturgy of the Episcopal Church, which the parish describes in some detail for first-time visitors. Sunday worship is built around the Holy Eucharist and moves through two great halves: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Table.
In the Liturgy of the Word, the congregation praises God in song and prayer, hears up to four readings from the Bible (usually an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, an Epistle, and always a Gospel), listens to a sermon on the readings appointed for the day, recites the Nicene Creed, offers prayers for the Church, the world, those in need, the sick, the dead and the good things of life, and in certain seasons formally confesses its sins and hears the absolution. The first half closes with the passing of the peace.
In the Liturgy of the Table, the priest stands at the altar set with bread and wine, raises hands in greeting, leads the Eucharistic Prayer that retells the story of creation, Israel, the coming of Christ, and the institution of communion on the night before his death, consecrates the bread and wine, and the congregation prays the Lord's Prayer. The bread is broken and shared, and the gifts of God are offered for the People of God. All baptized Christians, regardless of denomination or age, are welcome to receive communion; those who are not baptized are invited to come forward and receive a blessing.
Music and the seasons of the church year shape the rhythm. The congregation follows service forms and prays from texts that do not change greatly from week to week during a season, a sameness that the parish says "gives worship a rhythm that becomes comforting and familiar." Visitors may find themselves standing, sitting, kneeling, and joining in sung or spoken responses; the parish likens liturgical worship to a dance that, once learned, becomes satisfying to repeat as the music changes.
Holy Baptism at St. Mark's
Baptism is central to the life of the parish. St. Mark's baptizes both infants and adults, and the church teaches that baptism is a sacrament, an outward sign of God's grace and love, in which a person becomes a member of the Church and commits to following Christ. The water and the name of the Holy Trinity are the two elements that define it.
Baptism is normally administered during Sunday worship and is most often reserved for four special Sundays each year: the Easter Vigil, Pentecost, All Saints' Day, and the Baptism of the Lord. The parish does not offer baptism during Lent. Parents and adult candidates are required to attend classes with Fr. Chris, and sponsors (godparents) attend the classes with them. At least one godparent must be a member of St. Mark's; there is no upper limit on the number of sponsors. A baptism request form is available online and can be returned to the parish office; baptisms are scheduled through the office at 631-288-2111 or by emailing kate.gabrielsen@stmarkswhb.org.
The Episcopal Church recognizes baptism performed in any Christian tradition, as long as water was used and the name of the Trinity invoked. The parish also offers "Conditional Baptism" for those who are unsure whether they were baptized. There is no fee for baptism at St. Mark's, although a donation to support the parish's ministries is gratefully accepted.
Sunday School and the Bright Beginnings Preschool
Christian formation for all ages is offered at St. Mark's. Sunday School meets at 9:15 a.m. in the Atwater Room from September to Memorial Day, except on the last Sunday of the month. Children gather before the 9:30 service, allowing families to attend the principal Sunday liturgy together afterward. The parish also hosts a Lenten Book Study during the season of Lent.
The preschool, Saint Mark's Bright Beginnings, is a separate program operated by the parish. Rosanna Davis serves as the preschool director; the school can be reached at 631-288-3310 and has its own presence online at saintmarksbrightbeginningspreschool.com. The preschool also partners with the parish in collecting aid for Ukrainian refugees.
A Hundred Years on Main Street
St. Mark's marked its 100th Anniversary on June 22, 2025, gathering for a celebration of a century of ministry in Westhampton Beach. The parish is rooted in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island, one of the historic dioceses of The Episcopal Church, and it lives within a wider diocesan life that includes other congregations across Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaways.
Worship bulletins preserved from recent years show the parish following the full sweep of the Christian year: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent with Ash Wednesday and Holy Week, Easter with the Great Vigil, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints', and the long green season of Pentecost afterward. Funeral and memorial services are a regular part of parish life and are held in the church as well.
The Wider Diocese and the Bishop's Search
St. Mark's identifies itself as "A Parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island." The diocese is currently in a bishop's search process, a transition the parish acknowledges with a link to dioceseli.org. The parish shares news of the wider church through Episcopal News Service and the Anglican Communion News Service.
Outreach is woven into parish life. St. Mark's continues to partner with St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Riverhead, with Saint Mark's Bright Beginnings Preschool, and with the Westhampton Beach Middle School to provide critical aid to people affected by the war in Ukraine, with items collected at the Parish Office and through Episcopal Relief and Development.
Pledges, Giving, and Joining the Parish
Parishioners are invited to make an annual pledge to support the work of the church. An online commitment card is available on the parish site and includes a prayer asking that "these gifts of time, talent, and treasure" honor the work God has given the parish to do. A pledge, the parish emphasizes, is an estimate to help with budgeting rather than a legal or moral obligation; parishioners may raise or lower their pledges at any time.
Giving is also accepted online through the parish's Realm giving page. Online pledging and giving can be done at any time.
Livestream, Bulletins, and the News Hub
Services are livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel, allowing members who are away, ill, or otherwise unable to attend in person to join the worship. Recent services, including both weekend Eucharists and special services such as the Great Vigil of Easter, Maundy Thursday, and Christmas Eve, remain available to watch. Recordings of recent services appear on the parish YouTube channel under the title "St. Marks Church, Westhampton Beach, NY."
Worship bulletins for the current weekend and an extensive archive of past bulletins, going back several years and covering the full range of the church year, are posted on the parish site. A weekly newsletter, "A Lion's Share," circulates parish news, and minutes of the Vestry's regular monthly meetings are published as well. The News Hub links to these resources, together with the Episcopal News Service and the Anglican Communion News Service.
The Building, the Garden, and the Columbarium
The parish's address is 40 Main Street in Westhampton Beach, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 887. The Saturday evening Eucharist takes place in the Columbarium Garden, where the ashes of the faithful are kept; the columbarium is part of the parish's ministry of care for those at the end of life. The Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and by appointment.
The church is led by the Rector, the Very Rev. Christopher D. Jubinski, supported by the Music Director Stephen Hunt, and the Vestry, which includes two Wardens, Tom Horan and Steve DeCaro, and the Clerk of the Vestry, Carol Fitton. The Preschool Director is Rosanna Davis; the Treasurer is Tom Simson; the Parish Administrator is Kate Gabrielsen; and Chris Adams serves as Facilities Manager.