I’m New To: Worship

The best way to get to know Trinity is to join us for Sunday worship.

We worship each Sunday at 8 am, 10 am, and 5 pm and each service is marked by a distinctive feel, described in more detail below. During the Holiday & Summer Schedule, we worship at 9 am and 5 pm.

Most of our Sunday worship services are celebrations of “the Holy Eucharist.” In the Episcopal Church, the Eucharist is one of the two great sacraments of the Gospel, along with baptism. The Holy Eucharist is also sometimes called the Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, or the Mass. Trinity Church and the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts welcome all to receive the sacrament at services of the Holy Eucharist. And all who are interested in baptism, the ancient sacrament of Christian initiation, are encouraged to learn more here.

For those who are new to “liturgical worship” – worship which follows a specific form, or order – our worship may at first feel unfamiliar. Rest assured that everything one needs to participate fully in worship is clearly laid out in an order of service bulletin provided by the Ushers. Members of the Trinity community are also happy to offer guidance during the service.

Our forms for worship, commonly called “liturgies,” are taken primarily from The Book of Common Prayer, which has been the definitive source of Anglican worship for almost 500 years.

Location

Our worship takes place in the Sanctuary. The most direct access to the Sanctuary is via the stairs on the Copley Square side of the building. Those who have mobility challenges or prefer an elevator should enter the Sanctuary through the Parish House. The Parish House entrance is located at 206 Clarendon Street, near the corner of Boylston Street.

Restrooms are located in the Undercroft (Lower Level below the Sanctuary). An Usher can direct you to the stairwell. Elevators to the Lower Level are available near the Clarendon Street entrance at the front of the Sanctuary.

This is a simple “spoken” celebration of the Holy Eucharist. There is no hymnody, and the service is shorter than an hour.

This is our principal Sunday service and includes a full choir, featuring adult musicians and youth choristers, and congregational hymns. This service is also livestreamed. At this service, children are invited to attend a Children’s Homily during the Sermon, which offers age-appropriate instruction led by our Children’s Minister, with occasional support from the clergy.

On the Fifth Sunday of any month, this service is prayed according to the liturgy of Morning Prayer. Unlike Holy Eucharist, Communion is not offered, as Morning Prayer is a “liturgy of the Word,” which features, scripture, prayer and hymns. For many years, Morning Prayer was the primary Sunday service of most Anglican churches, until Holy Eucharist was reinstated as the normative act of Sunday worship in the latter part of the twentieth century.

This is a more intimate service of the Holy Eucharist with a small choir and hymnody. The congregation gathers around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer, which creates a more intimate feel.

Following are links to resources that might be helpful as you plan to attend a worship service at Trinity.