"Lord, you are in the midst of us, and we are called by your Name."
(Jeremiah 14:9)
Christ Church was established in 1854 as a free church with a particular obligation to daily prayer. At a time when it was usual for Episcopal parishes to rent out their pews, Christ Church was founded as a place of worship with seats open to all. We continue to hold the service of Morning Prayer each morning, and to celebrate the Eucharist daily as well (four days a week in the summer months). We are an Anglo-Catholic parish of the Episcopal Church, founded in response to the Oxford Movement’s call to renew the true catholicity of the Church -- drawing on the riches of Christian spiritual and liturgical traditions, as the means to express our devotion to the mystery of the Incarnation. We remain true to that legacy today, while also striving to keep ourselves open to the further unfolding of the Church’s catholicity in our time.
As an urban parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, Christ Church draws worshippers from our immediate neighborhood, in downtown New Haven, along with many others who come from nearby towns or further afield. Our proximity to Yale University ensures that there are always a number of students and scholars among us (including seminarians and others from the Berkeley Divinity School, the Episcopal seminary affiliated with the Yale Divinity School.) Yet our parishioners are of all ages, and all walks of life.
Everyone who passes through our doors is welcome here. You do not need to be a confirmed member of the Episcopal church, nor even a baptized Christian. All are invited to come forward to the Altar to receive a blessing during Holy Communion, and all baptized Christians are invited to receive the Sacrament. (The clergy is always glad to talk with anyone who would like to become baptized, or even just to explore the possibility.)
What is it like to walk into Christ Church?
At Christ Church, we are always happy to meet and welcome visitors and newcomers. But you are just as welcome here if you are a more private person in your religious devotion. Many of us are shy and private about the time we spend with God ourselves, so have no fear of being "glad-handed."
When you enter the church, first you will be greeted by an usher and given a leaflet for the service. If you have any questions, the usher will be glad to assist you. You may then find a seat for yourself wherever you like in the nave, and take a few moments to look through the service leaflet. The leaflet contains the order for the service, the Scripture readings, the prayers, and the music that is sung by the congregation. The leaflet also refers to pages in one of two books located at your seat. The red book is the Book of Common Prayer; the leaflet will guide you to the texts of longer prayers that are not printed in the leaflet itself. The blue book is the Hymnal, and the numbers of the hymns of the day are found in the leaflet. After the service, the clergy will be standing in the back of the nave, to greet people as they leave. After the 11 a.m. Solemn High Mass on Sundays, coffee and refreshments are served in the parish house, out the back door of the church and through the garden.
