Stations of the Cross......

[passatdoc]

Some Episcopal churches have permanent stations of the cross on the walls, as is commonly seen in Roman Catholic churches. My own Episcopal parish, which one might consider "high High Church" or "low Anglo-Catholic", has a Stations of the Cross liturgy on Good Friday with framed stations that are hung in the church on Good Friday only; they are removed on Holy Saturday. We have female clergy and the altar has been pulled out from the wall, but otherwise it's very traditional, full of incense and bells, and three--count 'em, three--statues of the BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary). On the other hand, the parish is welcoming to all races and orientations, and the priest has done several blessings of same sex unions (the Episcopal Church always had a provision for "blessing of a civil union"--which is what Charles and Camilla had after their town hall ceremony--and they simply extend it to same-sex couples, without using the standard wedding liturgy). At times, it almost seems as if the former Catholics outnumber the cradle Episcopalians in our parish. We do a lot of social justice ministry. Our parish supports an after school tutoring program for at-risk teens and also an early childhood education center right in the middle of a big barrio. Music is superb and our pipe organ dates to 1889 (has been expanded several times, but some of the pipes are >120 years old.

 

[passatdoc]

not on Altar Guild

No men in our Altar Guild yet, but after the Easter Vigil service, I volunteered to take home eight soiled tablecloths from the after-Easter Vigil reception. I was able to fit six of them in my Frigidaire 2140, but not all eight, so I did two loads of four. Everything came out fine with Borax and Tide HE. Reception table cloths are not the province of Altar Guild but rather of either the hospitality committee or Vestry, and since I'm on Vestry, I volunteered to wash the tablecloths so they'd be clean for Sunday morning.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Jim. Sorry to hear that you do not have men on the altar guild...my altar guild career goes back to my home parish,
All Saints, Bayside, NY where that was considered "women's work".
My late mother would not hear of it and once I expressed an interest in the altar guild, my mom approached the directress and next thing you know, I was the first non-female member of the altar guild.
At Christ The King Episcopal here in Tucson, the stations are outside as the parish is on ten acres so we hike from one station to the next. My parish is getting more high church and I am a major influence and the Rector just seems to go along with everything I have asked for. I see more and more ex-Romans these days. Just got an ex-Roman priest who wanted to get married. He is doing a year internship at my parish before being received by the Bishop as an Episcopal priest.
He and I are going to work together setting up the verger ministry. In addition to altar guild, I am an acolyte, lay reader, etc. I purchased and donated the thurible so I swing it around on those occasions when incense is used. I also got the rector wearing a biretta which I also bought and donated.
If I had not done that, they would not have been part of our liturgy.

Ross

 

[xraytech]

Our stations are displayed all year, they hang between the stained glass windows of the church. All of our stations were memorial donations in 1967 so they could have new stations for the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of St. Michaels Parish.

We do not have what is called an Altar Society, as it is called The Christian Mothers. Naturally I am not in it, but I may as well be since I am involved in every function they hold, as well as I take my turn of laundering the linens and towels after the dinners we hold, I am also involved with the group of the Christian Mothers that do the Altar decorations.

 

[randycmaynard]

Ross.....

That is so neat..... I have a great love for the high church worship - smells and bells.... the entire lot! Keep it up, we need some sanity back in our corporate worship in the the church again. Does not the God of the universe deserve our best? I think so......

 

[passatdoc]

Well, I don't there there is a hard and fast rule about no male members in our Altar Guild. Rather, the members in charge are, shall we say, a bit "old school" (think gray hair and rhinestone glasses....). Sometimes a few of them think that they, not the rector, are in charge. Get my drift?

I'm happy to do no-brainer laundry (example: poly blend tablecloths) to help out, though technically it's not an Altar Guild area of responsibility.

Speaking of bells and smells.....

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[passatdoc]

Got palms?

Palm Sunday 2009.

 

[polkanut]

Our altar guild used to be "women only", until I just showed up with my wife and mother at one of their meetings. They didn't dare argue with my Mom, as she happens to be a charter member of the group. A year later I was elected director, and have been for the past 3yrs.

 

[passatdoc]

permanent vs. temporary Stations

I think the reason we don't have the stations up all year is lack of wall space. The stations are framed prints about 20 x 12. They are hung for Good Friday on our vertical columns. They are wider than the columns and would probably be bumped and knocked off their hooks if left up all year. We have a LOT of stained glass (sanctuary completed 1889, the oldest public building* in continuous use in Orange County, CA) and there is not a lot of wall space between each set of windows. It would not be possible to display them side by side, they'd have to hang one above the other to make room. I have visited Episcopal parishes with much "lower" liturgy that have permanent stations, so it's not a matter of "low church" tendencies.

*yes, Mission San Juan Capistrano's Serra Chapel is older and dates to the late 1700s. However, the Mexican government seized all church properties in the 1830s and gave/sold them to private owners. Lincoln returned most church properties in the 1860s, but Serra Chapel remained in private hands and did not resume service as a Catholic parish until the 1920s. Someone living in San Juan Capistrano in say 1880 would have had to attend mass at St Joseph Church in Santa Ana.

There is also an Episcopal parish in Anaheim (St. Michael's) whose original chapel dates from the 1870s. However, the chapel was moved to a new location in the 1950s, placed next to their brand new A-frame sanctuary, and is no longer in daily or weekly use. It serves now mostly as a museum.

Disqualifying these two structures either for not being in regular use (since the 1950s) or continuous use (Serra chapel had a 90 year hiatus 1830s-1920s), our parish's sanctuary remains the oldest public meeting place in Orange County in continuous use.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi Tim. Glad to see you are still at the helm at your parish.
Holy Week is a busy time for any altar guild. Brought the Rector's white cassock alb back on Good Friday only for him to spill coffee all over it on Easter Sunday. I once gave him a selection of 4 sippy cups for his coffee and of course he does not use them. I still love my Rector, Fr. Mike and think he is a great guy. Got a new defector from Rome. A priest who wanted to get married. He and I are going to start the Verger ministry and we will take turns serving. My best to Beverly.

Ross