St. Mary's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church has stood on 12th Street in Pacific Grove, California, since 1887, and the congregation still calls itself "the little red church that cares." The redwood building, modeled after a church in Bath, England, anchors a campus of stained-glass sanctuary, parish hall, education building, new labyrinth garden, and columbarium, all shared with a community food pantry, a celebrated Celtic concert series, and an open table of believers and seekers in this small town on the Monterey Peninsula.
A Sanctuary by the Bay: The History of St. Mary's
A small group of Episcopal women founded the parish on Annunciation Day in 1886, and the building that opened the next year was the first church constructed in Pacific Grove. The architect William Hamilton of Sacramento modeled it after a church in Bath, England, and on July 10, 1887, the first Episcopal Bishop of California, the Right Reverend Kip, presided at the dedication.
By 1890 the congregation had added a rectory and a parish hall, and for decades the parish hall served as the largest meeting space in town, hosting dramas, concerts, and civic meetings. The church itself was enlarged in 1911 by splitting the original structure in half, adding two bays and a front porch under a plan devised by Lewis P. Hobart, the architect of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. A two-story Christian education building was erected in 1965 on the site of the old rectory and is now known as Clay Hall, named for the Reverend D. Albert Clay, rector from 1926 to 1936. The parish hall was dedicated in 1991 as Edwards Hall, honoring the Rev. Dr. Dwight W. Edwards, rector from 1973 to 1998.
The sanctuary is built of No. 1 grade redwood no longer available, with pine, cedar, fir, and walnut inside, an oak chancel rail, and a camphor wood memorial altar dedicated to those who have served in the armed forces. The Italian marble baptismal font was donated in 1887 by Mrs. A. A. Taft of New York City. A 20-rank Schantz pipe organ with 1,157 pipes was installed in 1996, with internationally known organist David Higgs playing the inaugural concert.
Stained glass replaced many of the original brown windows over the decades. The "Annunciation Window" above the altar, designed and made by Bruce Porter of San Francisco, contains more than 300 pieces of glass and intentionally depicts Monterey Bay alongside a wild iris and a cypress tree. The famous Louis Comfort Tiffany "Foxglove" windows were given in 1922 by Cyrus H. McCormick, the farm machinery magnate whose wife Harriet had been married at St. Mary's in 1889. Other windows by Elwood Potts, Charles J. Connick, and the Cummings Studios of San Francisco fill the nave with scenes of the Magi, the Loaves and Fishes, the Resurrection, the Holy Spirit, and the Presentation of Christ. The Leslie Garden, named in honor of the retiring rector, the Reverend Richard Leslie, was completed and consecrated in 2016 and includes a columbarium. The Labyrinth Garden was created in 2025 as the most recent addition to the campus.
Vision, Mission, and Open Welcome
St. Mary's describes its vision as "a community of imperfect and infinitely beloved people worshiping, learning, and working together to love God, our neighbors, and creation." Its mission has four parts: proclaiming that God desires abundant life for each person and for all together; walking alongside each person on their journey of faith; committing to work together for God's justice and righteousness in this place and time; and affirming the goodness of all creation while accepting the call to be good stewards of all God has made.
The parish is part of the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real and lives out an Open and Affirming commitment, welcoming everyone regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religious background, marital status, family structure, age, mental or physical health and ability, racial and cultural identity or background, or educational and socioeconomic status. Ordination and the offices of bishop, priest, and deacon are open to all without discrimination in the Episcopal Church, and the canons of the church permit any couple the rite of Holy Matrimony.
Sunday Worship at Ten
The congregation gathers for Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:00 a.m. every Sunday, with coffee and fellowship following the service. The service is livestreamed on the StMarysPG YouTube channel, and recordings of past services, along with the Sunday bulletin in PDF and Word formats, are posted online. The bulletin typically includes a printed prayer list, with names kept on the list for four weeks unless an extended time is requested, and prayers for those who have died are included for one week after the parish is notified.
