While Moses was on Mt. Sinai, the Lord enabled Moses to see into heaven and see a heavenly temple. It was in this moment that the Moses was instructed to recreate on earth a replica of this temple and its furnishings (including the vestments of the heavenly priests). Exodus contains the walking out of this instruction and its details. From that point on, the Jews (and therefore the earliest Christians) processed their religion through the lens of imitating and mirroring the heavenly temple worship here on earth. Thus, Anglo Catholicism is not a Jewish religion reinterpreted, but, rather, a continuation of the heavenly religion God gave to his earthly worshippers.
Anglicans recognize Scripture, Tradition, and Reason as a coherent framework of authority.
Scripture holds primacy. Tradition preserves continuity. Reason ensures clarity. Together, they safeguard the apostolic faith.
Our Scripture consists of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Mathew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude, Revelation (or the Apocalypse).
The Anglican stance on the Apocrypha is a middle ground between Roman Catholic and Protestant views. Anglicans read the Apocrypha for instruction and edification but do not derive doctrine from it, aligning with Lutherans in this practice.
We affirm seven sacraments evident in Scripture and received in the life of the Church:
Of these, Baptism and the Eucharist were instituted by Christ and are necessary for all Christians.
Sacraments are not mere symbols. They are effective means of grace — tangible signs through which God truly acts.
Baptism is the means by which we are united to Christ (Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 2:38; 22:16).
The Eucharist is participation in the Body and Blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16).
Grace is delivered through what Christ instituted.
When we come together as a group, we form the body of Jesus (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Cor 12:12, 17; Eph 1:22-23, 4:22-16, 5:29-30; Col 1:18, 24, etc.). What we are doing during the mass is worshipping the Father through Jesus. We offer to the Father the memorial of Jesus every time we gather, as he commanded us (Lk 22:19-20; Acts 2:42, 20:7; 1 Cor 11:23-26). This is such because the Jews have, from the very beginning, been instructed to worship the Father via an altar (Ex 25:8-9). Below is a short survey of the historical interpretation of Christian worship in the mass:
Ignatius of Antioch (35–107 AD)
Letter to the Ephesians 5:2:
"Take heed, then, to have but one Eucharist. For there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup to show forth the unity of His blood; one altar, as there is one bishop, along with the presbytery and deacons."
Ignatius connects the unity of the Church with the singularity of the altar, emphasizing the central role of the Eucharist in worship.
Letter to the Philadelphians 4:1:
"Be careful, therefore, to observe one Eucharist, for there is one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ and one cup of union with His blood, one altar, as there is one bishop with the presbytery and deacons, my fellow servants."
Again, the altar is associated with the Eucharist, presided over by the bishop as a sign of ecclesial unity.
Cyprian of Carthage (200–258 AD)
Epistle 63:13:
"For if Jesus Christ, our Lord and God, is Himself the High Priest of God the Father, and offered Himself as a sacrifice to the Father, and commanded this to be done in remembrance of Him, certainly that priest truly discharges the office of Christ who imitates what Christ did; and he then offers a true and full sacrifice in the Church to God the Father, when he proceeds to offer it according to what he sees Christ Himself to have offered."
Though not the word "altar" directly, this letter from Cyprian affirms that the Church's liturgical altar is where the Eucharistic sacrifice is offered.
Epistle 65:17:
"If we cannot call Him Father unless we have the Church for our Mother, what madness is it either to have left the Church, not to have set up the altar of God, or to have set up other altars, a profane voice and sacrilegious hands?"
Cyprian explicitly mentions the "altar of God" and condemns the establishment of "other altars," linking it to schism.
Origen (185–253 AD)
Homilies on Joshua 9:1:
"We are said to approach the altar of God whenever we partake of the Body and Blood of Christ."
Origen identifies the Christian altar with participation in the Eucharist.
Ambrose of Milan (340–397 AD)
On the Mysteries 9:54:
"The altar is placed, the sacrifice laid upon it, not of earthly creation but of heavenly mystery."
Ambrose directly references the altar as central to the Eucharistic liturgy.
John Chrysostom (347–407 AD)
Homilies on Hebrews 17:3:
"When you see the Lord immolated and lying upon the altar, and the priest standing over the sacrifice and praying...can you think that you are still among men and standing upon the earth? Are you not lifted up to heaven?"
Chrysostom vividly describes the altar as the place of Christ's sacrificial presence in the Eucharist.
Common Themes:
· The altar is consistently tied to the Eucharist, viewed as the re-presentation of Christ's offering.
· It is a symbol of unity presided over by the bishop or a validly ordained priest.
· The Fathers often contrast the true Christian altar with "profane" altars, highlighting the importance of ecclesial authority and orthodoxy in worship.
Conclusion: The historical practice we observe today is directly tied to the Church’s understanding of what they were doing and what was passed down to them by the Jews, that itself being handed to them by God on Mount Sinai (Ex 25:8-9). Put simply, our practices are required by God to conform to the temple worship in Heaven.
