St Mary’s Church Hamilton Village

I have visited this church many times, not enough to consider myself to «attend» it though. I’ve always had a good experience here.
This church has a pretty traditional liturgy, and for people unfamiliar with an Episcopal service, the service may seem a bit complex and involved… lots of picking up different books, standing up and sitting down. There was a lot of chanting rather than just speaking, and I liked this… the service was pretty musical. I also found the sermon to be very meaningful and relevant to my life.
The church is pretty sparsely attended during the summer, which is when I’ve gone more often, but the people here were very nice. There are refreshments set out after the service and there is often quite a lot of food, and it is very high-​quality, much of it prepared from scratch and showing considerable skill and care in its preparation. I’ve also attended two church potlucks which are once a month.
The church struck me as very inclusive, and one thing that I liked is that it was inclusive by actions, but it also seemed more humble about its inclusivity. Some more liberal church can fall into the «Dear God, thank you for not making us closed-​minded like THOSE people» trap and I’m very happy to say that I didn’t encounter any of that here either… just quietly walking the walk. I’m someone who doesn’t always feel fully comfortable visiting a new church, and I felt very comfortable here right from the first time I visited.
This church is in a very convenient location for walking or SEPTA, being easily accessible both by trolley, subway, or bus, and a reasonable walk from SEPTA’s regional rail too. It is not particularly accessible by car though… right in the middle of Penn’s campus… you may need to park a block or two away… try 41^st or Spruce west of 40^th, if you want to avoid paying for parking.
I would recommend this church to Penn students and community members as well. This church strikes me as very inclusive of people from different backgrounds and faith traditions. It tends more towards the intellectual side of things, but I also felt that the prayer time was a tiny bit more open and free form than is typical for an Episcopal church. I like this combination.
I hope to keep sporadically attending this church, and I would recommend for others to check it out as well.

First, full disclosure: my parents were married in this church, and I feel it would be sacrilegious to say anything negative about St. Mary’s Hamilton Village (The Episcopal Church at U. Penn) based on that rather than the whole «holy» thing. I attended the 11 a.m. service a few weeks back when fall had just started revealing herself in subtle ways. I walked from the Septa station on the corner of South Street and Convention Avenue through the quiet campus (shhhhh hung-​over college students sleeping). The temperature was above light-​sweater but below shorts and sleeveless shirt, and the breeze was mild-​mannered. The walk itself was a spiritual experience.
I had been to this church once before (twice if you count my baptism but I can’t seem to recall much about that) three years ago for an evening Easter Vigil, so I had yet to see the sanctuary during the day. The space is Gothic and gorgeous with a large dome above the altar and two smaller domes on each side featuring mini-​altars. It’s hard to imagine a time when the ratio of people to pews was even – as the crowd was sparse. That didn’t stop those who were there from generating their warmth. Smiles abound as I sat down, and I think just about everyone made their way over to shake my hand during the peace. The choir exuded an enchanting sound, and the two scripture readers made honest mistakes that they both laughed their way through.
After the service, three people extended separate invitations to the potluck brunch (held the third Sunday of every month), each of which I gladly accepted. The camaraderie continued through the hearty meal. I enjoyed meeting some of the parishioners; a one-​year-​old named Sebastian took a liking to me and my corn muffin. Although I’m still searching for a parish I’d like to attend regularly, St. Mary’s is a promising contender. Going there felt like going home – in more ways than one. Eucharistic services are held at 11 a.m. every Sunday,
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