Worship is supported by a team of lay volunteers. Acolytes from age 8 through adulthood lead the procession, light and extinguish candles, and assist the priest at the altar. Readers, or lectors, read the Old and New Testament lessons, while intercessors lead the Prayers of the People. Lay Eucharistic Ministers assist the priest in serving communion. Ushers greet visitors, distribute bulletins, and collect the offering. A separate crew sets up and broadcasts the livestream so that parishioners can stay involved with the parish even when they cannot attend in person. The Altar Guild prepares the altar for every service, arranging flowers, maintaining linens and vestments, and polishing brass and silver.
Outside Sunday mornings, the parish offers occasional prayer services such as an Election Night Ecumenical Prayer service, and a recording of Compline, or Night Prayer, is available on YouTube.
Music at St. Mary's
Music is described as essential to worship at St. Mary's. The 10:00 a.m. service features hymns accompanied by the Schantz organ, choral anthems from the Chancel Choir, and occasional guest musicians including vocal soloists, string ensembles, harpists, and trumpeters. The Chancel Choir sings a wide range of repertoire, from Palestrina to spirituals, and all are welcome to join; rehearsals take place each Sunday morning before the service. A Yamaha grand piano sits alongside the organ in the sanctuary, and both instruments are kept in excellent condition for concerts as well as worship.
Music is led by Dr. Elliot Jones, who joined St. Mary's as Music Director and Organist in 2026. Jones has led music programs at Pioneer UCC in Sacramento, Mountain Shadows Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Asbury United Methodist Church in Delaware, and the Episcopal Church of the Apostles in Oro Valley, Arizona. He has served as music director of the Arizona Repertory Singers, conducted the Tucson Messiah Sing-In, and was the founding artistic director of the Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, the state's first GALA choir. He has twice conducted performances at the National Cathedral in Washington, most recently of Gregorio Allegri's Miserere, and has led East Coast premieres of works by Jake Heggie, Karen Siegel, and Ricky Ian Gordon.
The Celtic Music Ministry
The Celtic Music Ministry grew organically out of the parish's study of Celtic spirituality, in which hospitality and what the church calls a "radical" welcome are central. The ministry consists of three pieces: a Celtic concert series, the Celtoids music education program, and an occasional service of Celtic Evening Prayer.
The concert series hosts top-name touring bands from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and the United States in spring and fall seasons, capped by the celebrated Winterdance Celtic Christmas program each December, now in its nineteenth year and featuring fiddler John Weed, the Molly's Revenge ensemble, vocalists such as Amelia Hogan, guitarist Paul Kotapish, multi-instrumentalist Tyler Weed, and All Ireland champion step dancer Marisa Gilman. Other recent guests have included Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, Kalos, the Sean Gavin and Colm Gannon Duo, Ensemble Continuo, Teada, Wake the Dead, and Breabach. Tickets are sold through the Celtic Society.
The Celtoids jam sessions, led by fiddler John Weed, meet on Wednesdays in Edwards Hall. For students just beginning to learn tunes by ear, the slow and easy session runs from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., and more experienced jammers meet from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Knowledge of basic fiddle in first position is recommended. The sessions are free and open to the public and intergenerational. A group of teen musicians, the McMonarchs, also meets under Weed's leadership. A Harvest Contra Dance is held each November in Edwards Hall with music by the Celtoids and no experience needed; admission is free.
Prayer and Pastoral Care
The clergy welcome questions and concerns and are willing to spend time with parishioners in times of challenge and crisis. The parish office should be notified if a parishioner or loved one is in the hospital. Lay pastoral visitors deliver flowers, prayer shawls, and the love of the congregation to those in need of care.
The Prayer Shawl Ministry has been active at St. Mary's since September 2005, when longtime parishioner Ann Taugher convened eight knitters to form the group. Inspired by the national Prayer Shawl Ministry movement founded in 1998, the team has delivered more than 890 shawls since then to parishioners, friends, relatives, food pantry clients, I-HELP guests, social service families, and others on occasions of illness, bereavement, hospitalization, birth, graduation, baptism, confirmation, relocation, or simply as a reminder of being held in prayer. Shawls are blessed by the community during Sunday services. The group meets on the first Thursday of each month from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., with lessons provided and all ages welcome. The all-time most prolific shawl maker at St. Mary's is Virginia Davis, who made 115 shawls.
