We praise THEE , O GOD : we acknowledge THEE to be the LORD
Worship & Liturgy
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 an Anglo-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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a Roman Catholic Church?
No, the Church of St John the Evangelist is a parish of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, which is part of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Communion around the world. In the United States for historical reasons, the Anglican Church is called the Episcopal Church.
I have been to an Anglican Church before but this one seems to be, well, rather different?
We are an Anglo-Catholic parish in the Anglican tradition. The Anglican Church includes many different styles of worship, from the plain and simple "Low Church" to the beauty and rituals of what you see here at a "High Church". The Anglo-Catholic tradition in our Church is a result of the Oxford Movement of the 19th century, which sought to restore the ancient customs of the Church which were lost during the English Reformation.
Where do our customs come from?
Our liturgy is according to the use of the Canadian Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church of Canada (1959) and is supplemented by materials drawn from the Anglican and the Western Catholic traditions. Worship at St John's reflects our foundations in the tradition of the Oxford Movement. Although there had always been a "High Church" party in the Church of England, the Oxford Movement began in 1833 when John Keble preached his sermon "On National Apostasy" which objected to the civil government's interference in church affairs.
Keble, Pusey and Newman sought authority from the writings of the early church Fathers and emphasized the importance of the creeds and the reality of the sacramental life. The next phase of the "catholic revival" in the Church of England advocated a restoration of catholic forms of worship and devotion which originated in ancient and medieval times and were compatible with the Prayer Book but had fallen out of use. Candles, crosses, incense, processions, private confession, devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament were all introduced.
Why do we call ourselves Anglo-Catholics?
The word "catholic" comes from a Greek word meaning universal. The Catholic Church literally means "the church that is according to the whole".
Catholic also refers to Christians, especially in the West, who consider themselves to be in continuity with the faith and traditions that have come down from the early church through the pre-reformation Catholic Church. "Anglo-Catholics" are Anglicans who, in following the Oxford Movement and their successors, believe that this universal church and inclusive Western Catholic tradition is continued in the theology and liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer and the life of the Anglican Communion.
Why all the ritual and ceremonial?
"Ceremonial and ritual is empty and meaningless," some people have been heard to say, "Just give me simplicity". Yet anthropologists and sociologists have discovered that ritual is intrinsic to what it is to be human. We rely on countless rituals to bring meaning and order into every aspect of our lives. The classic example of an everyday ritual (at least in most parts of North America) is a handshake (here in Quebec perhaps the kiss on both cheeks), which not only signifies but also actualizes the friendship that it symbolizes. (If you doubt this, then consider the impact of refusing to shake someone's hand!)
Our worship engages us in the fullness of who we are as human beings; and that means that it engages us by means of ritual processions, bows, signs of the cross, and so forth. (And hopefully they are fun!)
Yes, rituals can become empty when we perform them absentmindedly without paying attention to their meaning. The solution, however, is not to jettison the rituals but rather to revivify them by performing them thoughtfully, prayerfully and with joy and happiness.
Is everyone supposed to do all those gestures?
No, not unless you want to. These gestures, the sign of the Cross, bowing, genuflecting and other actions are all acts of personal piety. Since traditional catholic worship involves all our senses, they are also ways of worshipping with our bodies. They are not requirements of the liturgy or tests of membership. If you feel comfortable with them, use them. If you don't, ask one of the clergy to explain more about them to you.
Who are all those people at the Altar?
High mass is a pageant with many participants. The purpose of the whole action is to worship God "in the beauty of Holiness" and to celebrate the sacrament in which Christ becomes present and real for us in the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ.
Each person who serves the Mass has a part that helps in this process.
The priest gathers the faithful and presides at the Altar.
The deacon of the Mass assists, reads the Gospel, serves at the Altar and gives the dismissal.
A sub-deacon, usually a layperson, reads the Epistle and also serves at communion.
These are the three "sacred ministers". There are other assistants called servers or acolytes who help the priest and deacon do their work. There is also a server, called a thurifer who tends the incense and swings the censor or thurible; and a server who looks after the whole proceedings, called the Master of Ceremonies.
What are they wearing?
We wear the traditional, historic vestments that have come down to us from the ancient church, which are the street clothes of late antiquity.
The alb (the white robe with loose fitting sleeves, secured with a rope girdle) and the amice (a piece of cloth worn around the neck) replaced the toga as a basic garment. Over this people wore a tunic (which comes down to us as the dalmatic worn today by deacons & sub-deacons), and what is a sort of poncho (now called the chasuble, which is worn by the chief celebrant). The stole worn over both shoulders by a priest probably originated as a badge of office, and the deacon's stole, worn over the left shoulder, and the maniple, worn over the wrist by all three sacred ministers, seem to be vestigial server's napkins.
These historic clothes are not made-up fancy dress, but rather serve as a means of connection through the centuries with all the Christians who have gathered to celebrate the Sacraments. The colours we wear developed only in the last 1000 years and reflect local customs, which have become universal. The sequence of colour helps us identify and symbolize the seasons of the Christian year. (White - festivals; Red - martyrs and Pentecost; Green - the ordinary season; Purple - Lent and Advent.)
