A Welcome Rooted in the Village of Lancaster
Trinity Episcopal Church sits on a quiet stretch of Broadway in the Village of Lancaster, a few blocks from Central Avenue and across the drive from the Boys and Girls Club. The brick sanctuary, the parish hall behind it, and the white shed in the parking lot are a familiar trio to neighbors who stop by for Sunday worship, to drop off clothing, or to pick up groceries at Trinity Pantry. The parish's motto is a single sentence: "You are welcome at our table." That welcome is the through-line of everything that happens at 5448 Broadway.
"We strive daily to live more deeply into our message - You Are Welcome at our Table!" the parish teaches. "Whether you were raised in another Christian church or have never walked through a church door before, there is a place for you here." Visitors are invited to bring their questions, their hopes, their doubts, and their stories. Trinity is a member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, and it carries the wider Episcopal Church's emphasis on liturgy, sacramental worship, and radical hospitality into a small-town setting just east of the city of Buffalo.
For more than 140 years, the same block on Broadway has been a place where Lancaster gathers. The cornerstone was laid in 1880, and the building formally opened on Tuesday, January 10, 1882, as Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church. Today the parish is best known for two things that share the same address: the warm, liturgical Sunday worship held in the historic sanctuary, and Trinity Pantry, a client-choice food pantry that serves more than 300 local families and provides over 5,500 meals a month.
Sunday Worship at 9:30
One Sunday service anchors the week at Trinity. At 9:30 AM each Sunday, the congregation gathers for Holy Communion with Sunday School meeting at the same time downstairs in the parish hall. The service follows the Book of Common Prayer, with seasonal variation and music chosen from several different hymnals, mixing contemporary and traditional forms. Healing prayers with anointing are offered the first Sunday of every month. The second Sunday is Family Sunday, with a special children's message, and on Family Sundays young people serve as readers, ushers, and sometimes share their musical gifts. Coffee hour follows the service on the first Sunday of the month.
Worship is livestreamed on Facebook Live so members who are traveling, ill, or homebound can join in. The Trinity Tidings newsletter invites readers to "Join our Sunday 9:30 AM service on Facebook live video." The building is easy to navigate. Parking is available on both sides of the church, with the easiest entry by the driveway closest to Central, near the Boys and Girls Club. Visitors can come in through the front door on Broadway or by either of the side doors; those who enter a side door pass through the parish hall and climb the stairs to the sanctuary.
There is no dress code. "Come as you are," the parish writes, and during football season, parishioners often wear Bills gear. Worshippers are greeted by an usher or another parishioner who hands them a bulletin outlining the service. Generally, the congregation stands to sing, sits to listen, and stands or kneels to pray, but visitors are encouraged to move in the way that fits their body and not to feel pressure to do anything simply to fit in. The service includes both the Word (Scripture) and the Eucharist (Communion) every week. All baptized Christians are welcome to receive communion; anyone who is not baptized is invited to come forward anyway for a blessing, and anyone who prefers to remain seated and pray is welcome to do so.
A Sanctuary Full of Stained Glass and Stories
The building is itself a member of the congregation. The nave, with seating for 180, is built in the shape of an upside-down ark, "a symbol of the pilgrimage through life to salvation." The wooden tabernacle for ashes and anointing oil was a gift from the Ladies Mite Society, an earlier name for what is now the Women of Trinity. The oldest window, the Lee Window of 1887, was given in memory of the Rev. Cyrus P. Lee and depicts Acts 8:26, the Ethiopian eunuch asking to be baptized. The original baptismal font arrived the same year, and the tabernacle cross was given in memory of Henry A. Dann.
Over the following decades, parishioners and their families filled the sanctuary with stained glass, woodwork, and memorials. The pipe organ came in 1891 in memory of William Grimes Davis. The original altar, given in memory of the Rev. Edward Ingersoll in 1895, conceals a time capsule installed at the centennial in 1980 and scheduled to be opened at the 200th anniversary in 2080. The pulpit was given in memory of Lille Graves Davis in 1900. The communion rail was dedicated in 1896 to the Rev. Henry Smith Huntington, Trinity's first rector. Windows followed in regular rhythm: the Cant Window of 1928 depicting the Trinity, the Kinnecutt Window of 1933, the Hubbard Window of 1945, the Hurd Window showing St. George slaying the dragon in memory of Lt. Judson P. Hurd who was killed in action in Korea, the Cushing Window of the 1950s showing the Virgin Mary and Jesus, and the St. Luke Window dedicated in 1996 in memory of Dr. Milton P. Palmer.
