St. George's Episcopal Church
Phone: 516.483.2771
Our Mission
Church Life
Altar Guild
The Altar Guild, divided into teams, works closely with the Clergy to observe the liturgical seasons. This ministry assures that the worship and prayerful sacramental elements are present for both the clergy and the congregation. The Altar Guild also ensures the visitation boxes are prepared and ready for Clergy and Lay Eucharistic ministers.
Boy Scout Troop 300
Acolytes
Acolytes are active participants in our worship services. Becoming an acolyte is a great way to get involved and to learn more about Episcopal worship. While dedication is a requirement, a sense of discipline must be maintained as well. Acolytes can be any interested person. Schedules are posted and emailed. You may contact the Clergy if you are interested in becoming an acolyte. Periodic mandatory training sessions are required.
Greeters & Ushers
Our Ushers ensure that all who come to St. George’s feel welcomed. These men and women volunteer to be at the front door before the 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. services to ensure each person entering receives a welcoming smile and a bulletin. They encourage first time visitors to sign our guest book so we may reach out to them.
Food Pantry
Our food pantry was opened in 2007 when one of our church members saw need in our community. The Pantry serves the Hempstead Community at large, and all are welcome. Since its inception, over 1000 people have been recipients of food and other donations. Serving both individuals and families, we currently make distributions to about 230 people twice a month.
GALLERY
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Parish Clergy, Musicians & Staff
Herbert Bradensten, Organist & Music Minister
Caron Langaigne, Parish Administrator
Oscar Hall, Sexton
Members of the Vestry
Wardens: William Johnson (Class of 2020)
Michael Hunte (2020)
Vestry Members:
Michael Amadi, Rosalind Whitehall (Class of 2021)
Paulette Lalljee, Myrna Walters (Class of 2020)
Joan Oxford, Ena Taylor (Class of 2020)
Treasurer: Interim--Joan Pinard, Ena Taylor
Clerk: Beverly R. James
The Rev. Ajung Sojwal
Rector
The Rev. Ajung Sojwal began her ministry at St. George’s in Hempstead as of March 1, 2019. Her installation was conducted on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at St. George’s, by the Right Rev. Lawrence C. Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island. Her multicultural background includes ministry in both India and the United States. She and her husband, the Rev. Milind Sojwal, live in the historic rectory of St. George’s, and have two grown daughters.
Caron Langaigne
Parish Administrator
Caron Langaigne has served as Parish Administrator since November 24, 2004. Our parish’s complex operations rely on her efficiency and her thorough knowledge of historic St. George’s. When visitors contact St. George’s by phone, e-mail, postal service, or in person, it is Caron who will respond and assist. The church’s contact e-mail is stgeorgeshempstead@yahoo.com
Herbert Bradensten
Organist & Music Minister
Master organist Herbert Bradensten joined our staff as of January 1, 2020. He has directed choirs and orchestras in Queens and all over Long Island. His original compositions and arrangements bring great enrichment to the St. George's Choir and Music Ministry.
Oscar Hall
Sexton
Longtime Hempstead resident Oscar Hall has served as St. George’s sexton since January 15, 2007. He is our go-to person for maintaining orderliness in the church buildings and grounds.
About Historic St. George's Church
Our History
Our Parish is among Long Island’s earliest Episcopal (originally Anglican) congregations. We consider our founding date 1702, when England’s Society for the Propagation of the Gospel responded to Hempstead inhabitants who were seeking the services of the established Church of England by designating Hempstead a mission site for an Anglican parish. Reverend William Vesey and Reverend George Keith preached at St. George’s whenever possible until the first permanent rector, Reverend John Thomas, arrived in 1704. Since then, the succession of St. George’s has been unbroken. Reverend Thomas was responsible for the beginning of public education in Hempstead because he convinced the Hempstead citizens to create and maintain a fund for hiring a regular schoolteacher.
In 1706, Queen Anne of England provided the new congregation with a silver plate and a Book of Common Prayer. In 1734 the rector and congregation members were granted a charter of incorporation by the Province of New York, transferring what had been the property of the town to this corporation “absolutely and forever.” In 1735, King George II granted a Royal Charter to the parish. The bylaws of the Royal Charter govern the congregation’s corporate life to this day.
The 1648 meeting house was replaced in 1683, and again in 1735, at which time St. George’s famous rooster-shaped weather vane was mounted on its steeple. Fire destroyed the 1735 building in 1820, but the weather vane survived, and was affixed to the present church building, completed in 1822. The interior columns that still support the lofty sanctuary ceiling were hewn from oak trees dragged across the Hempstead Plains by teams of horses. The 1822 structure was extended in 1856 and remodeled in 1893 and 1906. Several of its many stained-glass windows were designed by Tiffany & Co. In 1854 the tower clock was purchased from Sherry and Brypan of Sag
Harbor (four years before London installed Big Ben on the Palace of Westminster). St. George’s is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, along with its rectory, which has stood since 1793.
During the American Revolution, Hempstead inhabitants remained loyal to King George III. St. George’s became a headquarters as well as a place to worship for British soldiers, who occupied Hempstead for most of the Revolutionary War. Local folklore has it that the rooster weather vane was used for target practice by Hessian mercenaries, leaving it with sixteen bullet marks.
Our historic church represents stability, continuity, and insights conferred by our rich past. May we together share the blessings of life and love that God continues to reveal among us.
Schedule of Services
- Sunday 8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
- Sunday 10:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Parish Choir
- Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.
Summer Service Schedule
- Sunday: 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday: 10:00 a.m.
Church Information
Our Rector:
The Rev. Ajung Sojwal immigrated to the USA from India in 1994. She comes from the State of Nagaland in the North Eastern part of India. Ajung is married to Rev. Milind Sojwal and they have two daughters. Since her ordination in 2006, Ajung has served as priest-in-charge as well as interim priest in the Diocese of New York and the Episcopal Church in Connecticut. She is passionate about seeking, discovering and being more open to the unfolding of God’s peaceable Kingdom on Earth. She is particularly interested in understanding what radical hospitality means for the Church today. She enjoys meeting new people, opening her home for fellowship and home cooked dinners, traveling, hiking, reading, writing, and being in conversation with people from diverse backgrounds about things that matter in relationships and community.
CONTACT US
The Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
The Rt. Rev. Lawrence Provenzano, Bishop of Long Island
The Rt. Rev. Geralyn Wolf, Assistant Bishop
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Allotey, Assistant Bishop