Episcopal Mass

[Anonymous]

A co-worker will be ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. I am happy to support him and look forward to attending the events. I am a practicing Catholic and have never attended an Episcopal service. What are the differences I will see? Will there be communion as with a Catholic Mass? I do not plan to receive communion if so, but would it be appropriate to go forward with arms crossed for a blessing as non-Catholics can at our Masses?

[Anonymous]

Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

[Anonymous]

Yes, totally appropriate.

The Episcopalian communion (we'd usually call the service "Holy Eucharist" rather than "Mass") is open to all Christians, but if you choose not to participate the crossed arm signal is the same, and you will receive a blessing. One thing that is different is that Episcopalians who receive communion always receive both the bread and the wine, and leaving the altar rail after just the bread isn't something that's done, probably because it messes up the lines going back to the pews. So, wait to receive a blessing from both the priest and the chalice bearer.

[Anonymous]

If it's an ordination - it's going to be more high church, and as such, will be very similar to a Catholic mass. You are welcome to communion - the most restrictive I've ever seen in an Episcopal church is "all baptized Christians" and they're not going to check.

Like in a Catholic Church, just look around you. There will likely be kneelers, people,crossing themselves at the sign if the cross, etc. Honestly the biggest thing that tripped me up was remembering to add the extra line into the Lords Prayer.

I now attend an Episcopal church. The priest didn't know my background, and asked if I was interested in attending a confirmation class. I told her that I wasn't sure - I had been confirmed in the Catholic Church, and did that count in the Episcopal church? She laughed and said, oh yeah. You're good. Honestly, it's the Catholic Church that cares - they're the ones that put out all the rules saying "nothing but ours counts".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

http://www.uscatholic.org/church/2011/08/can-catholic-receive-communion-protestant-church

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

http://www.uscatholic.org/church/2011/08/can-catholic-receive-communion-protestant-church

Starts out with the typical catholic "our way or the highway" , dont take communion with infidels, and ends with "if you want to show support for the couple being married (or clergynbeing ordained in this case) or to be a witness for the work God is doing through this person, you can receive communion. If you are invested enough in this friend to take time to attend this event, I don't see why you wouldn't want to participate in the fill service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

They are not good catholics then

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

The Episcopalians have cooties. Also, the priest might be female or gay or both.

[Anonymous]

Another interesting abberration at the Episc. ordination is that at the end of the service, the Bishop hands his staff or a new stafft to the newly-ordained and then he or she symbolically leads the parishioners (flock) outside the church. But the message didn't get through at the one I officiated at so the bishop gave up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

The Episcopalians have cooties. Also, the priest might be female or gay or both.

Catholics strictly enforce rules like taking communion in protestant churches, or Catholics not in a state of grace taking communion in their own church, but the church is lax when it comes to enforcing rules about sex with children among its clergy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/us/catholic-archdiocese-in-minnesota-charged-over-sex-abuse-by-priest.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

NP. Many people do not see it for what it is - the appearance of belief in an invalid eucharist. Have some Catholics done it as a show of community and without malice? Of course, but they really shouldn't.

[Anonymous]

OP in an Episcopal service, at the end of the Lord's prayer is a doxology I don't believe is used in RC services: "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, now and forever."

I understand that Eastern Orthodox churches use it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes to communion. No reason not to take it because all are welcome. But if you choose not to, you can go forward for the blessing.

The Catholic church teaches that Catholics should not take communion in Protestant churches. That's a reason for the OP not to take it.

Really? I am a Lay Eucharistic Minister (serve communion) and plenty of Catholics taken communion at our Anglican church. I've never heard that.

NP. Many people do not see it for what it is - the appearance of belief in an invalid eucharist. Have some Catholics done it as a show of community and without malice? Of course, but they really shouldn't.

Catholics do a lot of things they shouldn't -- they get divorced, have sex out of wedlock, practice birth control, have sex with children (very rarely, but it makes big news and causes lots of problems for the church, not to mention the children) and as long as they go to confession, they are OK and will go to heaven when they die.