The Church of Saint Clement has stood on North Quaker Lane for decades, a small but growing Episcopal parish tucked between the Fairlington and Parkfairfax neighborhoods on the border of Alexandria and Arlington, Virginia. The congregation is known across the city for a long record of outreach, including helping to found ALIVE!, the city-wide ecumenical non-profit that serves people in need, and running the brown bag lunch program that feeds those who might otherwise go without. Saint Clement is also the home of one of Alexandria's longest-running preschools, and many school families become part of the church community. The parish describes itself with characteristic candor - White, Black, African, Old, Young, Latino, LGBTQ, Wealthy, Asian, Sinner, Saint, Working Class, Spiritually Seeking, Lost, Found - and welcomes new arrivals with the same open arms.
The Sanctuary Without Windows
Step inside the church and one architectural detail is impossible to miss: the sanctuary has no windows. When the building was constructed, the design earned several architectural awards and was ahead of its time in another respect - the altar sits at the center of the sanctuary, between the pulpit and the font. The shape of the worship space shapes the rhythm of the liturgy, drawing the congregation in a circle around the altar each Sunday.
Sunday Morning at Ten
Worship at Saint Clement is holy and reverent, casual and joyful, and the Sunday service is the heart of the parish's life together. Every Sunday at 10:00 AM the congregation gathers for the Holy Eucharist, drawn from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. The liturgy moves through baptism, word, peace, communion, and dismissal: clergy and acolytes begin at the font, the congregation gathers around the pulpit for Scripture and preaching, members greet one another in peace, and then all come to the table for Holy Communion. From the table the clergy return to the font and the congregation is sent out once again, reminded that they go into the world washed in the waters of baptism.
Music is central to the Sunday offering. A small but mighty choir, directed by Music Director Anne Tyler, sings anthems each week. Congregational singing is accompanied by piano and organ. Hymns are drawn primarily from The 1982 Hymnal and from Lift Every Voice and Sing, a collection of hymns from the African American tradition. The choir rehearses Thursday evenings during the program year (mid-September through mid-June) and sings at Sunday services and for seasonal services during Christmas and Holy Week. New vocalists and instrumentalists are always welcome.
Come as you are. Masks are optional for indoor worship at this time. Worship bags with soft toys, puzzles, books, and coloring activities are available for any child who wants them, and all children are welcome to remain with their families for the full service.
Children and Youth
Children of all ages are full members of the Saint Clement community. All children are welcomed in worship, with their noises and wiggles intact. Nursery care is available during the 10:00 AM service for children four years of age and younger, staffed by a professional caregiver (one of the preschool teachers) and a second adult volunteer from the parish.
From mid-September through mid-June, Church School meets during the first half of the 10:00 AM service. Younger students follow a program called Godly Play, a Montessori-like method that invites children to hear stories from the Bible and the tradition of the church in a way that promotes wonder and exploration. Older children, third grade and up, attend a class called Building Faith Brick by Brick, in which they read stories from Scripture and respond by building Lego art. The children return to their families after the Collect and rejoin at the Peace.
Children and youth are also encouraged to take part in the parish's outreach, helping parents prepare meals for the Carpenter's Shelter, making sandwiches for the brown bag lunch program, helping open the overnight shelter in winter, and collecting toys and school supplies for other children in need.
Wednesday Healing and Compline by Night
In addition to Sunday morning worship, the parish gathers on Wednesdays at 12:00 PM for a midday service with healing. On Tuesdays at 7:30 PM, Compline (Night Prayer) is offered on Zoom, with service materials posted online. The Compline schedule is variable; those interested are asked to contact the Parish Office for the appointed day and Zoom details.
ALIVE!, Brown Bags, and Casseroles for the Carpenter's Shelter
Saint Clement is well known in Alexandria for its long history of outreach. The parish's mission is summed up in three phrases: Spread the Word of God, Share the Love of God, and Serve the People of God.
ALIVE!, a city-wide ecumenical non-profit that helps connect people with food, shelter, and childcare, was founded in part by members of Saint Clement over forty years ago and now involves hundreds of volunteers from more than forty local religious groups. Parishioners sort and deliver groceries for those in need, pick up and deliver donated furniture, and take part in the annual ALIVE! Walkathon.
Saint Clement is one of six local churches that participate in Alexandria's brown bag lunch program for the hungry, hosted by Meade Memorial Episcopal Church. About every seven weeks the parish assembles more than sixty lunches for those who might otherwise go without.
On the third Sunday of every month, parishioners prepare and serve dinner at The Carpenter's Shelter, Alexandria's main shelter for people experiencing homelessness, which also provides training and programs - including A.A., adult literacy, and mental health counseling - that lead toward self-sufficiency. In colder months the parish makes its famous chicken casserole; in warmer months, goulash. In months when the main meal is not being served, the parish provides salads and desserts.
