What to Expect

Expect to come as you are. We are an informal community with traditional worship. At St. Patrick’s you will find blue jeans and suits, young and old, evangelicals, liberals, and conservatives gathered under the same roof. You are invited to sit, stand, or kneel, and participate as you feel comfortable. Many of us are new to the Episcopal Church, and came because we were swept up in the Spirit’s beauty. We invite you to come and experiment this beauty in whatever way is comfortable for you. You will not be judged.

Our worship is based on the Book of Common Prayer (first published in 1549). The book is a collection of ancient and modern prayers that shape our spirituality, our understanding of God, and who we are in relation to God.  It’s in praying and praise of God that Episcopalians find their identity.

These prayers and acts of praise are repeated over and over, some every week and others every year.  Repetition engraves these classic spiritual texts on the hearts of worshipers so that they carry them with them wherever they go.  Many of these texts were written by great Christians of the past and are recited today in churches on every continent, thereby giving voice to our solidarity with a fellowship that transcends time and space.

Episcopal worship is framed within an annual cycle, starting with the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which marks the beginning of the Advent season.  Advent is followed by the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.  Each season has its own particular spiritual emphasis.