24/7 Community

Chapel & Spiritual Life

Something Bigger Than Ourselves

Since its founding, Episcopal High School has maintained a commitment to developing the spiritual life of each student. Episcopal, as the name would imply, is an Episcopal school, but what does that mean?

For us, it means you will see the liturgy of the Episcopal Church in our services. It means we offer a weekly optional Sunday services with communion. It means we offer baptism and confirmation to community members who are seeking that when the Bishop of Virginia comes to visit every spring.

What being an Episcopal school also means is that we are a community that works to draw the circle wide to mirror the diversity of our community, including all faith traditions, cultures, races, gender and sexual identities, and community members who choose not to participate in organized religion.

Being in Washington, D.C., we are fortunate to have many houses of worship, including synagogues and mosques, where students can seek an off-campus experience and we offer a worship shuttle on the weekends. We also offer a Christian Fellowship group and an affinity group for non-Christian students for more intentional fellowship.

List of 6 items.

  • Chapel Services

    Attending chapel services three times a week gives students and teachers alike a sense of community and a time for reflection and renewal. Students frequently take leadership roles in chapel services through talks, readings, and musical presentations. The School also ensures that every student has access and transportation to services at his or her house of worship, a broad range of which are found just minutes from campus.

    During the season of distance learning, chapel services continue in a virtual manner. Service elements created by members of the community from all over the world are submitted and put together for the twice-weekly community gatherings. Watch previous services on LocalLive.
  • Chapel Talks

    Organized and run by student members of the Vestry, Friday chapel services provide a forum for community members to speak to the School about a topic that has special meaning to them. These chapel talks can be funny, insightful, challenging, moving, and often deeply personal. Each topic resonates differently with the community, but all leave a lasting impression, one that stays with the listener long after graduation. Chapel Talks are available to all members of the community, including parents and alumni, via our streaming web service, LocalLive.
  • Portrait In Faith

    Portrait in Faith is an annual program that offers powerful models in Christian faith to Episcopal students in the hope that their lives will be informed, shaped, and inspired by courageous men and women. This companion event to the Theologian-in-Residence program was established in 1994 by Reginald E. Rutledge ’51 in honor of his wife, the Rev. Fleming Rutledge, and his family members who attended EHS.
  • Student Vestry

    The Vestry is a student organization that works with the chaplains and strives to help students to grow in their relationship to God. The Vestry challenges our community to participate in all aspects of chapel life at EHS and creates opportunities for students to question their beliefs in a safe environment. In addition, they support the work of the chapel and the various student roles within it.
  • Theologian-In-Residence

    The Theologian-in-Residence Program is an annual series designed to offer to students, faculty, and friends of EHS the chance to establish a foundation for a faith to light their path. Aimed at inviting Christian preachers, teachers, and theologians who will testify to Christ crucified and to God's unconditional love, this program recognizes these individuals for their steadfastness in combining scriptural teaching with the preaching of a vigorous, contemporary Christianity.
  • Weekend Worship Opportunities

    Here is a brief list of local places of worship where members of the EHS community attend. Visit their individual websites for information about online services.

    Please contact us with any specific worship requests or questions so we can better support you.
    Fridays and Saturdays
    Bethel Synagogue is walking distance from EHS on Seminary Road. Check out their website for worship details on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

    Sundays
    Sundays on campus
    • We offer church with contemporary music every Sunday evening outdoors at 4:30 p.m. with one of your chaplains presiding.

Meet the Chaplains

List of 3 members.

  • Photo of Betsy Carmody

    Betsy Carmody 

    Head Chaplain; Dorm Head
    4065
  • Photo of Thomas Hummel

    Thom Hummel 

    Chaplain Emeritus
    4163
  • Photo of Richmond Jones

    Richmond Jones 

    Assistant Chaplain
    4051