I don't know if this was written by a member of the congregation, but today, in response to my…read morenegative review, I received the following message through the contact form on one of my websites. The person did not include a name, reply email, or other contact. The email I received was: --- http://www.trinitynewhaven.org/Home/Music/ChoirofMenandBoys/tabid/74/Default.aspx You think you can sing better? I dare you. I double dog dare you to listen to the music embedded on this website and tell me again that these guys can't sing. This choir is invited to sing around the world. Your very cavalier attitude to Epi scopal churches in general, and Trinity in particular, makes me believe you trash churches as routine, as part of your schtick. I down vote all of your reviews, and anyone you rate low, I will assume to be the opposite. --- One clarification, I was pointing out that the congregation could not sing well, not the choir. I think this is an important distinction. I am impressed by this church's choir from the link attached; however, they were not performing at the week I visited the church, and the people in the congregation there really could not sing well. It's important to me to find a church where at least some substantial proportion of the congregation sings in harmony and with some level of passion or enthusiasm--I don't really care whether they're in tune or.have good tone. I just want some energy and harmony. -- I also think that this person was jumping to conclusions that I "trash churches as routine". I have had a more positive experience at other churches. Here are a few of them that I've written about on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cove-united-methodist-church-lakewood http://www.yelp.com/biz/peace-community-church-oberlin http://www.yelp.com/biz/grace-lutheran-church-cleveland-heights I had a bad experience when visiting this church. I do think I was unduly harsh and judgmental in my review, and have adjusted my review to adopt a more neutral tone that is simply descriptive of the experience I had there. However, my experience at the church was real and was not particularly positive, and I think it's not appropriate or constructive to dismiss me as a human being just because I did not find the church to be meaningful, relevant, or welcoming. That was my experience, and I felt it was a worthwhile thing to write about it.

A relationship with God is deeply personal and has nothing to do with how 'cool' a church is…read moredecorated... (how EVER to people tolerate going to 'church' in third world countries! UGH!) ...or how AMAZING a singer is (Dove Award singers only please!!!)... if you're not there for the RIGHT reasons and allow your spirit to be fed with SOMETHING from visiting with other believers...then you're there to judge and people bash. It's not about the bricks and mortar. It's not even about the PEOPLE! It's the walk and relationship. That simple. And. Anyone or any negative review of a CHURCH with anything less than "they assaulted me" or "the pastor punched me in the face" is kindaaa a little missing the point that that PERSONAL pursuit of worshiping God is...personal. If it's not for you, and you're looking for something different....then you gently acknowledge that you need something different the next week. Geesh. And Christians are supposed to be the judgemental ones.

The 11AM service, "Solemn High Mass", at this church is really worth experiencing…read more I have visited a lot of churches and I have not ever attended any other church of any denomination that preserves the richness of liturgy and old traditions quite as thoroughly as this one. There is a lot of chanting, incense, kneeling, etc. The service is not very user-friendly, which in my opinion is a plus because it means it has not been dumbed-down. The music is unusually good for an Episcopal church. Although Episcopals usually can't sing worth anything, the congregation here does sing somewhat, and they have a good choir. Some of the chanting is out of tune, but who am I to complain? I have never been in any non-Lutheran church where the chanting has been in tune. The spiritual content? I found the service here very meaningful. The sermon was not the best I have ever heard, but it did make me think and was relevant to my life. Nothing about the service was boring, and the only rote/routine part was the confession sequence. I might add, there is a LOT of kneeling. They give you a little pad thingy to kneel on, and honestly, I think it makes your knees hurt. I would recommend just skipping it and using the floor if you're into the whole kneeling bit. The community? Like most churches, this place seems dominated by the over 60 crowd. While I don't have a problem with old people going to church, I do have a problem with young people NOT going to church. WTF? This church needs a more adequate slice of the population. It is right next door to Yale, for Christ's sake...it ought to have more students attending it. How friendly is this church? Not very. Only one person approached me feebly at the Coffee hour after the service. Most people seemed very closed off and not interested in talking to a newcomer. Bottom line? Really friggin' cool service, but that doesn't cut it. I can see why people wouldn't want to attend this church, because it is not particularly friendly or open to newcomers. And when I say they should be more friendly and open, I don't mean they should dumb down the service--complex service is a plus. I simply think they should be outgoing and make more of an effort to talk to newcomers.

I'm not religious. Heck, I'm not even a Christian. But this a fine church. The compline on Sunday…read morenight at 10pm is the ideal religious experience: thick incense, beautiful music, an accommodating chaplain, cover of darkness, tenderness of candlelight, and all in less than half an hour. After gluttony, lust, or sloth, it's the best way to start the week.

Beautiful church with strong Polish identity. I thoroughly enjoyed attending Mass here.read more

Beautiful cathedral, friendly people, Latin mass was very reverent. Will definitely be coming backread more

Visited this beautiful church founded by the Dominican Friars in New Haven. Unlike many other…read moreCatholic Churches in NYC, we were fortunate that this place was open in the evening on a weekday for private prayer. The church also has a special significance for Knights of Columbus as the crypt of Reverend Michael McGivney is found there along with a plaque detailing his significance at St Mary's and in the founding of this Catholic brotherhood. (28/100)

This is a vibrant Catholic community in the heart of Yale University. Recent renovations restored…read moresome of the original artistic elements lost under old layers of paint. The church has a much airier, uplifting feeling thanks to lighter paint throughout and the addition of beautiful gilded icons in the apse and the bays of the nave. This Gothic edifice truly leads the eye upward to God. Several pews were shortened or removed entirely to give Blessed Michael McGivney's crypt more votive candles in a clearly defined space; it now feels more like the shrine that it is.