Our parish worships according to the 2019 Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church in North America.
The 2019 Prayer Book stands in direct continuity with the historic Anglican tradition, particularly the 1662 English Prayer Book and the 1928 American edition. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer established the doctrinal and liturgical framework of classical Anglicanism, shaping English-speaking Christianity for centuries. The 1928 American Prayer Book preserved that classical theology while adapting it pastorally for the American Church.
The 2019 edition draws deeply from both of these formularies. It retains the historic structure of Morning and Evening Prayer, the Holy Communion, the Collects, the Psalter, and the lectionary tradition. It maintains classical Anglican theology concerning the Trinity, the Creeds, the Sacraments, and salvation. At the same time, it incorporates scholarship and pastoral refinements in language and calendar structure suitable for the present age.
Thus, the 2019 Prayer Book is not a break from Anglican history but a continuation of it, one that is rooted in the Reformation-era formularies, shaped by the catholic inheritance of the early Church, and ordered for worship today.
For Anglicans, doctrine is not merely written in statements, but prayed. The Prayer Book forms both belief and devotion because it trains the Church to think, confess, and worship according to Scripture.
We believe worship shapes theology.
We affirm and confess the Nicene Creed, Apostles’ Creed, and Athanasian Creed as summaries of the Catholic faith.
The Thirty-Nine Articles provide historical insight into the English Reformation. They are subordinate to Scripture and interpreted within the broader catholic tradition of the Church.
Anglicans recognize the historic role of the Bishop of Rome within the early Church and affirm Rome’s place as one of the principal apostolic sees. However, we maintain that episcopal authority in the early Church was regional and jurisdictional rather than universal.
In the New Testament, leadership in the Church at Jerusalem — the mother church of Christianity — is clearly associated with James. At the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:13–21), after Peter and Paul speak, it is James who renders the final judgment and articulates the decision of the council. This moment demonstrates that apostolic authority was exercised conciliarity and that no single apostle functioned as a universal bishop over the whole Church.
The New Testament also identifies James as a pillar of the Church (Galatians 2:9), and Paul refers to visiting James specifically (Galatians 1:19), indicating his recognized leadership role in Jerusalem.
Early Christian historians confirm this pattern. Eusebius of Caesarea (Ecclesiastical History 2.1; 3.11) records James as the first bishop of Jerusalem and lists leading bishops of major apostolic sees such as Jerusalem, Rome, Antioch, and Alexandria. These sees held honor and influence, but the structure of authority was geographic and episcopal, not universal in scope.
While Rome held a place of primacy of honor — especially as the church associated with the martyrdom of Peter and Paul — claims of universal papal supremacy developed gradually and were not universally received in the first millennium of Christianity.
Anglicanism therefore affirms the historic episcopate and the ancient order of bishops while maintaining that no single bishop possesses universal jurisdiction over the entire Church.
The Anglican view on the communion of saints highlights the unity of all believers—on earth, in heaven, and being sanctified in Christ. The saints are honored as examples and intercessors, reflecting the belief that those in heaven pray for us. This practice is supported by Scripture (e.g., the living presence of Moses and Elijah in Matthew 17:1-8 and the awareness of the heavenly host in Hebrews 12:1). Far from replacing Christ as the sole mediator, asking for saints' prayers mirrors asking fellow believers on earth to intercede, as affirmed in James 5:16.
Anglicans emphasize that saints are alive in Christ, not "dead" (Luke 20:38), and continue to observe and care for us (Luke 15:7, 10; Revelation 6:9-11). This practice aligns with the communal nature of Christian faith, where intercession fosters unity across the Church Militant, Expectant, and Triumphant. Just as asking friends or clergy for prayers strengthens fellowship, asking saints to intercede reflects the same principle, grounded in biblical and traditional understanding.
A street preacher once accused me (Father Ryan) of praying to Mary. While I clarified that that was not our practice, the street preacher insisted he knew better about our beliefs. For clarity on our understanding of the communion of saints, please review the section above, which explains how some (not all) might ask St. Mary to pray for us.
The following pious (i.e., not required) Anglo-Catholic beliefs about Mary can be summarized as follows:
1. Perpetual Virginity: This historic belief holds that Jesus' siblings were from Joseph, not Mary, and that Mary remained a virgin. Anglicans view this as a pious belief, not a required one.
2. The Assumption: The early Church unanimously believed Mary was taken to heaven without experiencing death, akin to Enoch and Elijah. This belief is respected but not obligatory.
3. The Immaculate Conception: This doctrine asserts Mary was conceived without original sin due to her role in bearing Jesus. While not universally accepted by the Church, a segment of Anglicans hold this belief piously. It is not mandatory.
St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church
Anglican Church in North America (ACNA)
Anglo-Catholic parish in Denver, CO
Sundays at 2:00 PM
Eisenhower Chapel
293 Roslyn St., Denver, CO