The Christmas Toy Drive and Back-to-School
A Saint Clement parishioner founded the Christmas toy drive in 1991, beginning with fifty families in its first year and growing into a non-profit that now serves more than a thousand children. For Christmas, families receive a special invitation to attend Distribution Day in time to gather gifts before the holidays. On Distribution Day, volunteers transform a local recreation center into a winter wonderland; children are entertained with fun activities while their parents select gifts. Volunteers are needed to sort and count donations, escort families, and do arts and crafts with the children.
In August the parish runs a Back-to-School Donation Drive, gathering supplies for children in need as a new school year begins.
Saint Clement Episcopal School
Saint Clement Episcopal School has shared the parish campus for more than forty years. The school seeks to offer an educational environment within a Christian community that promotes the development of each child's spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and artistic potential, and to help children know God's love and to seek God within themselves and others.
The program is play-based and organized around interest centers - art and writing, dramatic play, math manipulatives, story corner, blocks and building, science and sensory exploration - where children build skills across social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language development. Each morning the children arrive for playground or hall play, gather for circle time, share snack, move through indoor centers, head outdoors for exploration, have lunch, story time, rest, and afternoon review. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings include Chapel and Enrichments. Children must be at least thirty months old by September to enroll. The school is a peanut-free environment.
Christian education is woven through every part of the program. Each week the children gather for a Chapel Service led by the Rector, the Rev. Robin Razzino. The school welcomes children of all faith traditions.
Other weekly offerings include Songs and Stories with the school director, Jenny Darlington, and Social Emotional Learning enrichment with Bettina, who leads small-group sessions on feelings, healthy identities, empathy, supportive relationships, and responsible decision making.
Tours are encouraged. Prospective families can contact Jenny at jenny@saintclement.org or call (703) 998-8795.
Clergy, Staff, and a Four-Legged Sentinel
The Rev. Robin Razzino became the rector of Saint Clement in November 2016, following eight years at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Bethesda and a short stint at St. Thomas, McLean. Earlier in her career she worked internationally in human rights, development, and peacebuilding, spending a year in South Africa and traveling to more than twenty other countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. She graduated from James Madison University in Journalism, from George Mason University with a Master's in Conflict Analysis and Resolution, and from Virginia Theological Seminary with her Master of Divinity in 2008. She is married to Dr. Brian Razzino, a child psychologist, and together they have two young children, Zoe and Anna, who have attended the St. Clement preschool.
Anne Tyler serves as Music Director. She is also the director of the Prep Program for Children's Chorus of Washington, and she previously taught music at St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School in Washington, DC for twenty-five years. She directed the 9 O'Clock Choirs at Christ Episcopal Church in Alexandria, holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance from The Catholic University of America, and was awarded the 2010-2011 O'Neil/Carew Fellowship.
Allyson Parker is the Parish Administrator. She graduated from the College of William & Mary with a BA in Art History and French and brings more than a decade of experience in small-business support, bookkeeping, and digital marketing to the parish office.
Jenny Darlington has served in early childhood education for more than twenty years and joined the Saint Clement staff as school director in July 2022. Under her leadership the preschool maintains small class sizes, experienced teachers, and a strong sense of community.
Minji Razzino, the Office Sentinel, assists Rev. Robin with important tasks during office hours and greets visitors with an enthusiastic bow-wow and a fluffy, snow-colored coat.
Joining the Life of the Parish
There are many ways to take part. The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary for all services, polishes the Eucharistic vessels, and oversees the decoration of the sanctuary with fresh flowers. Worship Assistants serve on a rotating basis as crucifers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and ushers, usually about once a month. Coffee Hour hosts simply make coffee, provide a small assortment of sweet and savory treats, and clean up afterward. Pastoral Care volunteers serve as Lay Eucharistic Visitors, provide rides to and from church or medical appointments, prepare meals for new parents or those recovering from surgery, and send cards to the sick and homebound. Building and Grounds volunteers tend the many gardens around the property and assist with maintenance and improvement projects.
A small group of Clementines meets every Thursday at 8:30 AM for an hour-long walk, returning to a local cafe for a short reading, reflection, and coffee. On Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 7:45 PM, Patricia leads a free Holy Yoga session open to all, regardless of where they are in their practice.
Each December the parish grounds become a festive Christmas tree lot. For more than twenty years the Christmas tree sale has been Saint Clement's biggest fundraiser, and volunteers are needed to set up the lot, unload trees, advertise, sell, and close up each evening.
The parish also gathers for shared meals and celebrations through the year - an annual pancake supper, a Halloween party, a Christmas party, parish teas, summer picnics, and the annual parish weekend at Shrine Mont.
The Parish Office is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. For more information about worship, programs, and ways to serve, contact the office at office@saintclement.org or (703) 998-6166.