liturgical life

When one enters an unfamiliar place – be it church or another place, often occurs the question “I really wonder what to expect?” So addressed here - plainly spoken, what is it like to “go to church” at St. Joseph Parish…? First, we are a friendly, welcoming Anglo-Catholic parish community…we are about CHURCH…peace and quiet, and only about church…more formally and perhaps best described by these words… Lex orandi, Lex Credendi, Lex Vivendi… as we pray, so we believe, so we live… Liturgical worship is not an ‘add on’ for Catholic Christians. It is the historic foundation of Catholic identity…expressing our highest purpose. Our liturgy reveals what we believe…how we view ourselves in relationship to God, one another and the world into which we are sent to carry forward the redemptive mission of Jesus. The Church worships as a prophetic witness to the truth she professes.

Every Sunday Mass and Holy Day has an Order of Service printed for just that day…it tells the ‘order’ in which the service is conducted…Prayer Book page numbers, Hymn numbers, who’s who and information special to the particular day…things need to be comfortable and easy to follow!

The word Liturgy, loosely translated means simply duty, or work, of people and so this is why we do what we do together in a generous, tasteful, hopeful and joyful manner.

When you come to St. Joseph Parish, if you are unfamiliar with the way things happen, we have a Guide to Our Liturgy available to ease your unfamiliarity and help follow the Mass. You may download an advance copy here.

You will be welcomed and greeted…at the same time you won’t be overwhelmed. We know many just want to quietly ‘go to church’…all approaches fit really well within our environment.