What we Believe & F.A.Q.
"Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est.""That which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all."
— St. Vincent of Lérins
The quote above is from St. Vincent of Lérins, a 5th century Gallic monk. To help Christians identify orthodox understanding in theological matters, especially in times of confusion or controversy within the Church, Vincient proposed that true religion must have:
Been believed everywhere (universality),
Been believed always (antiquity),
Been believed by all (consensus among the faithful).
For us, the “Vincentian Canon” is an important theological guidepost. It underlines the importance of continuity with the first Christians, with Christians around the world today, and serves as a measure of fidelity to the faith once delivered to the saints Jude 1:3.
What is the Episcopal Church?
The Episcopal Church is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It maintains apostolic faith and order, with bishops in historic succession, and holds fast to the doctrine, discipline, and worship received from the Church of England.
What do Episcopalians believe?
Our faith is grounded in Holy Scripture, shaped by the historic Creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian), and expressed in the liturgical and sacramental life of the Church. We affirm the teachings summarized in the Catechism of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, including belief in the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation, the bodily Resurrection of Christ our Lord; the promise of everlasting life. To see the Catechism of the Episcopal Church, click here.
How is the Episcopal Church connected to the Anglican tradition?
The Episcopal Church is part of the Anglican family of churches, which share a common heritage of faith, worship, and ecclesial structure. Our tradition upholds the authority of Scripture, the teachings of the “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic” Church, and the use of the Book of Common Prayer as our standard for worship and doctrine.
What is the role of the Bible in Episcopal life?
As our Priests and Deacons vow at their ordinations, the Bible is the Word of God, “containing all things necessary to salvation.” It is to be read, marked, learned, and inwardly digested, and is interpreted through the lens of the Church’s tradition and reason.
What is worship like at St. Mary’s?
Worship at St. Mary’s is rooted in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism. We celebrate the Holy Eucharist (Mass) daily with reverence and beauty. The altar faces East, and our Sunday liturgy includes incense, sacred music, and traditional ceremonial, all pointing us to the mystery and majesty of God.
What sacraments do Episcopalians recognize?
The Episcopal Church, in continuity with the universal Catholic tradition, teaches that there are seven sacraments—Baptism and the Holy Eucharist being the two great sacraments of the Gospel, instituted directly by Christ and necessary for all people. These are the chief means by which grace is communicated to the faithful.
In addition, we recognize five other sacramental rites—Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Ordination, Reconciliation (Confession and Absolution), and Unction (Anointing of the Sick)—as true sacraments of the Church, instituted by Christ and used by the Holy Spirit to strengthen, heal, and sanctify the Christian life. All seven are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, conveyed through the action of the Church in the power of the Holy Ghost.
At St. Mary’s, the sacraments are central to our life and worship, and are celebrated reverently, frequently, and joyfully.
What do we Believe about St. Mary?
Naturally, St. Mary’s Church holds the Blessed Virgin Mary—the Mother of Our Lord—in deep reverence, honoring her unique role in the mystery of our salvation. In accordance with the tradition of the universal Church, we affirm her perpetual virginity, her title as Theotokos (“God-bearer”), and her place as the foremost among the saints. Devotion to Our Lady is expressed in our liturgy, music, and sacred art, and we regularly observe her major feast days with solemnity and joy. Mary is not worshipped but we honor her with affection and gratitude, asking for her maternal intercession as the Church has done through the centuries. As a church that bears her name, we seek to follow her example of faithful obedience, humility, and total trust in God. To love Mary is to love the one who bore Christ in her womb and pondered His mysteries in her heart—making her not only the Mother of Jesus, but also a spiritual mother to all the faithful.
What kind of moral and theological teaching does St. Mary’s uphold?
St. Mary’s holds to the orthodox Christian faith which finds its origin in the Apostles’ teaching. We affirm the Church’s traditional moral and social teachings and strive to live according to the commandments of God to the best of our human ability. We put our trust in the divine mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and rely on His strength to live out our faith.
Is St. Mary’s welcoming to newcomers?
Absolutely. Whether you are returning to church, exploring Anglicanism, or seeking a deeper and more reverent expression of the Christian faith, you will find a home at St. Mary’s. Our doors and hearts are open to all who seek to worship God in the beauty of holiness.
Adopted by the House of Bishops
Chicago, 1886
We, Bishops of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Council assembled as Bishops in the Church of God, do hereby solemnly declare to all whom it may concern, and especially to our fellow-Christians of the different Communions in this land, who, in their several spheres, have contended for the religion of Christ:
1. Our earnest desire that the Savior's prayer, "That we all may be one," may, in its deepest and truest sense, be speedily fulfilled;
2. That we believe that all who have been duly baptized with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, are members of the Holy Catholic Church.
3. That in all things of human ordering or human choice, relating to modes of worship and discipline, or to traditional customs, this Church is ready in the spirit of love and humility to forego all preferences of her own;
4. That this Church does not seek to absorb other Communions, but rather, co-operating with them on the basis of a common Faith and Order, to discountenance schism, to heal the wounds of the Body of Christ, and to promote the charity which is the chief of Christian graces and the visible manifestation of Christ to the world.
But furthermore, we do hereby affirm that the Christian unity . . .can be restored only by the return of all Christian communions to the principles of unity exemplified by the undivided Catholic Church during the first ages of its existence; which principles we believe to be the substantial deposit of Christian Faith and Order committed by Christ and his
Apostles to the Church unto the end of the world, and therefore incapable of compromise or surrender by those who have been ordained to be its stewards and trustees for the common and equal benefit of all men.
As inherent parts of this sacred deposit, and therefore as essential to the restoration of unity among the divided branches of Christendom, we account the following, to wit:
1. The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the revealed Word of God.
2. The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith.
3. The two Sacraments — Baptism and the Supper of the Lord— ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution and of the elements ordained by Him.
4. The Historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of His Church.
Furthermore, Deeply grieved by the sad divisions which affect the Christian Church in our own land, we hereby declare our desire and readiness, so soon as there shall be any authorized response to this Declaration, to enter into brotherly conference with all or any Christian Bodies seeking the restoration of the organic unity of the Church, with a view to the earnest study of the conditions under which so priceless a blessing might happily be brought to pass.
The Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral 1886, 1888