In our services, there is a commitment to the use of the Book of Common Prayer in our parish. Its system of daily prayer and worship fosters holy living and Christian discipline. The Prayer Book provides a language, dignity, and balance attuned to our traditional style of worship. It is a focal point of unity within our parish. The Prayer Book is augmented with Catholic propers and ritual. It is moderate and compatible with Catholic interpretation in the Anglican Tradition.

As a Catholic parish, St. John’s style of worship is an external sign of a deeper reality. Catholicism, in our Anglican understanding, affirms the principles of the English Reformation within the traditional definitions as restated by the Oxford Movement.

These definitions include:

• A vision of the Church as the Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints, in which individual salvation and sanctification operate
• The centrality of Sacramental life and liturgical devotion as the principal work of the Church
• A fundamental respect for the ministry of priesthood and the priestly character; an adherence to the principle of Apostolic Succession
• Scripture as received by the Church and interpreted by Her through the ages
• Faithfulness to traditional theology
• An attachment to Catholic forms and rituals as the natural expression of sacramental devotion
• An emphasis on good works, both in our personal and collective life
• The life of the parish continues to centre around its liturgy: mainly the daily masses and the celebrations of the Church Year. Perfection in ritual and music have remained the hallmark of our Church; they are unparalleled in Montreal and perhaps in the country.