Meet Our New Youth Vocal Coach

Welcome Merissa Martignoni Driscoll, who has joined St. Alban’s as the Vocal Coach for our new Youth Chorister Program!

Merissa Martignoni Driscoll has been working with young people in the Arts for over 15 years. Before college she developed her skills in the theater department of her middle and high school, performing in dramas, musicals, and one-acts. Her summers were spent at Stagedoor Manor, a premier performing arts camp in Loch Sheldrake, NY and any spare time was dedicated to community theater.  At 17 she was honored to spend a summer studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan.

She earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition with a minor in Classical Voice and Choral Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. After graduation she found her passion for education while working in a private music school, teaching voice, theory and choral music, as well as developing the school’s vocal curriculum.

After relocating to Northern Virginia, Merissa received her teaching certification from George Mason University, to transfer her love of education to public schools. She spent seven years in Prince William County as an Elementary Music Teacher.  Throughout those years she also developed a professional presence in Northern Virginia’s Musical Theater community.  She has a creative home at The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA where she regularly can be seen music directing mainstage shows and cabarets, as well as performing original music.

Currently Merissa is embarking on a career as a full-time musician and educator. Her position as Vocal Coach for St. Albans youth Chorister program is another step in engaging with her community and bringing the love and discipline of the arts to young people and their families.

For more information about our Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) “Voice for Life” chorister program, please click here.

Watch Party for Sacred Ground Fall Kickoff Webinar

Sacred Ground Fall Kickoff with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry

On September 15, 2022, Presiding Bishop Curry will hold a webinar session with the Church to share his vision for racial reckoning and justice ministry for the next two years. We will be holding a watch party  at St. Alban’s for anyone who would like to join us for this special webinar!

Following our time with Bishop Curry, we will:

1) learn from leaders skilled at welcoming new (and perhaps skeptical) people into race conversations; and

2) explore strategies for transitioning into action and community engagement (including organizing groups for the new Sessions 10 and 11!)

Who: Fellow Sacred Ground facilitators, participants, and all Episcopalians interested in learning more about this dialogue series.

What: Bishop Curry will share his vision for racial reckoning and justice ministry over the next two years and how to engage using the Sacred Ground curriculum.

Where: St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Room 11.

Snacks and drinks will be provided at the St. Alban’s Watch Party.

When: Thursday, September 15th, at 1:30pm or you can watch it at home by registering for this special event via zoom. The webinar will be from 1:30pm to 3pm (EST). To register to watch it at home, please use this link.

School supply collection

Rising costs and the end of pandemic stimulus checks have stretched the resources of many families in our area to the limit. There are less than 20 days until the new school year begins in Fairfax County, and local agencies are seeing a daily increase in the requests for help for school supplies.
FACETS (Fairfax Area Christian Emergency & Transitional Services) is collecting backpacks and school supplies through August 9th with a goal of providing 400 backpacks across Fairfax County.  A list of needed school supplies can be downloaded here.

You can leave your donation this Sunday (8/7) in the “School supply” bin in the narthex, or deliver them to FACETS by August 9th at

10700 Page Avenue
Building B
Fairfax VA  22030

Mason District has some of the neediest areas in Fairfax County – AnnandaleToday.com

According to an online article at annandaletoday.com, “the 2022 Needs Assessment recently published by Fairfax County confirms that some of the neediest areas are in Bailey’s Crossroads and Annandale.”

The 2022 Needs Assessment report is a bit cumbersome to read, however, the article from AnnandaleToday.com shines a light on the poverty, need, and disadvantage in our own backyard.

Holy Land Pilgrimage: October 5-15, 2023

The Holy Land is often called the “Fifth Gospel”: testifying to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in its own vivid, unforgettable way. Our parish pilgrimage will be based at St. George’s College in East Jerusalem, on the grounds of the Cathedral Church of St. George the Martyr, located just a few blocks from the Old City.

We will participate in the Footsteps of Jesus pilgrimage course, which includes visits to all of the major sites in Jesus’ ministry:

This pilgrimage will enable you to

  • Explore Jerusalem’s Old City, its four ancient quarters and lively markets
  • See the Church of the Resurrection (a.k.a. the Holy Sepulchre)
  • Kneel at the site of Christ’s birth at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem
  • Visit Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth
  • Ascend to the Church of the Transfiguration at Mount Tabor
  • Experience a calm ride on a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee
  • Meditate and pray in the Judean Wilderness
  • Remember your Baptismal Vows at the Baptism of Jesus site on the Jordan River
  • Walk the route of the Palm Sunday Procession
  • Walk the Way of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa
  • Worship with Palestinian Christians in a local parish
  • Reflect on the complex political realities in the Holy Land, with diverse Israeli, Christian and Arab speakers

Room and board for full ten days, course transportation and admission to all sites: $2600. (Airfare and travel insurance not included.) Some scholarship funds may be available through supporting organizations. A $500 deposit is due to register. (The remaining course fee is not due until 30 days before the course begins.)

For more information, talk to Fr. Paul: [email protected].

