Welcome! We are so happy and excited you have come to worship with us today. We want you to know how welcome you are, whether you are visiting from around the corner, another part of the country, across the world, or simply from another parish. If you are seeking a spiritual home, we would be pleased to help you with discernment before you join our parish family. Services in the Byzantine Catholic Church may be very different than you are used to. Yet we want you to feel comfortable and very welcome, joining with us in joyful worship. Don’t hesitate to ask one of our parishioners to help you along if you aren’t familiar with the Byzantine tradition - they will be delighted to assist. After the Liturgy, please join us for our coffee social in the social hall.
Yes! We are Catholics in union with the Pope, who we see as the head of the Church. The differences between Eastern and Roman Catholics lie in the ways we express the faith, particularly in the Liturgy, not the faith itself.
You can fulfill Sunday obligation by going to any Catholic church, including Byzantine. All Catholics who are in the state of Grace are welcome to receive.
In the Byzantine Catholic Church, the Holy Gifts are given under the forms of both bread and wine on a golden spoon. To receive, fold your arms over your chest in a cross; state your name quietly if unknown to the priest; and open your mouth while tilting your head back. After the spoon has been removed, close your mouth and move through the line. You do not have to reply to the priest’s words.
In the Eastern Church, the Sign of the Cross is made with the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand, touching first the forehead, then the chest, then the right shoulder, and finally the left, to show we love God with all our mind, heart, and strength.