Worship at S. Michael’s is offered in the Catholic Tradition of the Church of England; this means our worship is richly sacramental and devotional in character, centred on Christ in the Mass – the Eucharist or Holy Communion – the Sacrament of his Body and Blood.
“Worship at St Michael’s follows formal patterns.
This formality frees the private prayer of individuals so that it may be offered in a communal context.
It helps to form intimate habits of devotion – and much of life is, after all, lived by habit…
…And it connects us to the worship of past generations of Christians, so freeing us from the illusion that Christianity was invented yesterday – by us. And we enjoy it.”
The quotation above was written by Prof. Oliver Nicholson for the Heritage Open Days, to offer a sense of the quality and mystery for which St Michael’s has become known.
Choral worship at St. Michael’s was formalised in the 1920′s and conforms to Common Worship, Order 1, Traditional language, using the Revised Common Lectionary. Short descriptions of our regular services of Matins, Sung Mass, Evensong & Benediction and Vespers are found beneath the image below.
The central Calendar of Feast Days traditionally observed here is presented in the Usage of St Michael’s and are also listed here.
The following links to articles offer further insights into the form of Anglo-Catholic worship at St Michael’s.
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office
A Guide to the Mass
The Use of Vestments
Glossary
Solemn Sung Mass, followed by the Angelus
Choral Evensong and Benediction (first Sunday)
Plainsong Vespers, with meditation
Angelus and Matins, BCP, in the Lady Chapel (currently suspended)
Plainsong Vespers, with meditation
Morning Prayer, or Lauds, is offered at 10:00 on Wednesdays. Also for Ascension Day at 07:30. The character of Morning Prayer is that of praise.
Low Mass is a said service which takes place at 10:30 on Wednesdays. Usually it is for a Feast or Saint’s day, but occasionally this service is a Requiem Mass to commemorate the dead.
The Mass lies at the centre of worship at St Michael’s and takes place at 11:00 on Sundays. Led by the choir, this service is enhanced through the music of plainsong, polyphony and harmony singing, the use of incense, the ringing of bells and the sprinkling of holy water, or asperges.
Our Guide to Mass at St Michael’s is linked at the top of this page.
The Angelus is sung at 12:00 noon on Sundays immediately following Mass.
The service of Choral Evensong with Benediction is at 18:00 on the first Sunday of the month. It is led by the choir and includes sung Psalms of the day, readings from scripture, Canticles (the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), one or more anthems and other prayers.
This Angelus is sung or said at 12:00 noon on Sundays immediately following Mass. It is also sung at 18:00 before Evensong and Vespers. The Angelus (Latin for “angel”) is a Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. It is practised by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses describing the mystery; alternating with the salutation “Hail Mary”.
Vespers is held by candlelight directly following the Angelus at 18:00. This service is the Evening Office and its character is one of thanksgiving. Psalms, canticles, hymns and other prayers are sung to plainsong by members of the Choir. The service includes a twenty-minute period of silent meditation and prayer.
Please feel free to download, print and share our Vespers poster.
Mission Statement
“ We seek to know God’s presence in the world through worship, prayer and meditation.
We rejoice in the richness of the Christian heritage in word, music and ritual.
We are called to be an outgoing, welcoming and friendly community of faith and service.”