Liturgy & Worship
Marking the days and seasons in Christian community is a tradition as ancient as the Church itself. We follow the patterns of feast and fast, we commemorate the saints who teach us more about God’s love for us, and we celebrate God in Christ present with us in the Sacrament. In these actions we are conforming our lives more and more with God’s deepest longing for us, which is to be united in his purpose, which is nothing other than Love itself.
A regular and stable pattern of worship is important because people can then make attendance at Mass or the Office a part of their own spiritual practice.
The liturgy at Saint Ignatius of Antioch is celebrated according to the use of the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church (1979). This treasure of the great Anglican Prayer Book tradition allows us to celebrate the sacraments and mark the times and seasons according to the ancient patterns. All our services use traditional language, or “Rite I,” as we say in the Episcopal Church.
On Sundays at our 10:30 A.M. Eucharist and on major feasts, we follow the customs of the historic Solemn Mass of the Western Rite, in which we use incense, make processions, wear the traditional vestments, and sing and chant much of the service. Our weekday celebrations in the Lady Chapel are much simpler.
According to the rites and canons of the Episcopal Church, all Baptized persons are welcome to receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
At this time we have two masses on Sundays, Low Mass at 8:30 A.M. and Solemn Mass at 10:30 A.M. All our weekday services are online.
We hope you will feel welcome whatever service you attend! If you have any questions either before you come or after you have been, please do not hesitate to be in touch with one of the clergy.
For our full worship calendar, click here.
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Service Schedule & Calendar
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As you can see from the print above, showing the interior of church then on West 40th Street, the beauty and fullness of Catholic worship has been our tradition since we were founded in the wake of the Oxford Movement. This image is from “Surpliced Choirs in New York,” by H. E. Krehbiel, an article that appeared in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, 77:457 (June 1888), 65-75. You can find the whole article here.