One Parish, Two Churches in South Williamsburg Since 1844
On a block in South Williamsburg, the parish of Ss. Peter and Paul - Epiphany has gathered Catholics for Mass, the sacraments, and the work of forming disciples for nearly two centuries. Founded in 1844, the parish describes itself with a single line that captures its whole identity: we are one parish, two churches, serving the Roman Catholic community of South Williamsburg since 1844. The parish church stands at 288 Berry Street, while the rectory office is next door at 71 South 3rd Street in Brooklyn. Together they form the visible center of a community that is overwhelmingly Spanish-speaking yet fully bilingual, rooted in the Diocese of Brooklyn and animated by a clergy team that includes a vicar forane, a parochial vicar, three permanent deacons, and a community of religious sisters.
The parish is led by Very Rev. Jason N. Espinal, V.F., as pastor, with Rev. Lamartine Petit-Monsieur serving as parochial vicar. Permanent Deacons Hugo Morel, Rigoberto Pabón, and George Vélez assist at the altar, preach, and minister in the parish groups. The Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará (SSVM) are present in the daily life of the parish through Mother Mary Consolation of the Afflicted, who directs religious education, together with Sr. Gracia, Sr. Mother of God, and Sr. Altagracia. Mr. Ramon Catalán directs the sacred music program and the choirs.
The parish sees itself as a community called to renew and reinvigorate the life of the Catholic faithful in this corner of Brooklyn, especially the young, and to bring the compassion of Christ to the poor and the needy. That twofold mission, internal renewal and outward service, gives the parish its distinctive rhythm of prayer, formation, and ministry.
Mass: Bilingual Liturgy with Spanish at the Heart
Mass is celebrated in two languages every day of the week except Sunday evening, and the schedule reveals the shape of the community. The Sunday schedule offers one English Mass at 9:00 a.m. and two Spanish Masses at 10:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. On Saturday evening, the vigil Mass at 6:00 p.m. is celebrated in Spanish.
Weekday Mass is largely in Spanish, with two additional English Masses for those who wish to worship in English during the week. Mass is offered Monday through Saturday at 9:30 a.m. in Spanish, with the addition of Tuesday and Friday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in English. On Thursday evening the 6:00 p.m. Mass is in Spanish. The pattern of two English Masses in the week, one English Mass on Sunday, and the remainder in Spanish shows how the parish keeps English-speaking parishioners fully included while centering the daily prayer life on the language of the majority of the community.
For parishioners and visitors who cannot attend in person, the parish livestreams Mass on its YouTube channel, so the liturgy of the parish is accessible beyond the walls of the church on Berry Street. A view of the livestream is offered through the parish site.
Reconciliation and Eucharistic Adoration
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. and on Saturday mornings after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:00 a.m., with a second window on Saturday afternoons from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. On the first Friday of every month, additional time is offered after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:00 a.m. and after the 6:00 p.m. Mass until 7:00 p.m. For those who cannot make those times, appointments can be made by calling the rectory.
Eucharistic Adoration is built into the regular week. Adoration is held on Monday from 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., on Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m., and on Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Once a month, on the First Friday, the parish keeps a 24-hour devotion: exposition of the Blessed Sacrament begins at midnight at the end of Thursday and continues with benediction at midnight ending Friday. The First Friday is a day of grace in the parish's liturgical life, anchored by the round-the-clock presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
The Seven Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, and a member of the team is ready to walk each family through the steps. The seven are listed on the parish's sacramental pages in the traditional Catholic order: Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist as the Sacraments of Initiation; Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick as the Sacraments of Healing; and Marriage and Holy Orders as the Sacraments of Service. The parish describes the sacraments as ceremonies instituted by Christ that point to what is sacred and significant for Christians, and as special occasions for experiencing God's saving presence.
Baptism
Parents register their child by calling the rectory and bringing the child's birth certificate to the appointment. A Baptism Preparation Class for parents and godparents is offered on the first Saturday of every month. Baptisms are celebrated in English and Spanish on the second Saturday of the month; English baptisms are also celebrated on the third Sunday of the month, and Spanish baptisms on the fourth Sunday of the month. Children under the age of seven are baptized directly; older children typically go through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children, and adults who have not been baptized enter the parish through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.
First Communion and Confirmation
The Eucharist, or Communion, is the act of receiving the real presence of Jesus Christ's body and blood, transubstantiated from the bread and wine during Mass. The parish teaches that those who receive are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. Confirmation deepens baptismal gifts, strengthens the confirmed for service in the Church and the world, and is received only once.
