“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”
(Romans 15:7)
These words of instruction from Saint Paul to the early church in Rome live at the heart of the God’s continuing call to Saint Paul’s Within the Walls. This historic parish—first gathered in the mid-nineteenth century—has welcomed people from around the world for more than 150 years.
The welcome of our community is extended equally to people living far from home, and to people traveling far from home. It is extended to thousands of refugees every year, seeking hope and shelter in their flight from war, violence, and the relentless forces of climate change. And it is extended to young adults giving a year of service to the church as interns in the Young Adult Service Corps.
The welcome of this parish is expressed as a principal center of the ecumenical work and witness of The Episcopal Church, situated at the center of inter-Communion conversations with Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, and Orthodox traditions. And it also takes the form of welcoming and receiving visitors and conversations from around the Anglican Communion, not least through Saint Paul’s close links with the Anglican Centre in Rome.
And if you visit us, you will quickly find that we welcome all kinds of programs from the cultural world of Rome. Concerts, art exhibitions, and many other treasures may be found within the walls of this beautifully restored church designed by the architect George Edmund Street, with its glorious mosaics by Edward Burne-Jones.
Wherever you are on your journey of faith—expat or explorer, refugee or regular—we welcome you here, as Saint Paul first taught us.
See you in church,
The Right Reverend Mark D. W. Edington
Bishop in Charge