The Women
of St. Stephen’s
The group known as the Women of St. Stephen’s has been in existence for nearly all of St. Stephen’s Church’s history and has been instrumental in strengthening our ministries.
The Women of St. Stephen’s
Before women could be elected to vestries, serve as lay readers, acolytes, or in other worship roles, or pursue Holy Orders in the Episcopal Church, they found many other ways to serve. They also became excellent fundraisers for the ministries of the church! Today lay and ordained women are involved in every aspect of church life, including leadership roles. Many parishes continue the legacy of their predecessors through a group known as “The Episcopal Church Women,” or ECW for short, doing important work locally, nationally, and internationally. At St. Stephen’s, that group is known as the Women of St. Stephen’s, and they are engaged in a variety of ministries. They also run the May Fair House, a food and gift shop which raises tens of thousands of dollars for community outreach every year.
During the program year the group hosts the Women’s Forum. These gatherings are on the first Tuesday of the month and you and your friends are cordially invited to attend (men are most welcome, as well). In addition to the fun, fellowship and education of the forum, there are numerous volunteer possibilities through the Women of St. Stephen’s.
How do you join the Women of St. Stephen’s? If you are a woman and you’re at St. Stephen’s Church, you are already considered a member of this group.
Not only that, but men are also invited to take part in everything this group offers, including cooking for the May Fair House or volunteering in the shop, attending the monthly Women’s Forum, or going on trips and tours sponsored by the group.
If you’d like to receive periodic emails about the forum, the May Fair House, volunteer opportunities, and other activities of the Women of St. Stephen’s, click on the button to sign up.
The May Fair House
The Women of St. Stephen’s run the May Fair House, a food and gift shop whose proceeds fund outreach grants made by the “WOSS” grants committee.
Hours of operation are:
September through May
Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon
Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
The shop is closed Mondays and whenever the parish office is closed for a holiday or inclement weather.
June, July, and August
During the summer, the shop is open from 9 a.m. until noon on Saturdays during the farmers market. It’s closed on weekdays and Sundays in the summer.
Pre-Lenten Retreat
The Women of St. Stephen’s will host “Tending the Spirit,” a retreat in preparation for Lent on Friday evening, February 28, and Saturday morning, March 1.
Details and registration are now available.
Trips and Tours
The Women of St. Stephen’s sponsor trips and tours to provide opportunities for fellowship as well as to raise additional funds for their outreach grants. These include overnight trips as well as day trips, with transportation, attractions, and some meals included in the fees. Information about upcoming trips is provided in the Spirit, the eSpirit, and the email newsletter of the Women of St. Stephen’s.
Programs hosted by
the Women of St. Stephen’s
Programs take place on the first Tuesday of the month. Unless an event includes a meal, there is no charge and no registration required. Guests are always welcome–bring a neighbor, friend, or your spouse.
Be sure to sign up for the Women of St. Stephen’s email newsletter here so that you’re up to date if changes are made to the location of a program, or if inclement weather causes a program to be postponed.
Programs for winter and spring 2025 are listed below. ALL programs are for EVERYONE–not just women!
Wednesday, January 29 | 6 p.m.
CrossOver Healthcare Ministry
At our first event of 2025, Jackie Griggs of CrossOver Healthcare Ministry will tell us about this Richmond nonprofit organization providing healthcare to uninsured people and those on Medicaid. Jackie is Director of Resource Development and Communications for this local ministry which has received grants and volunteer support from St. Stephen’s Church and the Women of St. Stephen’s. No registration is needed for this free event.
Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1
Tending the Spirit: A retreat
All are welcome at this retreat in preparation for Lent. Registration will be available on this page soon.
Friday, February 28 | 7 p.m.
The retreat begins with a concert of beautiful Celtic music and hymns by Timothy Seaman and Tom Abernathy. Come enjoy the sounds of distinctive, compelling, passionate instrumental music on hammered dulcimer and flute. We will read from Spirit Wheel by the Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston, the first indigenous person elected as a bishop in the Episcopal Church. He has also served as a seminary dean. His writing inspires and nourishes readers, and we have used his reflections to open many of our monthly meetings. The suggested donation for Friday evening is $20 ($25 for a couple).
Saturday, March 1 | 9 a.m.
We’ll begin with a service of Morning Prayer and continue with several sessions concentrating on the theme of Tending the Spirit. The morning will conclude with an inspirational talk by Rt. Rev. Susan Goff, former Bishop Suffragan and Ecclesiastical Authority of the Diocese of Virginia. Bishop Goff has recently published The Desert Shall Rejoice: Psalms from the Wilderness of Breast Cancer. It is a memoir in the form of 130 psalms that trace her journey through breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, during the pandemic, as she was leading our diocese.
We will close with a luncheon and depart with renewed vitality of faith and spirit. The fee for lunch is $12.
Tuesday, March 18 | 9:30 a.m. gathering, 10 a.m. program
A National Park for Women’s Rights
St. Stephen’s parishioner Judy Hart is the author of A National Park for Women’s Rights. Her 27-year career with the National Park Service included serving as founding superintendent of two new national parks: the Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York and the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California. Judy also created the Conservation Study Institute and coordinated the National Heritage Areas program. Please join us for the compelling story of a dream fulfilled. No registration is needed for this free event.
Tuesday, April 1 | 9:30 a.m. gathering, 10 a.m. program
Protecting the James
In anticipation of Earth Day, Matt Scott, director of education for the James River Association, will show us the work of caring for the James River in our community. The association has been working to protect the James for 50 years and Matt will show us how it is up to each of us to participate in preserving this vital resource. No registration is needed for this free event.
Monday, May 5 | 10 a.m.
Closing Service and Lunch at Roslyn
Come to the diocesan retreat center on River Road to close the program year with the Women of St. Stephen’s. We’ll celebrate the Holy Eucharist in the Bishop’s Chapel and enjoy a light lunch afterwards. No registration is needed for this free event.
Grants
The Women of St. Stephen’s award grants with the proceeds from May Fair House sales and trips and tours.
The latest awards total $43,000.
Grant Application
The deadline for 2025 grant applications is August 22, 2025.
Whichever version of the application you use–one PDF with fillable fields, or the one for completing by hand–please note that we ask you to submit the application electronically to [email protected] and to mail a hard copy to WOSS Grants, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226. (For example, if you use the form that has fields, email the completed form, and print a copy to send via U.S. Mail. If you use the form that’s completed by hand, please scan it to email, and mail the hard copy.)
Stay in Touch
Sign up for the Women of St. Stephen’s monthly email newsletter for updates on events, volunteer opportunities, and more.