Reconciliation
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is described as a return to the state of baptism, where the penitent is freed from sin and encounters God's unconditional forgiveness. The parish encourages frequent reception, and the multiple weekday and First Friday opportunities at Ss. Peter and Paul make that practical for parishioners.
Marriage
Couples planning to marry at the parish are asked to call the rectory at least six months before the desired wedding date to make an appointment with a parish priest. All couples attend the Pre-Cana program, which is offered through the diocesan marriage preparation office. The parish is candid about Catholic teaching on marriage, including the way mixed marriages with non-Catholic Christians or with those of other faiths are arranged with appropriate dispensations and the place of natural marriage in Catholic life.
Anointing of the Sick
Once known as Extreme Unction or Last Rites, Anointing of the Sick is now understood in the parish's teaching as a sacrament of healing for anyone in sickness, distress, or old age, whether the suffering is physical, mental, or spiritual. The priest also brings the Eucharist as viaticum, food for the journey home, for those who are near death. Arrangements are made by calling the rectory.
Funerals
Funerals at Ss. Peter and Paul are arranged through the funeral director in conversation with the parish. The parish teaches that burying the dead is one of the Corporal Works of Mercy, and the Mass of Christian Burial uses holy water, the Paschal candle, the white pall, and incense, treating the body of the deceased as a temple of the Holy Spirit. Family members may act as lectors, pallbearers, and gift bearers. The parish encourages interment in a Catholic cemetery, including a columbarium niche for cremated remains, as a sign of the communion of saints.
Holy Orders
Men discerning priesthood or diaconate are pointed to the diocesan vocations office, while the parish itself lifts up the prayer of the faithful for vocations as a regular part of parish life.
Faith Formation for Children and Adults
The Director of Religious Education is Mother Mary Consolation of the Afflicted of the SSVM sisters. Children preparing for the sacraments, adults walking the journey through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA, the updated name for the former RCIA), and any other formation questions begin with a phone call to the rectory.
Classes for both children and adults are held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in English and Spanish. The parish's approach is rooted in the conviction that religious instruction helps the faithful grow in knowledge, love, and service of Christ in His Church, and equips children and youth to discern what is good and evil, to understand the moral life, and to live as Christians in a world full of distraction and confusion.
Adults interested in Baptism, Confirmation, or First Communion speak with the Director of Faith Formation. OCIA is typically a multi-year journey of breaking open the Scriptures, asking the demands of the Christian faith, and culminating in the reception of the three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. The parish also provides for children over the age of seven through the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children, a process that walks the child toward a mature decision to embrace the Catholic faith.
Ministries Built Around the Altar
The parish's ministry life flows from the liturgy. Each ministry exists to serve the Mass, the sacraments, or the people who come to worship.
Altar Servers
Altar servers assist the priest at the altar, carrying the cross and candles, helping with the water and wine, the washing of the hands, the presentation of the bread, and the preparation of the altar. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal requires an altar server to be present at every Mass, and since the 1990s the ministry has been open to women as well as men, to teens as well as adults. The pastor's own reflection on the ministry quotes Pope John Paul II's 2001 address to altar servers, encouraging them to see themselves as servants of Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, and to let the candle they hold remind them that they are the light of the world in every part of their daily life.
Lectors and Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass, while Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist assist with the distribution of Holy Communion. Both are essential liturgical ministries, and both are open to laypeople who feel called to serve in this way.
Choir and Music
The Director of Sacred Music, Mr. Ramon Catalán, leads the choirs. The parish invites anyone who has been hearing their own voice during Mass to consider joining a choir from the loft or becoming a cantor at Sunday or weekday Mass. The parish's music is the traditional sacred music of the Roman Catholic liturgy.
Hospitality
The hospitality ministry welcomes parishioners and visitors at the doors of the church, helps maintain a sense of warmth and order before and after Mass, and is a way for anyone who enjoys greeting others to plug into parish life.
Parish Groups: Bible Study, Cursillistas, Neocatechumenal Way, Charismatic, and Youth
Beyond the formal ministries of the altar, the parish hosts a rich array of small communities that meet during the week.
Bible Study is led by Deacon George Vélez. The Cursillista Group of Ss. Pedro y Pablo, coordinated by Maria Peña, gathers on Wednesdays after the 9:30 a.m. Mass at Ss. Pedro y Pablo. The Neocatechumenal Group, or Camino Neocatumenal, led by Arturo Muñoz, meets on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. at Ss. Peter and Paul. The Charismatic Group of Ss. Pedro y Pablo, led by Margarita Genao and Josefina Diaz, meets on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. in the church. The St. John Paul II Youth Group, under Mother Consecrata, gathers on Fridays after the 6:00 p.m. English Mass for its regular meeting.
