Parish Books
Built Upon A Rock
To celebrate our 100th anniversary, Christ Church Bronxville created a centennial history book: Built Upon A Rock: The First 100 Years of Christ Church Bronxville, New York, which was published in hard-cover in 2004. Former parishioner David T. Andrews wrote the narrative and several current parishioners played key rolls: Patricia Owen was the history consultant and contributing author; Elizabeth Folberth served as the copy editor; Hershell George was the graphic designer; and Eugene Elliott created the illuminated chapter initials. We encourage all in our community to read the book—there is much to be learned about the rich liturgical, spiritual, and musical life of our parish. You can pick up a physical copy at Christ Church or you can read it online by accessing the pdf below.
American Sarum
During the 1930s, Christ Church’s Rector & Associate Rector, Frs. Harold Hohly and Morton Stone (a liturgical scholar), wanted a solemn liturgy that was truly English—not based on the Roman tradition (as was the trend at the time). They went to England multiple times and settled on studying and adapting the ceremonies used at pre-reformation Salisbury Cathedral to create a liturgy uniquely English for this lovely new space. The ancient name for Salisbury is Sarum, hence the name, Sarum Use. Clergy from far and near came to CCB to observe what was being done here and because of the close affiliation with General Seminary in NYC, some practices eventually became main-stream in the Episcopal Church. American Sarum documents all this in detail and its place within the history of the Anglican church. We invite you to read the book by accessing the PDF below.
Parish Timeline
1901
The original Christ Church sanctuary - at the intersection of the present-day Kensington and Sagamore Roads. The congregation almost immediately outgrew this space, and it had to be expanded just 6 years later in 1907.
1925
The congregation of Christ Church continued to grow and once again found itself bursting at the seams. The congregation built a new sanctuary in the late summer of 1925.
It is pictured here with the original sanctuary, which functioned as the parish house for 34 years.
1960
A semi-circular drive and covered walkway was built to connect the newly obtained parish house to Christ Church. Shown here, the original church building was demolished and is now where the columbarium resides.
The new parish hall and offices bestowed Christ Church with a 50,000 square-feet campus for programatic activity. It is in this current footprint which Christ Church continues to grow and thrive today.
1973
The Eliza Corwin Frost Child Center (ECF) is founded and begins Christ Church's exceptional commitment to youth development. The school, which was one of the first programs of its kind, was established as a living memorial to Eliza Corwin Frost, the young daughter of Bronxville residents, Randy and Corwin Frost. They continue to be a vibrant part of the ECF community.
Today
The last 15 years of Christ Church's history have demonstrated a deep parish-wide commitment to young people beginning with children formation through Sunday School. After Confirmation in Middle School, the large robust Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) notably takes groups of teens on an annual pilgrimage to the Taizé monastery in France. The clergy and people of Christ Church offer opportunities for people of all ages to grow in mind and spirit while serving our neighbors.