On the shoreline where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound, Saint Ann's Episcopal Parish has marked the rhythm of Sundays since 1883. Set in the heart of Old Lyme's historic art colony - home of the Florence Griswold Museum, the Lyme Art Association, and the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts - the parish serves both year-round residents and seasonal visitors with two Sunday Eucharists, a graded Sunday school, a long-running music program, and a roster of outreach ministries that reach well beyond the churchyard.
A Sunday Built Around Two Eucharists
From September through June, Sunday at Saint Ann's centers on two celebrations of the Holy Eucharist. At 8:30 a.m., Rite I from the Book of Common Prayer is said, with music at communion and a closing hymn. At 10:30 a.m., Rite II is sung with organ and choir, and children in Godly Play join their families at the Peace before sharing in the Eucharist together.
Choral Evensong is sung four times a year, and the parish gathers weekly for Sunday Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. in the Griswold Room, both in person and via Zoom. The Griswold Forum - an adult education series that runs Sundays from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. between the services - invites clergy, outside speakers, and parishioners to take up questions of faith, ethics, and the wider world.
From early July through Labor Day weekend, the two services are folded into a single 9:30 a.m. service alternating Rite I and Rite II, with Godly Play continuing for children.
Midweek Worship and Bible Study
Saint Ann's keeps weekday prayer on the calendar too. Tuesday Morning Prayer is prayed at 10 a.m. via Zoom, drawing on Rite I of the Book of Common Prayer. On Wednesdays at 3 p.m., the parish gathers for "God's Good Earth: Praise and Prayers for Creation," a weekday service written by parishioners Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn, usually held in the Memorial Garden and moving to the church or Zoom in bad weather. The Monday evening Bible Study has been paused; parishioners are encouraged to read with the lectionary page and Bible Gateway between Sundays.
Music: Choir, Evensong, and Summer Soloists
Music has been a defining feature of Saint Ann's for generations. The Parish Choir sings at the 10:30 a.m. service from September through June and offers Choral Evensong quarterly. Singers rehearse Sunday mornings before the service and on Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.; membership is open to anyone, parish membership not required, and the choir draws singers from as far as Yale, New York City, and Maine. Director of Music Hector B. Migliacci, a native of Cornwall, Connecticut, has served parish and Episcopal music programs in Greenwich, the Bronx, and Rye. In the summer, when the choir takes its holiday, the parish enlists soloists to lead the music.
Evensong is described in the parish materials as the crown jewel of the Anglican choral tradition, and Saint Ann's notes that its celebration stretches back through nearly five centuries of the Book of Common Prayer. The parish also hosts visiting ensembles and concerts - including recent appearances by Decoda, the CT Early Music Festival, and Elisabeth von Trapp - under its Live @ Saint Ann's cultural programming.
Christian Formation: Godly Play and the Griswold Forum
Children from preschool through fifth grade gather at 10:30 a.m. for Godly Play, a Montessori-inspired curriculum that uses storytelling and creative materials to walk through Old and New Testament stories. Adult storytellers and door persons lead the room, and the children rejoin their parents in the nave at the Passing of the Peace. Confirmation and Reception classes are held when there are candidates ready, and the parish participates in the regional service.
Pastoral Care, Prayer Shawls, and the Intercessory Prayer Team
Saint Ann's pastoral ministries are wide-ranging. The Intercessory Prayer Team prays daily for an evolving list of names; requests may be made for anyone, not just parishioners. The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits lightweight shawls beginning with prayer and blessing, then has them blessed by the rector before being sent to recipients. Pastoral Care Visitors visit the homebound and hospitalized, maintain a food bank, and assist with Eucharistic Ministry, meeting on the third Thursday of the month at 11 a.m.
The rector's discretionary fund, supported by the loose offering from the first Sunday of each month and direct contributions, provides financial assistance and referrals to local agencies for those in need.
