St. Hilda's Anglican Catholic Church

Faith, Ministry, and Worship

FAITH

In the ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH the whole Catholic Faith is maintained, without any Roman additions or Protestant subtractions, as received by and from the CHURCH OF ENGLAND in the days of its orthodoxy.

    In obedience to the example of Christ and the Apostles, the teaching of Scripture and the faithful tradition of the Church over 2000 years, the ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is governed by bishops in the Apostolic Succession, and maintains the male three-fold Order of bishops, priests and deacons.

    From the very first Christian century, the visible Church has been defined in terms of a communion of mutually recognized regional "dioceses", each consisting of a Bishop surrounded by his clergy and the faithful in that place.

    In each local parish there is a priest, who exercises the Church's ministry of the Word and Sacraments (including pastoral care of his people) as the delegate of the Bishop. In aspects of this ministry he may be assisted by a deacon; and in some (especially administrative, pastoral care, teaching and counseling) he may be assisted by a deaconess or other authorized lay person.

    These are aspects of the Church's formal ministry. "Ministry", however, means "helping people". In an informal sense, all baptized Christians are called in daily life to minister to others. We are all endowed with certain gifts and grace for that purpose. Scripture itself teaches, "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2)

WORSHIP

    The official standards of worship in the ANGLICAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is the seminal (1549) edition of the famous Book of Common Prayer and certain authorized revisions recognized as conforming to that standard: viz., the American revision of 1928, the Canadian revision of 1962 and the Indian revision of 1963. The traditional eucharistic rites of the Missal, which conform to that standard, are fully authorized by the canons.

    Briefly banned in the 17th century by the Puritans in their attempts to destroy the CHURCH OF ENGLAND, the Book of Common Prayer is deeply Biblical in character (some 80% of its contents are drawn directly from Scripture) and its liturgical forms are based on those of the early, undivided Church. It is also a guide to the pastoral work of the clergy and the common life of the Church. Preserving all the essentials of the Catholic Faith and its worship, it is expressed in majestic language and has had a profound impact on the culture and spiritually of all English-speaking peoples to the present day.

    The Church's central act of worship is, of course, the one appointed by our Lord Himself, the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist or the Lord's Supper, commonly called the Mass. In each parish (unless no priest is available) the Eucharist is celebrated every Sunday and Holy Day, if not daily.

    Clergy are also required daily to say the offices of Morning and Evening Prayer, which include reading aloud through the entire Bible in the course of each year, reciting all of the Psalter each month, and each day offering prayers for the general and particular needs of the Church, her people and the wider community.

    Whenever possible these offices are said in the parish church, and lay people are welcome to join the clergy in this worship.

    Initiation into membership of the Church is by the rites of Baptism and Confirmation. Other Sacraments are for those in particular conditions of life, namely Marriage, Penance (often called "Confession"), Holy Unction (anointing of the sick) and Ordination.

    In addition to regular Sunday worship, clergy and lay people alike are encouraged to develop a disciplined personal devotional life including daily prayer, regular Bible study and meditation, fasting and abstinence on Fridays and during Lent (unless medically inadvisable), occasional retreats, and a pledge of weekly financial support to the Church.