St. Mary Anne's Episcopal Church

315 South Main Street
North East, Maryland
Tel: (410) 287-5522  Fax (410) 287-5602
E-mail: office@stmaryanne.org 

   An Introduction to The Episcopal Church

You may be wondering what is the Episcopal Church.  We are part of the worldwide Anglican Communion which had its beginning in the years following Martin Luther's protestations against the Roman Catholic church in the 16th Century.  Luther's activities gave birth to Protestantism within Christianity.  In England, the Anglican Church introduced Protestantism but with a distinctly Catholic flavor.

We worship in a way that is not unlike the Catholic Church.  But we are not in communion with Rome even though most Catholics would find themselves right at home in an Episcopal Church.

We are between Protestantism
and Roman Catholicism.
We are the Church on the Bridge.

THE EPISCOPAL CALENDAR follows the liturgical seasons. Our calendar starts with the season of Advent and ends with the season of Pentecost.  A more detailed look at the church calendar can be found on the web site of St. George's Episcopal Church, Virginia.

THE EPISCOPAL LANGUAGE may be unfamiliar to you.   Click here for a brief overview of some of the words and phrases used in our Church.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Why do you say that you believe in the "holy Catholic Church" when you say the creed? We consider ourselves catholic in the sense of being part of the world-wide "one holy, catholic and apostolic church." The Episcopal Church is part of the universal Church that has come to us nearly two thousand years ago from the Apostles.

Are Episcopalians the same as Anglicans? The Episcopal Church in the United States is one of the provinces of the Anglican Communion, a world-wide family of churches with roots in the Church of England. The Episcopal Church has approximately 2.5 million members of the 60 million-member Anglican Communion.

Why is music so important here? Music is prayer. It is one of the ways that we offer praise to God.

Is it true that the Episcopal Church is primarily made up of wealthy people? The Episcopal Church contains a cross-section of the community. While some of us are financially well-off , many are not.  Most of our parishioners are not wealthy.  We are located in a rural area of Maryland that is home to many working-class and poor people.

Do most of the people who worship here live in the neighborhood? Many of our parishioners live in the area, but some travel from surprisingly great distances in order to worship here. Our tradition and our respect for diversity attract people from all over our corner of Maryland.

What do you mean by diversity? Our community is comprised of many different kinds of people. Young and old, single and married or with partners, parents of young children, aunts and uncles, grandparents and godparents. We are mostly white and of European descent (because that's the way it is in Cecil County) but with some Asian-Americans and African-Americans among us to remind us of the riches of humankind. Some of us are laborers. Some are teachers, social workers and therapists. Some work for corporations and some run their own businesses. Some are computer wizards. Some are retired and on fixed income. We are united by the love of Christ and his Gospel message.

Can women participate in the liturgy here? Yes. Women participate actively in all aspects of parish life and can be ordained.

I'm not an Episcopalian. May I take communion? Yes. All baptized Christians are welcome to take communion here.

And something of interest, possibly, to our seafaring parishioners...

The Episcopal Church in the United States of America is one of the many churches around the world which form the Anglican Communion. Its emblem is the 

Compass Rose  

The center holds the Cross of St. George, reminding Anglicans of their origins.

The Greek inscription 'The Truth Shall Make You Free' (John 8:32) surrounds the cross, and the compass recalls the spread of Anglican Christianity throughout the world.

The Miter at the top emphasizes the role of the episcopacy and apostolic order that is at the core of the Churches of the Communion.

Website by: Jane Stapleton