Annette Foisie, of the Order of St. Luke, offers intercessory prayer in total confidentiality, available at the Memorial Altar after the Sunday 10:00 a.m. service or by email at any time. Those who would like to be included in the weekly Prayers of the People printed in the bulletin can contact the parish administrator.
Christian Social Concerns Food Pantry
Christian Social Concerns, or CSC, is a dedicated group of parishioners that has provided food, clothing, and referrals to those in need at St. Mary's since 1965. Assistance is available each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., with the pantry closed on some holidays. Volunteers interview clients, assess their needs, bag groceries, and stock shelves.
Food and clothing donations may be dropped off during pantry hours or during parish office hours, Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Financial contributions can be made through the online giving page by selecting Christian Social Concerns from the pull-down menu, or by mailing a check with CSC noted on the memo line.
Caring for Creation
The Creation Care ministry takes seriously the parish's call to be good stewards of all God has made. The team meets via Zoom on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m., usually featuring a guest speaker from the local area who works in a climate-related field. The parish kitchen is stocked with dishes and flatware so disposables are rarely used, and members are diligent about recycling and composting.
The ministry produces a series of brief recorded reflections during the Season of Creation each fall, exploring topics from plant-based eating to plastics, transportation, and Lenten sacrifice. Members of the parish are invited to share favorite plant-based recipes for the online Plant-Based Cookbook, and the team encourages Episcopalians across the wider church to calculate their carbon footprint and take practical steps on climate change.
I-HELP, Our Little Roses, and Walking Together
St. Mary's is a longtime supporter of I-HELP, a program that serves unhoused neighbors on the Monterey Peninsula. The parish hosts Pasta with the Pastors dinners and helps recruit and celebrate the volunteers who prepare and serve meals, set up overnight shelter, and welcome guests.
Through Our Little Roses, the parish supports a home for girls in Honduras. A parishioner who works for the organization spends four months of the year in Honduras and shares updates on the impact of the support that flows from St. Mary's.
The Walking Together/COPA program reflects the parish's commitment to social justice and racial reconciliation, working with other Episcopal parishes and community partners.
The Labyrinth Garden and Spiritual Formation
The Labyrinth Garden, opened in 2025, is the most recent addition to the campus and is open to anyone who wishes to walk its path in prayer or reflection. The Bishop of the diocese joined the parish for the grand opening celebration.
Spiritual formation programs are offered on selected Sundays after the worship service. Topics have included Lenten practices, the biblical defense of affirming and inclusive theology, and a four-week series on the history of slavery and racism in the United States led by the interim priest. Inquirers' Classes are scheduled periodically for those exploring confirmation or reception into the Episcopal Church.
Fellowship and Small Groups
In addition to church-wide potlucks and seasonal gatherings, several small groups meet regularly at St. Mary's. The Bridge Group gathers on Mondays from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Clay Hall for intermediate players who discuss bidding and learn from each other. The Men's Fellowship meets after worship on the fourth Sunday of each month at 11:15 a.m. in Clay Hall. Periodic all-church barbecues are held in the warmer months.
Support Groups
Several recovery support groups meet at St. Mary's throughout the week. Alcoholics Anonymous holds a meeting every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Edwards Hall, the Beacon Group meets every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. in Edwards Hall, the Women's Big Book Meeting meets every Friday at 6:00 p.m. in Clay Hall, and the Men's Stag Meeting meets every Friday at 8:00 p.m. in Edwards Hall. Al-Anon meets every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Clay Hall, Room 103.
Sacraments, Weddings, and the Leslie Garden
Weddings at St. Mary's are scheduled in consultation with the clergy, with at least 30 days' notice required by the canons of the Episcopal Church and at least four sessions of pre-marital counseling to be completed at least a month before the service. Weddings are typically scheduled on Saturdays, and none are scheduled during Advent or Lent. At least one member of the couple must be a baptized Christian, and divorced persons may be remarried in the Episcopal Church. Weddings may be officiated by the rector, with a clergy consultation to begin the conversation.
