Trinity Episcopal Cathedral stands at the corner of West 12th and Main Streets in Davenport, the largest city of the Quad Cities. As the historic Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa, the parish has anchored the religious and civic life of eastern Iowa since 1841. The congregation is known for its formal, Book of Common Prayer-rooted worship, an acclaimed music program built around a Wolff pipe organ, and a deep tradition of community outreach that reaches from the Brady Hill neighborhood to refugee resettlement efforts through Tapestry Farms, which the Cathedral hosts in its own building.
A Gothic Cathedral on West 12th Street
The first Episcopal services in Davenport were held in 1836 by a traveling clergyman. Trinity Parish was incorporated five years later, in 1841. When the Diocese of Iowa was created in 1854, Henry Washington Lee was elected the first bishop. Trinity's second church, a Gothic structure built in 1852, was the first church in Iowa to have a pipe organ; it was destroyed by fire in 1874. After the Civil War, the cornerstone of the present building was laid, and the resulting structure is a nationally registered Gothic-style church that still anchors the neighborhood today.
In 1992, the Rt. Rev. C. Christopher Epting designated St. Paul's in Des Moines as the liturgical Cathedral of the Diocese, leaving Trinity as the Historical Cathedral, a distinction the congregation still carries. A parish house, Haines Parish Hall, was added in the 1990s under the Very Rev. John Hall, who served from 1989 to 2005 and whose tenure broadened Trinity's leadership to include women and LGBTQI+ members across every part of parish life. The lower level of that hall once housed a daycare for teen parents, Positive Parenting, which ran from 1995 until 2022; today it provides office space for Tapestry Farms. The Very Rev. James Harris served from 2007 to 2009, and the Very Rev. John Horn served from 2011 to 2022. Dean Horn was known for his gentle stewardship of the liturgy and homilies centered on the Gospels, and he readily invited ordained parishioners to preach.
A New Dean from Arkansas
The Cathedral has called the Rev. Brandon Haynes to serve as its new Dean. He comes to Trinity from All Saints' Episcopal Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he served as Rector and guided the congregation through a season of renewal, strengthening governance, expanding lay leadership, and developing partnerships addressing hunger, recovery, and immigration. A graduate of the Seminary of the Southwest, he also completed Clinical Pastoral Education as a hospital chaplain and has additional training in conflict management and church mediation.
Grounded in the Anglican tradition's sacramental and liturgical life, Fr. Brandon emphasizes collaborative leadership, thoughtful preaching, pastoral care, and what he calls the Cathedral's vocation to be a house of prayer for all people. He has begun his ministry at Trinity with plans to listen and learn over coffee, after worship, and in homes and workplaces, bringing the same Delta-and-Ozarks faith that he describes as "shaped at kitchen tables and front porches as much as in sanctuaries."
Worship Rooted in the Book of Common Prayer
The congregation's worship life centers on the Book of Common Prayer and the Sunday lectionary. Sunday Eucharist is celebrated at 10:00 a.m. A second weekly Eucharist is held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesdays. Morning Prayer is offered Monday through Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with a Contemplative Prayer time on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Morning Prayer and Bible Study meet together via Zoom at 8:30 a.m.
The liturgy follows Rite II. Participants wear vestments, altar linens change with the church seasons, and incense is used on special occasions. The Sunday service is described by parishioners and visitors as formal and liturgical, and the coffee hour afterward is widely noted for being vibrant and substantive.
All baptized Christians are welcome to receive Communion. Gluten-free wafers are available upon request at the altar rail. Visitors who prefer not to receive are invited to receive a blessing by crossing their arms at the rail.
A Sound Built on Music
Music is a defining feature of Trinity Cathedral. Michael Elsbernd serves as Director of Music Ministries and makes full use of the Cathedral's Wolff pipe organ. The congregation is known regionally for the quality of its music and has hosted Chamber Music Quad Cities, Opera Quad Cities, and the annual Messiah Sing-In.
Two choirs anchor the program. The Cathedral Choir rehearses Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., September through May, with a Sunday warm-up at 9:15 a.m. before the 10:00 a.m. service. The Cathedral Bell Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. An annual Jazz service is a special musical highlight each year, and the Cathedral's musical life extends through the Deanery School of Music, which occupies the former Dean's residence and connects teachers, performers, and the wider community through education and events.