Why do we use incense?
The tradition of using incense in the liturgy dates back to the ancient Hebrews, as recorded in Psalm 141: "Let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight as the incense". As this verse suggests, incense symbolizes the prayers of the faithful rising up to Heaven. Incense in the Bible also appears in association with visions of the Divine, most notably in the book of Isaiah and the Revelation to St John the Divine. The smoke itself is associated with purification and sanctification, thus we cense the consecrated elements of the Mass to show that they are set apart, and when we cense the people we are not only purifying them but acknowledging that they are set apart by their Baptism. Worshipping with incense is another way in which traditional catholic worship engages our senses.
Anglo-Catholic worship engages us though all our senses, so that we come to associate the joy of worship and the comfort of prayer with the pleasant aroma of an incense-filled church. Incense has been used at all major services in this parish since 1905 when the Bishop gave permission for its use at the Dedication of this building.
Why do the clergy not face the people?
Traditionally, Christian churches were built facing east, towards the rising sun, which symbolizes Christ rising from the dead and returning at the end of time to judge the world. So, when the clergy pray on behalf of the congregation, they face east to stress that the prayers are addressed to Christ himself. The clergy are not so much turning their backs on the people as turning to face in the same direction as the people, in solidarity with them.
The eastward-facing position rightly emphasizes God's transcendence and otherness. This church in particular was built specifically to highlight the Eastward position of the Altar. Everything in the church draws the eye to the High Altar as the focal point of our worship. When this church was built in 1878 it was not common to have the Eucharist as the normative Sunday service in the Anglican Church. Indeed this parish was one of the early Anglican parishes to have a Sunday Sung Mass and in fact to begin a daily Eucharist in 1868. St John's is one of the few Anglican churches built with the specific intention that a daily Mass would be offered in it.
Why does only the choir sing parts of the service that the entire congregation sings in some other churches?
An important part of the music program of our parish is to preserve and strengthen the Church's tradition of choral Mass settings. From the late Middle
Ages through the modern period, composers have set the texts of the Ordinary of the Mass — the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, and Agnus Dei — to music sung by a choir. Instead of singing along the congregation is invited to mediate on the texts as the choirs sings them. This venerable tradition of choral Mass settings immeasurably enriches our liturgy. Moreover, this music was written for worship; when sung in a concert hall it loses much of the vitality and power it derives from being sung in its religious context in fulfilment of its devout purpose.
But there are many times during the year when the settings are for congregational participation, especially during the summer months.
Why does the choir sing in Latin?
Sometimes, we use Mass settings composed specifically for the Book of Common Prayer service in English. Healy Willan, who was organist at St Mary Magdalene in Toronto for many years, composed a number of well known Mass settings for the Prayer Book. But often we use the choral Mass settings written for the Latin Mass in the Roman Catholic Church. These texts are best sung in the language for which the music was originally composed. Moreover, hearing these texts sung in Latin gives us a sense of our continuity and fellowship with the ancient and universal Church.
For those who attend regularly, the Latin texts of the Ordinary of the Mass quickly become familiar and completely intelligible even to those of us who've never studied Latin.
Why do we use such old-fashioned language?
While worship in everyday English is perfectly valid, many liturgical traditions set apart a special language for worship — from the Latin of the Roman Mass to the Church Slavonic of Russian Orthodoxy. In almost all Jewish Synagogues large sections of the liturgy are in Hebrew. Here at The Church of St John the Evangelist our liturgical language is Tudor or Elizabethan English. Its origin dates back to the 16th century and the birth of the Book of Common Prayer. For the most part, it is intelligible to the ears of modern English speakers, even if a bit strange sounding at times. But even with it archaisms and occasionally difficult constructions, it is oddly haunting and beautiful.
In worship, we approach God with holy things set apart for holy purposes — such as vestments and sacred vessels. Likewise, in corporate liturgical prayer, we can employ a special language set apart for holy purposes.
Why does the service take so long?
Our 10:30 a.m. Sunday Choral High Mass and our weekday High Mass typically last 1h15 to 1h30. (Said Low Mass takes about 25 minutes.)
Services in some other churches — such as Eastern Orthodox or Pentecostal Churches — often go on for much longer. Still, our liturgy is considerably longer than in some other churches, whose services do not exceed one hour. On balance, the length of our service is probably typical for Anglo-Catholic parishes with choral Mass settings. Suffice it to say that any worthwhile activity is worth the time it takes. And in the summer we are realists and the High Mass generally lasts only an hour. Many people have no problem sitting in a cinema for two hours to watch a movie, or in a sports stadium for three hours to watch a game of baseball or football. Many worshippers report that during the liturgy they lose all track of time, so caught up are they in the praises of God. (But don't worry, even though God dwells in eternity, we know that making things longer does not necessarily make them more pleasing!)
Adapted from the Episcopal Churches of St Ignatius, NY; Christ the King, San Francisco; St Stephen's, Providence, RI
All the earth doth worship THEE : the FATHER everlasting