The Nearly New Shop: A Mission in Consignment
At 70 Shore Road, on the corner of Mile Creek Road and Route 156, the parish runs the Nearly New Shop, a consignment and donation resale shop that underwrites a substantial share of Saint Ann's outreach. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the shop accepts women's clothing, shoes, jewelry, accessories, household items, antiques, art, and seasonally appropriate goods on consignment, and accepts donations Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. A color-coded pricing schedule runs from full price down to donation over roughly ten weeks. Manager Pat Lindahl and a team of about 30 volunteers keep the floor running, with Assistant Managers Phyllis Bjornberg-Haut and others supporting intake and customer care.
The Nearly New Shop also hosts Long Table Farm of Lyme CSA share distributions on Fridays from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. between early June and early October.
Mission Outreach on the Shoreline
The parish's outreach centers on food insecurity, refugee resettlement, and the wider community. Parish volunteers serve at Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries about every six weeks at St. John's Episcopal Church in Essex. The Sewing Ministry gathers weekly to produce layettes and other goods for mission partners. Saint Ann's longstanding Caribbean Connection supports scholarships, missionary presence, and wells and food aid in the bateys of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, and has sent intergenerational work teams.
The parish also co-sponsors the Lyme-Old Lyme Food Share Garden, helping to fund a new equipment garage and supporting volunteer hours that have delivered thousands of pounds of produce to Shoreline food pantries. Through the Lyme/Old Lyme Refugee Resettlement Committee, working with IRIS in New Haven and sister congregations, the parish has helped resettle refugee families and support their enrollment in school and English classes.
A Level 3 Green House of Worship
Saint Ann's is recognized by the CT Interreligious Eco-Justice Network as a Level 3 Green House of Worship, reflecting investments in accessible facilities and eco-friendly practices. The Environment Committee, launched in May 2020, organizes around worship, education, and community action, and the parish has joined Old Lyme's Pollinator Pathway with native plantings at the church, the Nearly New Shop, and the rectory. The Wednesday "God's Good Earth" service is one expression of this commitment, and Rector Anita Schell serves as Convener of the Environmental Network of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
Weddings, Funerals, and the Memorial Garden
Saint Ann's hosts weddings, funerals, and baptisms. Couples are encouraged to attend worship as part of their preparation, and the rector meets with them for premarital counseling. The Memorial Garden behind the church is set aside for the interment of ashes, with a single monument stone bearing identical nameplates for each person remembered there. A burial donation to the Memorial Garden Fund covers the plot, the burial, and the nameplate; certificates for burial are also available.
Governance and Clergy
The parish is governed by a Vestry of four officers and seven members-at-large, plus the Rector. The senior warden is Alden Rockwell Murphy, the junior warden Jacob Hale Russell, the treasurer Peter Griffin, and the clerk Carol Carlson. The Rev'd Dr. Anita Louise Schell, the seventh rector of Saint Ann's, came to the parish as Provisional Priest-in-Charge in 2019 and was called as rector on January 1, 2022. She holds degrees from Brown University, General Theological Seminary, and the Episcopal Divinity School, where her doctoral work focused on environmental justice, and she most recently served four years as President of RI Interfaith Power & Light. Zachary Kohl, a Postulant for Holy Orders attending Yale Divinity School and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, serves the parish as seminarian for the current academic year. Clare Wurm is the parish administrator, Hector B. Migliacci is the Director of Music, and Wendy Shaffer is the Communications Coordinator.
What to Know Before Visiting
The church sits at 82 Shore Road in Old Lyme; office hours run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. September through June, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in July and August. Visitors are encouraged to make themselves known to the rector or ushers or to fill out the guest book near the front doors. Children of all ages are welcome at every service, and the nursery and school rooms are on the lower level - an usher will direct you. Those unable to come to the altar rail may receive communion at their seats. A coffee hour follows the 10:30 service in the Griswold Room. Services are livestreamed on the parish YouTube channel, and giving, pledge cards, and other forms are available online. The parish welcomes questions at 860-434-1621 or office@saintannsoldlyme.org.