The Anglo-Catholic Tradition at Christ Church

Christ Church is one of oldest Episcopal parishes in America formed in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. Anglo-Catholicism may be defined as that part of the Episcopal Church (Anglicanism) which recognizes that the Anglican Faith carries forward from the earliest period of the Church. From our perspective, the controversies of the 16th Century Reformation do not hinder us from being part of the Universal Catholic Church founded by the Apostles and visible through the centuries. We hold our historic episcopal governance and sacramental Faith to be as valid as those of the Roman or Orthodox Communions.

This view of Christian Faith begins in the sacrament of Baptism, through which we participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, being born anew into the new humanity Christ is building. New birth in the Resurrected Christ continues to be experienced throughout one’s life in the Eucharist. As the center of our common and individual spiritual identities, the great Mystery of the Holy Eucharist (the Mass or the Lord’s Supper) is celebrated with careful attention, ancient solemn ceremonies, and a focused reverence. In the Eucharist, we offer the elements of bread and wine as signs of the offering of ourselves. Taken up into Christ’s eternal offering of himself to the Father, they become His Presence in our midst. The Anglo-Catholic tradition is thus grounded in an understanding of creation as capable of revealing the Divine Presence, both through the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection as the central truth of God’s relationship with this world and through humanity called to respond in gratitude and joy to God’s work in the creation, redemption, and ongoing transformation of the world.

The life of the parish is built on the pattern established in The Book of Common Prayer : the Holy Eucharist is the central act of worship on Sundays and is celebrated daily through most of the year. The Daily Office forms a pattern of prayer and Scriptural reflection, both through public use in the Church and as a personal devotion. From the central sacraments of Baptism and Holy Eucharist flow the full range of sacramental experience offered by Christ Church, particularly the sacraments of Reconciliation (confession) and Unction (anointing and prayers for healing), offered weekly. The spiritual life of individuals at Christ Church may be marked by the disciplines of daily personal prayer, service to the sick and needy, careful reflection before receiving Communion, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary and other devotions to the Ever Blessed Virgin Mary, invocation of and gratitude for the prayers of the whole Communion of Saints, prayers and requiem Masses for the departed, private confession as needed, spiritual retreat with monastic communities, and time for contemplative meditation. Our worship defines us as Catholic and joins us as community.

Christ Church also keeps the feasts and seasons of the Church year. These changing seasons and solemn festivals draw us into a deeper awareness of the truths they celebrate and keep us mindful of the great company of women and men who have sought and found God, whose lives still encourage us. Nothing is more beautiful than Christmas as celebrated in the Anglican tradition of music and liturgy. The disciplines of Lent and fasting days help keep us mindful. The profound heart of the year comes in the great Paschal Rites of Holy Week and Easter.

At Christ Church , we sing the Creed at each Solemn High Mass, and at the words describing Our Lord’s Incarnation, we kneel in awe of the great Mystery of the Word made flesh. We are grounded by this deep witness to the Faith, but, there is no litmus test to belief or strict dogma at Christ Church.  As St. Paul enjoins, we are a community where individuals “work out their own salvation.” Critical, if respectful consideration is brought to the Holy Scriptures, church history, and Christian tradition. Living Faith is a matter of individual piety and conscience. All are welcome here, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental ability, or political point of view. Such a theory of inclusion takes seriously the full ramifications of the Incarnation of Our Lord. The Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus is visibly manifested in the Church. These principles of inclusion and incarnation have led us as a whole to adopt a progressive view of the social implications of Christianity. We see the hand of God the Holy Spirit at work in the Episcopal Church and the world as full equality is granted to women and our knowledge of human sexuality expands to see the “naturalness” of persons of diverse sexual orientation. This parish supports and celebrates women’s ordination to the priesthood and elevation to the episcopacy. We also support the full acceptance of gay and lesbian persons in society and the Church. Stemming from our worship, issues of social justice for the poor and marginalized are strong in our conscience.

Sadly, we realize that numbers of Anglo-Catholic parishes do not share this insight, but hold to a sincere belief that respect for tradition precludes women in Holy Orders or full acceptance of gays and lesbians. We share with them a reverence for the sacramental life of the Church and its heritage, just as we share with more liberal parishes concern about the implications of the Gospel for a more inclusive and open community in the Church. We pray for a day when these divisions between progressive Anglo-Catholics and traditionalists may cease, as we pray for a renewal of theology and spirituality that is grounded in the Church’s deepest traditions. Yet, we maintain that the apostolic leadership of our Bishops and of General Convention regarding the ordination of women and, more and more, the support of the rights and inclusion of gay and lesbian persons are new blessings from God, inspired by the continued action of the Holy Spirit. Christ Church is privileged to serve as the national headquarters of Affirming Anglican Catholicism, an international body which maintains the apostolic traditions of the Trinity, the creeds, and the sacraments, while espousing socially progressive views as signs of a fully incarnational theology.

We pray that Christ Church will always be a place where those who enter experience a space of deep reverence, true communion with God, and a complete welcome and inclusion in God’s Kingdom.