Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do to come to worship?
Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are welcome in all of who you are at St. Mary's. Come as you are - there are no requirements to attend worship in person or online.
In the midst of the continuing infections from COVID especially, we ask everyone to wear a mask when indoors.
How do I become a member of St. Mary's
We welcome you! To become a member of St. Mary's you need to attend worship and give of your resources (time, talent and finances). If you would like more information, please talk with the Rector or a member of the Vestry (see list above).
Can I bring a friend who is not Christian?
Friends are always welcome!
Am I allowed to receive communion?
Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on the journey of faith, you are invited to come forward to receive the bread and the wine made holy. You also have the option not to receive, you may come forward with your arms crossed across your chest to receive a blessing, or you may simply stay in your seat. We celebrate your participation in worship in whichever way you choose.
Will St. Mary's baptize me/my child/ren?
We welcome you! If you are interested in being baptized or having a child baptized, please come to worship on Sunday and speak with the Rector.
Does St. Mary's offer First Communion?
St. Mary's welcomes all children to receive communion; if you would like to arrange for instruction for your child/ren, please contact the Parish Office.
Does St. Mary's offer the Rite of Confession?
At St. Mary's we say a communal confession most Sundays. As an Episcopal Church we offer "Confession" or the Rite of Reconciliation to everyone; the guidance is that "all may, none must" participate in this practice. To make an appointment, please contact the Parish Office.
Will St. Mary's perform my Marriage?
St. Mary's welcomes all couples seeking a blessing on their relationship, including the blessing of marriage. At least one person of the couple must attend worship at St. Mary's and make themselves known to the Rector. The Rector will then meet with the couple for a time of preparation before the ceremony.
Can my loved one's funeral be held at St. Mary's?
We are sorry for your loss. St. Mary's offers funeral and memorial services for those in the community. Please contact the Parish Office, 212-864-4016, [email protected].
What are your terms, conditions and privacy policy for communications?
Mobile Messaging Terms and Conditions Last updated: November 1, 2022; St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Manhattanville, (“St. Mary’s”, “we”, or “us”) operates a mobile messaging program (the “Program”) subject to these Mobile Messaging Terms and Conditions (the “Mobile Messaging Terms”). The Program and our collection and use of your personal information is also subject to our Privacy Policy (see below). By enrolling, signing up, or otherwise agreeing to participate in the Program, you accept and agree to these Mobile Messaging Terms and our Privacy Policy 1. Program Description: We may send promotional and transactional mobile messages in various formats through the Program. Promotional messages advertise and promote our services and may include event/service reminders, volunteer or financial appeals, and/or emergency closings/information. Mobile messages may be sent using an automated technology, including an autodialer, automated system, or automatic telephone dialing system. Message frequency will vary and will not exceed 5 messages per month. You agree that we, our affiliates, and any third-party service providers may send you messages regarding the foregoing topics or any topic and that such messages and/or calls may be made or placed using different telephone numbers or short codes. We do not charge for mobile messages sent through the Program but you are responsible for any message and data rates imposed by your mobile provider, as standard data and message rates may apply for SMS and MMS alerts. 2. User Opt-In: By providing your mobile phone number to us, you are voluntarily opting in to the Program and you agree to receive recurring mobile messages from us at the mobile phone number associated with your opt-in, even if such number is registered on any state or federal “Do Not Call” list. You agree that any mobile phone number you provide to us is a valid mobile phone number of which you are the owner or authorized user. If you change your mobile phone number or are no longer the owner or authorized user of the mobile phone number, you agree to promptly notify us at [email protected]. Your participation in the Program is not required for attendance/membership, and your participation in the Program is completely voluntary. 3. User Opt-Out and Support: You may opt-out of the Program at any time. If you wish to opt out of the Program and stop receiving mobile messages from us, or you no longer agree to these Mobile Messaging Terms, reply STOP, QUIT, CANCEL, OPT-OUT, and/or UNSUBSCRIBE to any mobile message from us. You may continue to receive text messages for a short period while we process your request and you may receive a one-time opt-out confirmation message. You understand and agree that the foregoing is the only reasonable method of opting out. For support, reply HELP to any mobile message from us. Privacy Policy Effective Date: November 1, 2022 This Privacy Policy explains how St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Manhattanville collects, uses, and discloses personal information about our members, participants and visitors to our website at https://stmarysharlem.org/. Collection of Personal Information: We may collect personal information directly from you, for example through a web form, during registration, while making a reservation, while setting up an account with us, when you contact us for information or make a prayer request. Personal information we collect directly from you may include first and last name, address, email address, and phone number. Information collected from your device: Our website may use technologies such as cookies, web beacons, pixels, and other similar technologies to automatically collect certain information from your device including, for example, your IP address, date and time of your visit, browser and operating system information, referring website address, and other information about how you interact with the website. Our email campaigns may also use tracking technologies such as web beacons, pixels and other similar technologies to automatically collect certain information such as your IP address, browser type and version, and email engagement statistics. Information collected from our partners: We may collect personal information about you from our third party partners and combine it with other information that we collect. Personal information we collect from our partners may include, for example, your demographic information and geographic location. Use of Personal Information: We may use information collected about you for any lawful purpose, including the following: ● To notify you about St. Mary’s worship services, events, volunteer needs or emergency closing/information; including by email and text message subject to your consent; ● To provide our website to you, to optimize our website, and to assist with our advertising and marketing efforts; ● To comply with the law and to maintain the security of our website; or ● With your consent, or as otherwise disclosed at the time information is collected. Disclosure of Personal Information: We may share the information we collect with other parties, including the following: ● With third-party service providers to assist us with tracking your donations, such as payment processors, data hosting services, analytics services, online store support, and email service providers (Constant Contact). ● With Constant Contact, to send email marketing and text message communications. For more information about how we may use your information with Constant Contact and the information that may be collected through our email campaigns, see Constant Contact’s Customer Data Notice available at https://www.constantcontact.com/legal/customer-contactdata-notice. ● With any affiliates or joint venture partners that we may have in the future. ● If necessary to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights or the rights of third parties, or to protect the safety or security of any person or entity. ● With your consent or as otherwise disclosed at the time of data collection or sharing. We may share information that has been de-identified or aggregated without limitation. Our website may offer interactive features, such as the ability to leave reviews, that you can use to communicate with other website visitors or to submit and post your own content. If you disclose information in one of these forums, this information can be viewed, collected, and used by others Digital Analytics We may also work with third parties that collect data about your use of our website and other sites or apps over time for non-advertising purposes. We use Google Analytics and other third-party services to improve the performance of the website and for analytics and marketing purposes. For more information about how Google Analytics collects and uses data when you use our website, visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners, and to opt out of Google Analytics, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Email and Text Message Communications If you wish to unsubscribe from our email campaigns, please click on the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email sent from us. If you wish to stop receiving text messages from us, reply STOP, QUIT, CANCEL, OPT-OUT, or UNSUBSCRIBE to any text message sent from us. For more information, see our Mobile Messaging Terms and Conditions available above. Updating Your Information To update your information at any time please email us: [email protected]. Changes to this Privacy Policy We may update this Privacy Policy at any time. Please review it frequently. Contact Information: If you have any questions about this policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at [email protected]. Add an answer here.