Major repairs came in waves. In 1955, the 75th anniversary brought $28,000 in restorations, including roof work, new wiring and lighting, a Moeller pipe organ, and a ceiling painted blue with clouds and stars. In 1980, the Columbarium was established with 70 niches and has since been expanded. The 125th anniversary in 2005 launched a Capital Restoration and Improvement Campaign that completed major exterior work and restored the vintage organ. The 1985 fire that destroyed the parish hall was a turning point: a new parish hall was dedicated on April 27, 1986, and the Jean Whiteford Chapel, now the nursery, was set up that same year with pews donated by St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church on the Hill. The Whiteford Baptistry and Columbarium was rededicated in 1988 for the twenty-three years of service the Rev. John Whiteford gave as rector.
Accessibility has been a continuing project. A wheelchair lift was installed at the side wall of the narthex in 2008 and was enclosed and repointed in 2012. Anyone who needs to use the chairlift can ring the bell at the accessible entrance and an usher will assist. Service animals are welcome.
Trinity Pantry: The Largest Mission in the Building
The most visible mission of Trinity Episcopal Church is its food pantry, Trinity Pantry. Founded to supplement the food resources of eligible families in Lancaster, the pantry operates as a client-choice food pantry, meaning that pantry shoppers select only the food they want and will use. Trinity Pantry serves an average of more than 300 families and provides over 5,500 meals a month, and it welcomes and treats everyone with dignity and respect regardless of religion, ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, or any other factor, other than the certification criteria established by FeedMore WNY.
The pantry serves Lancaster, Bowmansville, and Elma. Residents of Depew are referred to Tri-Community Pantry on Terrace Boulevard. To receive regular assistance, clients are certified by providing identification for every member of the household, proof of residency, and attestation of income eligibility. Households of one to eight with annual incomes ranging from $35,910 to $125,370 are eligible, and $12,780 is added for each person over eight. Clients may visit every two weeks and receive about nine meals per person. The pantry is also available to anyone who comes to the church with an emergency need: there is always a ready-packed bag in the kitchen that can be picked up in exchange for a name and phone number.
Distribution happens twice on Wednesdays: from 7:30 to 11:00 AM in the morning and from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the evening. During inclement weather, listeners tune in to channel 2 or 7 for pantry closings. The pantry also serves shut-ins: anyone confined to their home and unable to visit can ask volunteers to shop for them and deliver food. Trinity Pantry purchases food from FeedMore WNY and at local retail stores, and it depends on donations of food, money, paper products, and personal care items. A community garden maintained by volunteers supplies fresh produce in season. High school students can count their hours at the pantry toward their school's community service obligation with approval from their school and the Pantry Director.
Trinity Food Pantry of Lancaster Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is charitable and public work, and it is an agency of FeedMore WNY. Donations can be made online through PayPal and Venmo, and checks can be mailed to Trinity Food Pantry of Lancaster Inc., PO Box 467, Lancaster, NY 14086.
Sandwiches, Clothing, and Other Outreach
Beyond the pantry, Trinity's outreach touches the Village of Lancaster and the wider Buffalo area. Every two months, after worship, parishioners gather in the parish hall to make sandwiches for the Garden of Love Lunch and Clothing ministry of St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, which feeds people in need. In winter the Cathedral's Ministry Center doubles as a warming center, offering lunch, warm drinks, safe shelter, and a place to charge a phone, and Trinity's peanut butter, jelly, cheese, and cereal bar donations are especially appreciated.
The parking lot also hosts a St. Pauly Textile shed for used clothing, shoes, blankets, sheets, pillowcases, drapes, stuffed toys, coats, and boots. Clothing dropped at the shed is sold by the pound, and Trinity receives a check each month - a recurring contribution of several hundred dollars that is reported in the parish newsletter. Recent gifts from the shed have topped $700 in a single month. Donors receive tax-deductible receipts from a box on the shed.
Other outreach efforts follow the rhythms of the year. Each May, Trinity coordinates the annual US Postal Carriers Stamp Out Hunger food drive, hosting volunteers who sort the donations and feeding the postal workers and volunteers with a luncheon. The Advent Giving Tree supports a family from John A. Sciole Elementary with wrapped gifts returned with ornament tags. School supplies are collected for the Lancaster Youth Bureau. Ten percent of the proceeds from the annual Snowflake Bazaar are tithed to a local ministry, and past recipients include the Lancaster Youth Bureau, Journey's End Refugee Services, Buffalo City Mission, and Family Promise of Western New York.
Parishioners can drop off bottles and cans at a designated drop point at Cash for Cans on George Urban, with bags labeled for Trinity Episcopal Lancaster. The parish also collects Dash's market receipts, which have netted hundreds of dollars for the church through the grocer's community program. In community events, the parish hosts a table at Porchfest in August and distributes water at the Boys and Girls Club fundraiser on July 4. Boy Scout Troop 601 has picked up trash and cleaned window wells at the building. Lancaster Garden Walk has included the Trinity gardens, and the parish has begun a series of community concerts in the sanctuary.
