Worship

Saint Mary’s is a traditional Episcopal church whose worship focuses mainly on the Holy Eucharist. We celebrate the Eucharist three times each weekend and at weekly prayer and study groups. We most often use BCP Rite II. But we are open to alternate styles of worship (such as Taizé and Celtic services). To enrich our services, we’ve used alternate forms of the Prayers of the People and the Great Thanksgiving. We usually include some sung elements in the liturgy (the Gloria, the Sanctus, and less frequently portions of the Canon of the Mass). Many of our hymns are taken from the 1982 Hymnal and LEVAS II. We have taken prayers from the New Zealand Prayer Book and from Enriching Our Worship, and have incorporated Celtic prayers and blessings.

Each weekend we have a 5:00 p.m. service on Saturday and two on Sunday, at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We offer a Taizé service on one Saturday each month. We also include the Eucharist in a weekly book discussion group that meets every Thursday and the bimonthly men’s fellowship breakfasts.

Adults find several formation choices on a regular basis. A weekly Bible Study meets on Wednesdays and the book group on Thursdays.  Some of our members have participated in the four-year Education for Ministry program and in Sacred Ground. Our Men’s Fellowship has met for breakfast twice each month for over thirty years. Our Grief Support Group meets weekly. Another bereavement program has started recently. At present there is no church school. 

St. Mary’s is built on a foundation of 527 baptized “communicants in good standing” from across the Cape. When counted regardless of baptism or “membership” status, we had 758 “active participants” in the past year.  In 2022, a year of continued Covid-19 constraints, a healthy average of 116 attended services in person.  Another 308 routinely watched our livestreamed 10 a.m.  Sunday service or viewed it later via YouTube.

When our congregation meets to sing praises to God each liturgy, members of the worshipping community are the primary music makers. Helping to lead them in prayer and song are a part-time Minister of Music with a doctorate in Music and the 18-member St. Mary’s Choir. Many choir members, including our four paid section leaders, have music degrees or backgrounds. They speak of their joy in learning the music collectively and the appreciation they feel from the congregation. 

We have a 23-rank organ handcrafted by Karl Wilhelm of Quebec, Canada which helps lead our hymnody and voluntaries; a Steinway Grand Piano; and a harpsichord. At times we use a one octave set of Malmark handbells. And a Roland Electric Piano with associated microphones supports outdoor liturgies. At times, instrumentalists from the Cape Cod Symphony have joined us in sharing their gifts of music.