Baptism is celebrated as part of regular worship, when the gathered community can witness the promises made and welcome the newly baptized. Persons of all ages and backgrounds are welcomed. For infants and young children, at least one parent must be baptized and an active member of the congregation. Older children and adults are sponsored by at least one baptized person. Preparation with the clergy is required before the sacrament.
Confirmation is offered periodically through an Inquirers' Class led by the priest.
Memorial services and funerals at St. Mary's are held primarily for parishioners and their families, and pre-planning in consultation with the clergy is encouraged. The Leslie Garden columbarium is available as an option for interment, and the Memorial Guild, a group of parish volunteers, coordinates receptions in Edwards Hall following funeral services.
The Parish Campus
St. Mary's sits at 146 12th Street in Pacific Grove, between Central Avenue and the bay. The campus includes the historic redwood sanctuary, Edwards Hall, Clay Hall, the Leslie Garden columbarium, and the new Labyrinth Garden. Friends of the Pacific Grove Library operate a used bookstore on the campus facing Central Avenue, open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, with donations accepted during those hours.
Edwards Hall is the parish's main meeting space, with a capacity of 125 people with tables and chairs or 250 chairs-only. Features include an elevated stage, a remote-controlled projection screen, a laminate floor, and a kitchen with two stoves, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, two sinks, and cookware and utensils. Two side rooms adjoin the main hall, one of which can be closed with a sliding wall; the Guild Room has comfortable living-room furniture. Small meeting rooms in Clay Hall are suitable for workshops or meetings of 10 to 20 people.
The parish office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Building-use inquiries for nonprofit events or meetings can be directed to the office, with concerts and large gatherings beginning no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and ending by 9:00 p.m. The building-use agreement must be signed at least one month before the event.
Clergy and Leadership
The Rev. Milind Sojwal joined St. Mary's as Interim Priest in April 2026, with the congregation searching for its next permanent rector under the guidance of the bishop of the diocese. Born and raised in India, Sojwal was ordained in the Church of North India, part of the worldwide Anglican Communion. He served churches in the Diocese of Nagpur before moving to the United States to study at Princeton Theological Seminary, was canonically transferred to the Episcopal Church in 1997, and went on to serve as assistant rector at All Saints' in Princeton, New Jersey, and Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, before being elected rector of All Angels' Church in Manhattan, where he served for seventeen years. There he oversaw the expansion of ministry to the unhoused, including a weekly overnight shelter, healthcare coordination with city partners, and Section 8 housing assistance, and helped develop an alternate service that brought housed and unhoused communities together for worship through innovative music programming. He is married to the Reverend Ajung, currently serving as rector of All Saints Church in Palo Alto, and they make their home in Mountain View.
The Rev. Wendy Salisbury Howe serves as Assisting Priest and has been a member of St. Mary's since 1972, when her daughter Jennifer was baptized in the church. She served as Sunday School Coordinator and then as administrative assistant to the Reverend Dwight Edwards, later attending the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. She was ordained transitional deacon at St. Mary's and priest at St. Dunstan's in 1997 and went on to serve at parishes across the diocese and as chaplain at All Saints Day School. She returned to St. Mary's as Assisting Priest in 2018.
Roni Portillo serves as Senior Warden and is the primary lay leader during the pastoral transition. Ray Ramirez serves as Junior Warden, with the Vestry including Keely Clifford, Robert Daunt, Coburn Palmer, Brita Bruemmer, Roger Miller, and Jackie Pierce. Lay delegates and alternates to the Diocesan Convention are Norah Schramm, Stephanie Pastor, Jackie Frey, and Elizabeth McCorkle.
Giving
Episcopalians see financial stewardship as part of spiritual health. Contributions can be mailed to the parish office, made online, or pledged annually. Pledge cards are sent in September, and pledges can also be made online. Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs are welcome, and the parish offers planned-giving options including beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance, payable-on-death bank designations, bequests through a will or trust amendment, and gifts of appreciated securities. The Tax ID number for St. Mary's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church is 94-1294941.
Online giving is available through the parish's giving page, with the option to direct gifts to specific programs such as Christian Social Concerns or the Celtic Music Ministry.