Welcome to St. PJ's in Wooster Square
Jazz Eucharist and Children's Sunday School, Sundays at 10:30 A.M.
The Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James
57 Olive Street, New Haven, CT, 06511
On the corner of Chapel and Olive
CT Transit bus routes 204 + 206 stop are half a block away on Chapel Street
Part of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Home to our partners at Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe
All are welcomed, wanted, affirmed, included, and loved
57 Olive Street, New Haven, CT, 06511
On the corner of Chapel and Olive
CT Transit bus routes 204 + 206 stop are half a block away on Chapel Street
Part of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut
Home to our partners at Loaves & Fishes and Sunrise Cafe
All are welcomed, wanted, affirmed, included, and loved
About St. PJ's:
Loving God and Neighbor Since 1829
Welcome to St. PJ's, also known as the Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James! Located in historic Wooster Square just steps away from New Haven's original and most famous apizza joints, here you will find jazz, justice, and Jesus, plus coffee, community, and Communion.
All are welcome in all levels of our parish life as we seek to follow the risen Christ, regardless of sexuality, gender expression, race, income, age, family shape and size, talents, or even belief. Wherever you are on your faith journey, know that lifelong Episcopalians, ex-vangelicals, seekers, and skeptics alike have all found a loving church home together here without shame or guilt. Everyone deserves a place in this beautiful-yet-lonely world to pause, refresh, serve, be spiritually moved, and make new friends. All means all!
This is a vibrant church that takes worship and Sacraments seriously while still staying relaxed. Our annual events like the Mardi Gras party, our Blue Christmas service, and the New Orleans-style second-line Palm Sunday parade are not to be missed. St. PJ's and its members also have a long history of launching new charities in Jesus's loving name, and of hosting valued racial and social justice partners within our walls and our hearts.
Come as you are to discover the genuine hospitality of God's table, and to experience the Christian spirit of St. PJ's.
All are welcome in all levels of our parish life as we seek to follow the risen Christ, regardless of sexuality, gender expression, race, income, age, family shape and size, talents, or even belief. Wherever you are on your faith journey, know that lifelong Episcopalians, ex-vangelicals, seekers, and skeptics alike have all found a loving church home together here without shame or guilt. Everyone deserves a place in this beautiful-yet-lonely world to pause, refresh, serve, be spiritually moved, and make new friends. All means all!
This is a vibrant church that takes worship and Sacraments seriously while still staying relaxed. Our annual events like the Mardi Gras party, our Blue Christmas service, and the New Orleans-style second-line Palm Sunday parade are not to be missed. St. PJ's and its members also have a long history of launching new charities in Jesus's loving name, and of hosting valued racial and social justice partners within our walls and our hearts.
Come as you are to discover the genuine hospitality of God's table, and to experience the Christian spirit of St. PJ's.
Whose Dignity Matters?
A Letter from 154 Episcopal bishops to our fellow Americans
A Letter from 154 Episcopal bishops to our fellow Americans
January 31, 2026:
"What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?
"In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers.
"We call on Americans to trust their moral compass—and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Read the full letter and see all 154 signatories, including the diocesan and suffragan bishops of Connecticut >>
"What happened a week ago in Minnesota and is happening in communities across the country runs counter to God’s vision of justice and peace. This crisis is about more than one city or state—it’s about who we are as a nation. The question before us is simple and urgent: Whose dignity matters?
"In the wake of the tragic deaths of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, we join Minnesotans and people across the nation in mourning two precious lives lost to state-sanctioned violence. We grieve with their families, their friends, and everyone harmed by the government’s policies. When fear becomes policy, everyone suffers.
"We call on Americans to trust their moral compass—and to question rhetoric that trades in fear rather than the truth. As Episcopalians, our moral compass is rooted firmly in the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
Read the full letter and see all 154 signatories, including the diocesan and suffragan bishops of Connecticut >>
What's Happening at St. PJ's
Weekly Schedule
- Sundays at 10:30 AM: Jazz Eucharist and Children's Sunday School, followed by Coffee & Community
- Wednesdays at 12:30 PM: Noonday Prayer in the Chapel
- Monday - Friday, 6:30 - 8:30 AM: Free breakfast from our partners at Sunrise Cafe
- Tuesdays and Fridays at Noon: Narcotics Anonymous
- Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3 PM, and Saturdays, 8 - 10:30 AM: Food pantries from our partners at Loaves & Fishes
Upcoming Special Events
- 02/08: Annual Meeting, Reschedule Date
Also coming soon, details TBA
- NeuroDivine, low-stimulus worship service for neurodivergent families
- A new sermon podcast
- New lay-leader ministry teams launching in early 2026
- "Come and See" volunteer overview day
- New 2026 dates and titles for the "Margins and Movements" social-justice book club
- Sundays at 10:30 AM: Jazz Eucharist and Children's Sunday School, followed by Coffee & Community
- Wednesdays at 12:30 PM: Noonday Prayer in the Chapel
- Monday - Friday, 6:30 - 8:30 AM: Free breakfast from our partners at Sunrise Cafe
- Tuesdays and Fridays at Noon: Narcotics Anonymous
- Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3 PM, and Saturdays, 8 - 10:30 AM: Food pantries from our partners at Loaves & Fishes
Upcoming Special Events
- 02/08: Annual Meeting, Reschedule Date
Also coming soon, details TBA
- NeuroDivine, low-stimulus worship service for neurodivergent families
- A new sermon podcast
- New lay-leader ministry teams launching in early 2026
- "Come and See" volunteer overview day
- New 2026 dates and titles for the "Margins and Movements" social-justice book club
Are you new here? Still searching?
