Our Heritage
Bl. John's enjoys a continuity in worship that is rooted in the Sarum Use, the Book of Common Prayer, the High Churchmen of the Church of England and the Episcopal Church, the Anglo-Catholics of the last two centuries, and finally the Anglo-Papalists who not only brought the English ritual back to a fully Catholic status, but also helped petition and work to create the Ordinariates.
As Catholic liturgy cannot be entirely divorced from the Catholic Church, Bl. John's liturgical worship is a Catholic liturgy but in continuity with our Anglican tradition - ironically carrying that Anglican tradition on and maintaining it in it's true home in union with the Successor to Peter. It is no surprise that the Catholic-minded churchmen, who were not Recusants, maintained a catholic ritual which eventually contributed to full corporate reunion of those Anglicans and Catholics via the Ordinariates. Lex orandi, lex credendi. |
Music
Music and liturgy go hand in hand. Like Scripture and Tradition, they are really two sides of the same coin. Thus, Bl. John's places a high importance upon edifying, uplifting and quality ecclesiastical music.
There are two choirs at Bl. John's: the professional choir, called the Tallis Chapel Society, or the main choir of the parish, called the S. Cecilia's Choir. |
Liturgy
We worship according to the Book of Divine Worship (BDW) for our principle Masses, as well as the Roman Rite for other services. Our liturgical ritual follows the adaptation of Ritual Notes for the BDW and we incorporate both the minor propers and hymns, in addition to the standard Anglo-Catholic pre and post Mass devotions.
A "Ritualist" Parish
In keeping with the English "use" of the Roman Rite, epitomized in the great English Missal, Bl. John's aspires to "worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" (Ps. xix. 2) and continue this heritage within its proper ecclesial context: as the Anglican Use of the Roman Rite in full-communion with the Catholic Church.
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Book of Divine Worship
Bl. John's worships according to the Book of Divine Worship (BDW) - with appropriate portions ammended to conform to the Third Edition of the Roman Missal - which is currently the approved form of the Anglican Use in the Catholic Church.
However, slowly the BDW is being replaced by liturgical texts promulgated for the Ordinariates around the world. The first two texts are the Marriage and Funeral Rites. Download the pdf file for the BDW here. Download the pdf file for Funerals here. Download the pdf file for Marriage here. |
Kalendar
The new liturgical calendar for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of S. Peter replaces the calendar within the Book of Divine Worship. For the most part, it is in line with the calendar of the Roman Rite for most dioceses within the United States, but has special emphasis on memorials of English/Anglican importance.
In addition to Sundays, other Holy Days of Obligation, and traditional major feasts, important days to Bl. John's are: Solemnity of the Chair of S. Peter (February 22) Memorial of Our Lady of the Atonement (July 9) Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham (September 24) Memorial of Bl. John Henry Newman - Titular Feast (October 9) Download the pdf file for the Kalendar here. 
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