The course is still quite open, so there is time to join! The course size is limited to 38 participants; so, once it’s full, it’s full. Open to parishioners and friends of Saint Alban’s parish.

More details here: Holy Land Pilgrimage Information

I can speak from experience, having been twice before: your faith, and your life, will never be the same after visiting this sacred and challenging place.

-Fr Paul

God Has a Dream and We Are the Realization of That Dream

We are excited to offer an exploratory journey on the road of awakening our sense of calling as God’s people in our community.  Explore the possibilities offered by Verna Dozier through her adept storytelling and study in her empowering book, “The Dream of God.”  Verna Dozier was a Washington, DC laywoman who through her books and lectures speaks with love and excitement about “The Dream of God” and what role we have in keeping that dream alive and meaningful.  She is known all over the country and throughout the world for her incisive work with lay groups in the church to strengthen their sense of “calling.”  In this particular book, Verna Dozier takes a fresh and challenging look at the people of God, their church and our collective journey in asking questions and seeking answers through our faith.

Each week we will read individually, then gather for a group discussion about one of the five chapters of “The Dream of God: A Call to Return” starting the week of July 10.  We will examine together the possibilities she opens to our hearts and minds.  St. Alban’s will provide copies of the book to anyone interested in taking this collective journey.  Depending on interest, St. Albans’ will host Zoom meetings on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm and/or Sunday afternoons at 2 pm.  To express interest in participating, to indicate your preference for meeting day, or for more information, please contact Moira Skinner or the church office.

Slate of Nominees for XIV Bishop of Virginia Announced

Diocese of VirginiaThe Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia presents the following slate of nominees for the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia (in alphabetical order by last name):

  • The Rev. Joseph Hensley Rector, St. George’s, Fredericksburg, VA
  • The Rev. Canon Alan James, Interim Canon Missioner, Diocese of Western Michigan
  • The Very Rev. Gideon Pollach, Rector, St. John’s Church, Cold Spring Harbor, NY
  • The Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Ministry within The Episcopal Church

You may find additional information about each nominee at  www.virginiabishopsearch.org.

The Petition Period is now open and will close at midnight on Friday, April 8. The instructions and forms are all available at www.virginiabishopsearch.org. The Standing Committee will announce to the Diocese, after completing a rigorous evaluation process, any qualified petition nominees. 

A Special Convention, called by Bishop Goff, will be held on Saturday, June 4 th  at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria VA. Convention attendance is limited to voting delegates. The event will be live-streamed. 

The Transition Committee will hold Meet and Greet sessions around the Diocese May 20-24. Some, if not all, of these Meet and Greets will be live-streamed. The Standing Committee strongly encourages members of the Diocese to submit questions to the Transition Committee at  [email protected]  using the subject line “Meet and Greet Questions”. These questions will aid in the development of these sessions.

Caroline Robinson in Concert on April 3

Dr. Caroline RobinsonDr. Caroline Robinson, concert organist, will present a full length solo recital on the fabulous mechanical action organ (John Leek, Op. 1) at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Annandale on Sunday, April 3 at 4pm. Her program will feature music by composers like J. S. Bach and Dietrich Buxtehude, as well as dance music old and new.

Dr. Robinson serves as the Associate Choirmaster and Organist at St. Philip’s Episcopal Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the laureate of a number of important organ competitions, including the AGO National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance in 2018. She holds degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music, and studied as a Fulbright Scholar in Toulouse, France.

Dr. Robinson is widely recognized as one of the great performers of her generation – you don’t want to miss this! A festive reception will follow. For more information, contact Adam Detzner, St. Alban’s Minister of Music and Organist, at [email protected].

1st Annual Bach Birthday Marathon

Join us on Sunday, March 13 for the inaugural Bach Birthday Marathon at 4pm.

Five talented, local Episcopal Church musicians will perform twenty minutes of Bach apiece. This year’s performers are:

  • Jinsun Cho (Epiphany, DC)
  • Adam Detzner (St. Alban’s, Annandale)
  • Karl Robson (St. John’s Norwood, Chevy Chase)
  • Samantha Scheff (Grace, Alexandria)
  • Julie Huang Tucker (The Falls Church Episcopal)

A reception will follow around 6:00 pm with German food and beer. Come when you can – leave when you must!

This event is part of the 2021-2022 Muldoon Memorial Concert Series.

Find Peace in a Chaotic Time

During Lent, we are encouraged to come away from our routine, to make space for quiet reflection and for prayer.

We are making a quiet space at St. Alban’s for you to step away for a time. On March 5th at 8:30am, join us and experience a quiet morning.

This time is intended to be a mini-retreat. It will be a morning of space, a morning of peace. You can come for the whole time (until 1pm) or just for part of it. You can bring something to read or use for reflection, or you can just come sit and pray. You may choose to walk a labyrinth or use art or poetry to support your reflection.

Some time will be spent together to pray or hear a Lenten reflection, but most of our time will be spent in silence. Our morning will end with Eucharist and a light lunch.