Children, Sunday School, and the Youth in Ministry Group
Trinity makes room for children. Sunday School meets concurrently with the first part of the 9:30 AM Holy Eucharist service from September through June, with a summer break. Children from toddlers through middle school are welcome in a classroom off the parish hall. Each week there is an age-appropriate lesson, usually with a craft or game, and the young people join the congregation for communion before returning downstairs for a snack and the end of their craft project. The class runs about forty-five minutes.
Children are welcome in the sanctuary throughout the service. The parish writes that it is "extremely kid friendly" and does not mind "a few little footsteps running around during the service." One Sunday a month is Family Sunday with a children's message. The high school youth can choose to stay with the adults or help in Sunday School, whatever works for them. The Sunday School classroom has a nursery for the littlest ones, and a refurbished nursery with a live stream of the service and a play area is being prepared for younger children and parents. Sunday School is directed by Julia Tomaka, with Carrie Kornacki and Amy Kornacki among those who teach. Enrollment is simple: a form in the Sunday bulletin can be filled out and returned to the church office so teachers know about any health concerns or food allergies.
Older youth are part of YUMS, which stands for Youth United in Ministry. Trinity youth join with youth from several other Episcopal parishes for a monthly gathering, with locations rotating through the year. YUMS is open to students from 5th grade through high school. Recent outings have included service projects at St. Paul's Cathedral in Buffalo, hayrides with pumpkin picking at Akron Acres, family bowling at Broadway Sports Center, and shared worship with neighboring parishes. The parish also subsidizes young people who attend diocesan summer camp at the Lake Chautauqua Lutheran Center in Bemus Point.
Faith formation for adults takes several forms. During the program year, Pastor's Forums after the service cover topics like the Season of Creation, Practicing Gratitude, an Introduction to Grub Theology, and an Ask the Pastor question-and-answer session. In Advent and Lent, seasonal reflection materials are available for individuals and families to use at home. In Lent, a Thursday evening Compline service is offered on Facebook Live using the parish's Lenten devotional. In a typical past Lent, the parish offered a Thursday 4 PM Figuring out Faith service and discussion, and a 6 PM Practicing Forgiveness Lenten study group, alongside a soup supper at 5:30 PM.
Pastoral Care, Healing Prayers, and the Caregiver Support Group
"We are a healing community," the parish teaches, "so we offer pastoral support to one another in all these ways." Pastoral care at Trinity includes phone calls, cards, and visits to those who are sick, hospitalized, or going through a hard time. The Priest In Charge, the Rev. Sr. Karen Lawler, is usually in the office on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and is available at other times by appointment. For pastoral emergencies, including hospitalizations, a separate pastoral care line is staffed at 716-445-5653.
Healing is woven into the regular rhythm of worship. Healing prayers with anointing are offered at the 9:30 AM Holy Communion service on the first Sunday of every month, and a Healing Eucharist is held at 11:30 AM on the last Tuesday of the month during Stitch and Chat. To receive anointing at other times, or to schedule the Reconciliation of a Penitent, parishioners can contact Pastor Karen directly.
For those caring for a family member, Trinity runs a Family Caregiver Support Group that meets on the last Thursday of the month at 7 PM, in person and via Zoom. The group is open to everyone, not only Trinity parishioners, and online participation is available by emailing the church office for the link. Recommended resources shared by participants include Kate Bowler's Caregiving Care Package, Erie County's caregiving resources at the Department of Aging, Archangels for caregivers, and Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes.
Altar Guild, Women of Trinity, and Stitch and Chat
Three long-running lay ministries keep the building ready, the altar dressed, and the parish connected. The Altar Guild prepares the altar for weekly services and communion, cares for linens and vestments, sets up for baptisms, weddings, and funerals, and decorates the church for Easter and Christmas. Memorials and thanksgivings can be designated through the Altar Guild by sponsoring a fresh floral arrangement (small arrangements $35, large arrangements $60) or the sanctuary candle ($10), with envelopes in the back of the church and on the office hallway table. The guild currently has five members - Maryrose Kotlowski, Judy Borschel, Beverly Tomaka, Cathi Crapa, Patti Harder, and Karen Walzak - and is always looking for new members. Teams rotate every three to four months.
