Welcome to Worship at St Michael and All Angels, Mount Dinham ~
The calendar of Feast Days, traditionally observed at St Michael’s, can be found in the Usage of St Michael’s and downloaded as a PDF here. Short descriptions of our regular services of Matins, Sung Mass, Evensong & Benediction and Vespers are found beneath the image below.
The style of worship at St Michael’s is Anglo-Catholic, as formalised in the 1920′s and conforms to Common Worship, Order I, Traditional Language, using the Revised Common Lectionary. Insights into some of the history of Catholic and Anglican worship which informs our services can be found through these links ~
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office
A Guide to the Mass
The Use of Vestments
Glossary
Quotations like the one below were written by Oliver Nicholson for our annual Summer Exhibition, in association with the national Heritage Open Days.
“Worship at St Michael’s follows formal patterns.
This formality frees the private prayer of individuals so that it may be offered in a communal context.
It helps to form intimate habits of devotion – and much of life is, after all, lived by habit…”
“…And it connects us to the worship of past generations of Christians, so freeing us from the illusion that Christianity was invented yesterday – by us. And we enjoy it.”
We hope this gives you a sense of the quality, mystery and good humour for which St Michael’s has become known.
Solemn Sung Mass
Evensong & Benediction (First Sunday)
Matins, BCP - in the Lady Chapel
Low Mass, Said - in the Lady Chapel
The Angelus, Sung
Plainsong Vespers, followed by Meditation
The Angelus and Vespers are also livestreamed from the Facebook Group, "Friends of St Michael's"
The Mass lies at the centre of worship at St Michael’s. Led by the choir, this service is enhanced through the music of plainsong, polyphony and harmony singing, the use of incense, the ringing of bells and the sprinkling of holy water, or asperges.
Our Guide to Mass at St Michael’s is linked at the top of this page.
The ancient service of Vespers is held by candlelight. This service is the Evening Office and its character is one of thanksgiving. Psalms, canticles, hymns and other prayers are sung to plainsong by members of the choir. The service includes a twenty-minute period of silent meditation and prayer.
Please feel free to download, print and share our Vespers poster.
Morning Prayer, or Lauds, is offered at 9.30 am on Wednesdays. Also for Ascension Day at 7.30 am. The character of Morning Prayer is that of praise.
The service of Choral Evensong with Benediction takes place at 6pm on the first Sunday of the month. It is led by the choir and includes sung Psalms of the day, readings from scripture, Canticles (the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis), one or more anthems and other prayers.
Low Mass is celebrated without the choir. Usually it is for a Feast or Saint’s day, but occasionally this service is a Requiem Mass to commemorate the dead.
This service takes place at the hour of noon on Sundays immediately following Mass. It is also said at 6.00 pm before Evensong and Vespers. The Angelus (Latin for “angel”) is a said or sung Christian devotion in memory of the Incarnation. It is practised by reciting as versicle and response three Biblical verses describing the mystery; alternating with the salutation “Hail Mary”.
Mission Statement
“ We seek to know God’s presence in the world through worship, prayer and meditation.
We rejoice in the richness of the Christian heritage in word, music and ritual.
We are called to be an outgoing, welcoming and friendly community of faith and service.”