What does it mean to be Anglo-Catholic?
(We get asked that question a lot!)
Anglo-Catholicism began with the 19th-century Oxford Movement, which returned to an emphasis on Catholic thought and practice in the Church of England. Anglo-Catholic worship heavily emphasizes the Incarnation, when Jesus Christ took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary (God becoming a human being). God became human and saved us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and we see the world through that lens: that God can reach us and love us through these outward and visible signs made possible by the Word made Flesh. This sacramental view of our world expresses itself in our worship through the Seven Sacraments of the church, beautiful worship, and the intercession of those who have gone before us.
Churches who worship in the Anglo-Catholic tradition have a high view of the Sacraments. This means we emphasize them all and believe they confer God’s grace. The Seven Sacraments include two Sacraments instituted by Jesus, Baptism and the Eucharist, and then the five Sacramental Rites: Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation of a Penitent (Confession), and Unction (Anointing of the Sick). In particular, Anglo-Catholics place great importance upon Baptism, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist/frequent reception of the Eucharist, and upon Reconciliation of a Penitent/Confession. For an Anglo-Catholic explanation of Holy Mass, click here.
We emphasize the Sacraments
We emphasize the Communion of Saints
Anglo-Catholics put a strong emphasis on the “Communion of Saints,” meaning that we believe we are surrounded by, as the Book of Hebrews states, “a great cloud of witnesses.” Most Anglo-Catholics believe that part of being surrounded by these great saints means that we may also ask for their intercession. In particular, Anglo-Catholics often place great emphasis on the Blessed Virgin Mary and have devotion to her especially. The beautiful statue of her in the back of the nave reflects this devotion, and we follow every Holy Mass and Morning Prayer with either the Angelus or the Regina Caeli, as liturgically appropriate.
We emphasize the beauty of holiness in our worship
When you attend mass at the Church of Our Saviour, you will quickly realize that our worship is noticeably different from many other churches: you will see the altar party and the parishioners genuflecting (going down on one knee briefly) or bowing, we use incense at our main masses (incense represents our prayers rising to God), and you will hear bells ringing during key points of the mass. Here at Church of Our Saviour, we do love our “Smells and Bells!” We also use beautiful vestments, candles, and other acts of beauty in our ceremony to point people to God.