Women of Trinity gathers every woman who attends the church, automatically. The group meets for lunch at 12 noon on the first Tuesday of even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October, December) at Hillview Restaurant on Transit Road in Depew, with a short business session to plan upcoming events. Annual fundraisers include the Snowflake Bazaar in November, the Lenten Soup Sale in March, and the Mother's Day flower basket sale in May. WOT tithes 10 percent of what it raises to a local ministry and uses the rest to support parish life, subsidize youth who attend church camp, and fund improvements to the building. Recent spring plant sales, summer school supply drives, and the annual Snowflake Bazaar have each drawn strong support. Stitch and Chat, a more casual needlework group, meets Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 noon in the parish hall, and on the last Tuesday of the month Stitch and Chat is followed by a Healing Eucharist at 11:30 AM. Pieces made at Stitch and Chat are often sold at the Snowflake Bazaar.
Liturgical Ministers and the People Who Make Worship Happen
Worship at Trinity is supported by laypeople in three formal liturgical roles. Eucharistic Ministers assist with communion. Lectors read the Scripture readings and lead the prayers. Acolytes carry the cross in procession and assist at the altar. Children and youth serve alongside adults. Anyone interested in one of these roles can talk to someone already serving or speak with Pastor Karen; periodic acolyte training is offered during the program year.
At the annual meeting each January, the congregation elects a vestry of lay members who collaborate with the clergy in leading the parish. The vestry oversees financial matters, makes decisions about property management, and helps identify priorities for the common life of the parish. Vestry members serve as the primary link between clergy and congregation, and they are elected for rotating three-year terms. The current vestry includes Maryrose Kotlowski as Senior Warden, Len Gacek as Junior Warden, Cathi Crappa as Clerk, Stephanie West, and Karen Walzak, who also serves as the vestry liaison for Trinity Pantry. The Treasurer is Don Harder, and the office is staffed by volunteer office helpers Pat Harder and Theresia Mather. The sexton is Dennis Noolan.
Life Events: Baptisms, Weddings, and Funerals
The Episcopal Church recognizes two sacraments instituted by Jesus, Baptism and the Eucharist, and also honors five other significant rites: Confirmation, Reception, Reaffirmation, Marriage, and Reconciliation, along with Anointing for Healing and Christian burial. Trinity celebrates each of these with the whole congregation gathered.
Baptism is full initiation into the Body of Christ and is usually celebrated during the Sunday service, with the whole congregation present to affirm support for the person's journey of faith. Baptisms are often scheduled on particular Sundays of the year and can be arranged for other times by contacting Pastor Karen. Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation are rites in which a person makes a mature commitment to Christ, affirmed by the laying on of hands of a bishop. All three are preceded by a period of preparation and reflection at Trinity before a service with the bishop.
Weddings and funerals are scheduled by contacting Pastor Karen at 716-683-1111 or trinitylancaster1@roadrunner.com. The Book of Common Prayer describes the liturgy for the dead as an Easter liturgy: "It finds all its meaning in the resurrection. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we, too, shall be raised." Pastor Karen meets with the family to plan a service that meets the desires of the loved one and the needs of the family. The parish also maintains a Columbarium with niches for ashes, established in the 1980s and expanded since.
Episcopal Identity in the Diocese of Western New York
Trinity Episcopal Church is part of the Episcopal Church, a member congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York. The parish describes itself in inclusive terms: "We are a welcoming and inclusive community, committed to sharing God's love with our neighbors. We believe deeply that all are welcome at God's table, whatever your background, identity or personal story. We try to extend our communion table through shared meals, experiences and our support of Trinity Pantry."
Worship follows the Book of Common Prayer, with both Word and Eucharist each week and the liturgy of the larger church's calendar. The parish values the sacraments, the ministry of all the baptized, and a lifelong process of Christian formation. Recent years have brought a Renewal of Ministry celebration with the diocesan Bishop, mutual ministry reviews with the diocese, and a $5,000 grant from the diocese for capital improvements. The parish is connected to other Episcopal congregations in the Diocese of Western New York through shared youth ministry (YUMS), shared sandwich making for the Cathedral's Garden of Love ministry, and the annual diocesan convention.
How to Connect
Visitors and newcomers are greeted by an usher with a bulletin and a welcome bag of basic information about the parish. A welcome card can be filled in for follow-up. The parish publishes a monthly newsletter, Trinity Tidings, available in print at the church or by email sign-up, and Trinity E-Tidings, which goes out three weeks a month between newsletters. Sermons are posted online, and lectionary readings for each Sunday are linked from the parish's online calendar.
The church office can be reached at (716) 683-1111 or trinitylancaster1@roadrunner.com. Pastor Karen is in the office on Tuesdays from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and is available at other times by appointment. For pastoral emergencies, the pastoral care line is 716-445-5653. Trinity Pantry can be reached at the same phone number during daytime distribution hours, or at trinitypantrydirector@gmail.com. Trinity Episcopal Church is at 5448 Broadway, Lancaster, New York 14086. Whatever brings a person through the door, the parish's word to them is the same: you are welcome at our table.