What to expect on Sunday morning:
Come and worship together at 10:30 AM each Sunday, both in person and online via our Facebook and YouTube livestreams.
Everyone was created in God's image, and all are welcomed, wanted, and affirmed at St. PJ's. You are already one of us.
Everyone was created in God's image, and all are welcomed, wanted, and affirmed at St. PJ's. You are already one of us.
GettinMost Sundays we celebrate Holy Communion with our priest-in-charge, currently the Rev. Nathan Empsall. The whole service is printed in the bulletin, making it easy to follow and participate. Approximately once each month we have Morning Prayer instead, presided by church members whose leadership reminds us that you don't need to be ordained to serve God. And every week, our worship is characterized by jazz - both jazz music and the spirit of jazz!
There is Sunday School for children ages 3-10, also at 10:30 AM. Children leave the sanctuary together at the start of the service, and return for Communion.
After church, we gather for Coffee and Community, loving one another with our fellowship just as we love God with our worship.
Adult Formation conversations frequently follow worship and coffee, covering spiritual topics like the day's Scripture readings, praying with the Psalms, creation care, Christian resistance to authoritarianism, how white Christian nationalism is a perversion of our religion, Episcopal Church 101, and more.
There is no formal dress code. Most here dress in what could be described as casual or business casual, but you'll see everything from tie-dye t-shirts and jeans with rainbow hair to suits and ties. Come exactly as you are - just come a little early if you're driving!
Getting here: We are located a half block from stops on CT Transit bus routes 204 and 206. Driving? While we do have a tiny parking lot off Chapel Street, it fills up early with staff and handicapped vehicles, so most members find neighborhood street parking within a couple blocks. If you park in the lot, please use only the church-owned spots against the building or along the southern fence by Sally's. Please do not park against the playground fence on your left (the farthest spots from the church); those are residential spots only.
Need an accessible entrance? We have a ramp in our driveway off Chapel Street, leading into the small chapel and main Sanctuary. However, the indoor lift is currently out of order, so there are still three indoor steps from the small chapel to the rest of the building that need to be navigated. We apologize for this and are working to get it fixed.
Firearms and other weapons are prohibited on St. PJ's property.
There is Sunday School for children ages 3-10, also at 10:30 AM. Children leave the sanctuary together at the start of the service, and return for Communion.
After church, we gather for Coffee and Community, loving one another with our fellowship just as we love God with our worship.
Adult Formation conversations frequently follow worship and coffee, covering spiritual topics like the day's Scripture readings, praying with the Psalms, creation care, Christian resistance to authoritarianism, how white Christian nationalism is a perversion of our religion, Episcopal Church 101, and more.
There is no formal dress code. Most here dress in what could be described as casual or business casual, but you'll see everything from tie-dye t-shirts and jeans with rainbow hair to suits and ties. Come exactly as you are - just come a little early if you're driving!
Getting here: We are located a half block from stops on CT Transit bus routes 204 and 206. Driving? While we do have a tiny parking lot off Chapel Street, it fills up early with staff and handicapped vehicles, so most members find neighborhood street parking within a couple blocks. If you park in the lot, please use only the church-owned spots against the building or along the southern fence by Sally's. Please do not park against the playground fence on your left (the farthest spots from the church); those are residential spots only.
Need an accessible entrance? We have a ramp in our driveway off Chapel Street, leading into the small chapel and main Sanctuary. However, the indoor lift is currently out of order, so there are still three indoor steps from the small chapel to the rest of the building that need to be navigated. We apologize for this and are working to get it fixed.
Firearms and other weapons are prohibited on St. PJ's property.
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Rent Space at St. PJ's
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Tithes & Offerings
Support St. PJ's in the work of sharing God's love with the world. If you'd like to make a regular commitment to give take a look at our pledge page.