I am only reviewing the building/architecture and not the functioning church. The orchestra that I…read moream a member of held our Fall concert in the church, as we were playing the famous "Organ Symphony" No. 3 by Saint Saens. The church has a very nice space characterized by high, arching ceilings, a large circular stained glass window in the center surrounded by taller stained glass windows on either side. The altar area is quite large. There is a very fine pipe organ that generates a magnificent sound in the large hall. Pews are cushioned to make sitting more comfortable. Seating capacity is approx. 250. The feel inside this church is of an old, venerable area to worship. If this is what you are looking for, then this church would fit your needs.

An update - this church has changed for the better! The other review here was accurate for the…read moretime it was written (not by me), but that was a number of years ago under the old Pastor. He would be the first to tell you that he wasn't a good singer. The new Pastor (Ryan Mills) is fabulous. Not only is he young and energetic, his sermons are uplifting and enlightening. They are also solidly based in the Lutheran faith and applicable to real life. I have heard a lot of sermons, and I can honestly say that his are the best I have encountered. He hosts bible study before service and it is excellent (I can't believe how many other churches don't even offer bible study). His singing is spot-on (if that's what really matters to you) and he even sings the extended portions of the service that most pastors just read aloud. On a personal level, he is really the kind of person that makes you feel special and at home. His wife is also an ELCA pastor and excellent in her own right. The choir and cantoring are good. It is true that not many people in the congregation sing in harmony, but I don't think that is fair to expect either - it all depends on who is there that day. Sometimes there will be Yale School of Music students in attendance and there is harmony galore. As far as the young adults go, there is a great group. There are certainly singles though (especially when the local colleges are in session), but again it depends on the day. The congregation is growing, so there are new people all the time. Lastly, the setting is absolutely gorgeous. The Word of course can be spread anywhere (wherever 2 or 3 are gathered), but Trinity Lutheran feels like a real church. It's nice to have that feeling that something is greater than yourself, and this helps. Absolutely worth a look!

ECV is a place you can feel at home, when you maybe haven't felt at home in other churches. They…read morepromote questions, and don't play games pushing folks towards black & white thinking. Its different. It's actually a church that suggests people connecting with God and each other will be more powerful than rules. You won't find prescriptions for what to think, rather, community and conversation that helps you grow. A place that has venues for inter-religious dialogue, creation of art, intellectualism & simplicity. The service can be long-- talk to someone though, and find one of the dinners that often happen afterwards.

A wonderful Catholic Church adjacent to Yale's central campus. I have been attending STM for the…read morepast three years and have greatly enjoyed my time there. They offer 3 Sunday Masses in addition to daily mass. The services are attended by both Yale students and other local community members. The Golden Center connected to the chapel is a beautiful, light-filled building that frequently offers events for both the community and students. STM is supported by a great team of Chaplains that offer support, guidance, and advice to students and the community. If you are looking for a Catholic Church in the New Haven area, or if you are a Yale student looking to get more involved with your faith I would definitely recommend Saint Thomas More!!

I'll probably burn in hell for reviewing a church, but I figure that as long as I'm only saying…read moregood things about good churches and not anything about churches that I don't like to go to it should be OK (not that there are churches I don't like to go to, oh that's just crazy talk). The truth of the matter is, I'm not the most pious Catholic of all time. But, when I do go to church, it's here. Father Bob and Father Peter give down-to-earth sermons and are kind and accepting. Both of them run groups with both the undergraduate and graduate students. The events are kind of cool, too. They run events like, "Theology on Tap," where everybody goes to grab beers and talk about interesting aspects of Catholicism or the "Science and Religion" series where they bring in famous types like Brian Greene and talk about the boundaries between science and religion. They do a really good job of fostering intellectual discourse and I find their message to be a good and well thought-out one. They also have this gigantic center called The Golden Center that's part of the church and there's a bumpin' library, cafeteria, conference rooms, library for studying, meditation room, auditorium, and game room with a foosball table, fridge, flat panel tv, and a Wii. While it is crazy golden, it's actually named after a Yale alum who donated a bofrillion dollars to build the center. (Yale sold the plot to the church for $1 rent for like a 100 years). It's basically ridiculous. I've never seen a church have so many flat panel televisions ever. If you're a Yale student, you totally have access to the center and, therefore, totally win. They even have snacks and stuff. It's an awesome place where I actually got a lot of work done. There are even these illuminated bible passages in the library that look awesome... awesome?... Awesome. The people there are generally pretty open and, dare I say, liberal. If you're Catholic and a little bit left-leaning or otherwise just chill, it's a really awesome church. I highly recommend them. Also, they hold mass at 10am, 5pm, and 10pm on Sundays during the school year... so... holla!

Trinity is a fantastic church! So I just had to review!…read moreGotta share the news about this place with each one of you :-) They have 2 services on Sunday mornings and evenings, and the congregation is very diverse and friendly-seeming. They always have uplifting music led by talented members of the church fam, and there are tons of small groups throughout the week- you can join one of 'em. I haven't tried Sunday school yet (9AM Sundays), but it's on my list. Come on down to Trinity, for a Jesus experience that can't be missed!