Each of these groups gives the parish a different texture. The Cursillistas bring the spirituality of the Cursillo movement, focused on bringing Christ into everyday environments. The Neocatechumenal Way offers a structured itinerary of Christian initiation within the parish. The Charismatic Group offers prayer in the style of Catholic renewal. The youth group gives teenagers a Catholic community of their own at a moment in life when many drift away from parish life. Bible study grounds all of it in the Word of God.
The Pastor's Voice on Vocations, Altar Servers, and the Month of Mary
Father Espinal writes regularly to his parishioners, and three of his recent messages reflect the themes that shape parish life. In a letter for Good Shepherd Sunday, he reflects on the difference between a vocation shortage and a shortage of vocational discernment. Drawing on Pope John Paul II's Christifideles Laici, he distinguishes the common Christian vocation that comes with baptism, the choice of a state in life, and the unique personal vocation each person discerns. He quotes Cardinal Newman: We are called once only, but many times; all through our life Christ is calling us, from grace to grace, and from holiness to holiness, while life is given us. He closes with a prayer that the voice of the Shepherd may speak louder than the noise of the parish's busy lives.
On the installation of new altar servers, he shares the words of Pope John Paul II that the altar server's vestments recall the baptismal garment: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. The Pope's words, quoted at length, are an invitation to see altar service not as a job but as a vocation: to be young friends of Jesus, to carry the light of the Gospel outside the walls of the church, and to remain open to whatever the Lord may be calling them toward, whether priesthood, consecrated life, or marriage.
For the month of May, the pastor writes a letter on the tradition of May as Mary's month. He traces the devotion from ancient Greece and Rome, through the medieval Tricesimum, to the Baroque era, when the thirty-day devotion to Mary was combined with the month of May. He encourages families to build a prayer corner in the home, to give Mary a special place in that corner, and to crown her with a real or spiritual crown. His reason is simple: Mary is Mother, the Mother of God, your mother, my mother, everyone's mother, and because she cares for all of us day-in-and-day-out without fail, interceding for us in even the tiniest matters. For that, she deserves an entire month in her honor.
What to Expect at Mass
For a first-time visitor, the Mass at Ss. Peter and Paul follows the ordinary form of the Roman Rite in the order found in any Catholic parish in the world. The Mass opens with the entrance of the priest and servers, followed by the Penitential Rite and the Kyrie. The first half of the Mass is the Liturgy of the Word: readings from the Old Testament, a Psalm, the New Testament, and the Gospel, then a homily, the Creed, and the Prayer of the Faithful. The second half is the Liturgy of the Eucharist: the offertory of bread and wine, the Eucharistic Prayer in which the priest consecrates the gifts, and Communion, when Catholics in the state of grace come forward to receive the Body and Blood of Christ. Visitors who are not Catholic or who are not prepared to receive are welcome to come forward to receive a blessing, traditionally indicated by crossing one hand over the opposite shoulder. The Mass closes with a final prayer and the priest's blessing, sending the assembly out to proclaim the Gospel.
Spanish will be heard at most Masses during the week and on Saturday evening and on two of the three Sunday Masses. The 9:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, the 6:00 p.m. Tuesday Mass, and the 6:00 p.m. Friday Mass are in English. The parish recommends arriving a few minutes early, especially with children, to find a seat and to follow along with the parts of the Mass.
Visiting, Joining, and Getting Connected
The rectory office is open Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a daily lunch break from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The phone number is (718) 388-9576, and the email is saintspeterandpaul@gmail.com. Baptisms, weddings, funerals, anointings, and appointments for the Sacrament of Reconciliation outside the regular schedule are all arranged by calling the rectory.
Parishioners and friends of the parish follow the community on Facebook at Saints Peter and Paul Epiphany Parish, on Instagram at sspeterandpaulparish, and on the parish YouTube channel, where Mass is livestreamed. Online giving is available through the parish's GiveCentral page, and planned giving is offered through the Catholic Foundation of Brooklyn and Queens. The parish also belongs to a wider network: the Diocese of Brooklyn, the diocesan Office of Vocations, the Catholic schools of Brooklyn and Queens, Currents News, The Tablet, and Nuestra Voz.
For anyone considering joining the parish, beginning a journey toward the sacraments, getting a child into religious education, or stepping into one of the ministries described above, the simplest step is the same: call (718) 388-9576, or come to the rectory at 71 South 3rd Street, Brooklyn. The parish is bilingual, multigenerational, and at work on exactly the same task it has had since 1844: to gather the Catholic faithful of South Williamsburg, to form them in the love of Christ and His Church, and to send them out to serve their neighbors.