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How long will the church be closed?
Bishop Andrew Dietsche has suspended all public worship in the Episcopal Diocese of New York through July 1st. The text of his letter can be read here.
Will we be having any worship services?
We will have Online Morning Prayer at 10:30 am on Sundays, with Online Coffee Hour will follow at 11:30 am. Sunday School for children will be Online at 9:30 am on Sundays. All of these will be held via Zoom. The Zoom info will go out in the weekly email, and will be updated on our website here: https://www.epiphanynyc.org/service-times/ Please know we are actively exploring other ways, in the short term, to keep our community together in worship, prayer, and fellowship through the use of online resources.
Are the church offices closed?
Following the guidance of Bishop Dietsche and other government officials, we have closed the church offices, and are asking everyone to work from home. Sextons, various senior staff, and the clergy will be regularly checking on the building starting next week (after the staff self-isolation is ended). However, until further notice, the building will not be open to the public.
What is happening to the Wednesday Night Dinner?
The Church of the Epiphany has made the very difficult decision to put its Wednesday Dinner Program on PAUSE, in line with Governor Cuomo’s directives about group size. We will be regularly re-evaluating this. The Church of the Epiphany is committed to restarting the Wednesday Dinner Program once the Governor and the Department of Health have eased the restrictions currently in place.
What is happening to Carter Burden?
Meal delivery will be provided from Epiphany to seniors by the Department for the Aging and Carter Burden every Wednesday. Social services will be available via telephone, and the staff will make outreach calls to check-in on all participants. Epiphany is doing all that we can to support them in their efforts. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.carterburdennetwork.org/
What is happening to all other events and meetings that meet at the church?
We are informing all of our 12-step groups and community classes that for the near future we are unable to host their groups and we are offering refunds to groups who have already paid fees up front.
If you are a member of a 12-step group needing support in this time of social distancing and self-isolation, please see this online source for obtaining that support.
If you have questions about receiving a refund, or need instructions for how to pay for the first week of March, please contact Laura Noggle.
Will Epiphany Under the Stars still happen?
We will need to postpone Epiphany Under the Stars to a later date that is yet to be determined. In the meantime, we will keep you posted on ways to support the Wednesday Night Dinner Program.
Is Epiphany continuing to pay staff?
Yes, all full-time and part-time staff are receiving their full compensation and benefits.
What is happening with CEDS?
CEDS staff and teachers are providing online resources for all our CEDS students and families. These will include scheduled online time with fellow classmates and teachers, as well as suggestions for keeping active minds and bodies from growing bored or lonely for their friends.
What is happening with 351 E. 74th Street? Will we still be able to move on time?
The Mayor and Governor have shut down all non-essential construction and 351 fully shut down at the end of the day on Friday, March 27. There is no end date set for this shutdown and it is too soon to know how it will affect our timeline for moving into 351. Fr. Roy continues to work with Shawmut, the construction management firm, and the architect team on the many other "behind the scenes" aspects of this project (Access agreements from our neighbors to erect scaffolding, continuing to identify and vet the remaining sub-contractors we need, etc.) While 351 is shut down, Shawmut will continue intermittent weekly security checks of the building and all non-essential lighting will be turned off as will water service. (Gas service is already disconnected.)
For other questions, please reach out to Fr. Roy or Mo. Elise.
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