Formation Across the Lifespan
Trinity's formation offerings span every stage of life. Children's Church School meets on the ground level at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays for students aged 3 and up, with two classrooms, an elementary-age group following the Episcopal curriculum "Weaving God's Promises," and a middle school group working through "Journey to Adulthood - Rite 13." The parish is actively working to expand children's and youth ministry to make fuller use of the Cathedral's children's chapel.
After the Sunday Eucharist and coffee hour, adults gather at 11:30 a.m. for Faith Sharing in the library. A Wednesday Book Study meets weekly for fellowship and discussion, and during Lent the parish gathers for "Souper Wednesdays," a simple soup-and-bread supper followed by small-group conversation. Several prayer groups meet throughout the year, and a monthly Eucharist is brought to parishioners living at The Fountains Senior Living in Bettendorf.
Young Adult Nights gather twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. The evening begins with Evening Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, followed by pizza and fellowship at the Cathedral and a walk down the street to Armored Gardens for continued conversation. The group welcomes both Anglicans familiar with the prayer book and newcomers learning it for the first time.
Walking the Neighborhood
Outreach is woven into Trinity's identity. The Outreach Committee, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom, coordinates the congregation's service partnerships and selects an annual focus of need alongside ongoing support for the Center Food Pantry, P.U.N.C.H., Churches United, the Cathedral's sister diocese of Nzara in South Sudan, and disaster aid funds.
Several long-standing partnerships shape this work. Tapestry Farms, a nonprofit that helps refugees rebuild their lives through a network of urban farms in the Quad Cities, has its office inside the Trinity Cathedral building, and parishioners donate time, money, and household supplies, with collection baskets at the rear of the sanctuary. P.U.N.C.H. (People Uniting Neighbors and Churches) serves the Brady Hill neighborhood, partnering with local churches, neighbors, and city leaders on a yearly Blessing Box drive, community gardens, an Easter Egg Hunt, a Foster Graduation Party, the Memorial to the Lost, and a Thanksgiving Free Community Dinner each November. Churches United brings Quad City congregations together to serve free community meals, with Trinity cooking and serving one meal every other month on the third Monday at Zion Lutheran Church.
The Cathedral also staffs a booth at the QC Pride Fest and conducts annual Safe Zone Training Sessions through Episco Pride. The Deacon's Closet, located in the basement, collects non-perishable food, hygiene supplies, and cold-weather items for neighbors in hardship, and the parish assembles a team each year for the CROP Hunger Walk. A Little Free Library on the corner of 12th and Main, across from Central High School, offers free books to the neighborhood.
Visiting Trinity Cathedral
The Cathedral's doors stand open to all. On Sundays, the main red doors on Main Street and the Bell Tower Entrance at the southeast corner, which includes a wheelchair-accessible ramp, are open during services. An elevator on the north side of the building, accessible from the small parking lot off 12th Street, is available for those who need it; these doors lock at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays when the service begins. Weekday visitors may enter the same north entrance between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and ring the buzzer in the vestibule.
Ushers greet visitors at the main doors and offer a service booklet that contains the full liturgy, including music, Scripture readings, prayers, and instructions for participation. There is no dress code; people come in everything from casual to formal wear. Children of every age are welcome in worship and are encouraged to serve as lectors, acolytes, or choir members. FM auditory assistance devices are available from the ushers for visitors who are hard of hearing. Gluten-free communion wafers are available at the altar rail. A playground sits just outside the office door on the northeast corner for younger visitors. Visitors are warmly welcome to arrive late, leave early, or stop in for a moment of prayer whenever the Spirit moves them.
Supporting the Cathedral
Gifts to Trinity Cathedral can be made in the offering plate during Sunday services, by mail to 121 W. 12th Street, Davenport, Iowa 52803, or online. The congregation's life - the choirs, the children's and youth programs, the outreach partnerships, the monthly service at The Fountains, the Coffee Hour that visitors consistently remember - is sustained by the generosity of its members and the wider Quad Cities community. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the parish welcomes inquiries by phone or email.