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Church of St Michael the Archangel

Sunday Worship (temporary): Ivy Hall, 6331 Lancaster Ave., Phila. PA 19151
215-247-1092

St Michael the Archangel is a traditional Anglican church for the Philadelphia area, with gospel preaching and liturgical worship.  Our aim is to glorify God by maintaining and practicing the ancient catholic and apostolic faith in the Anglican tradition.  We believe that Jesus is the incarnate Son of God who died for our sins, and through whom we are reconciled to God and offered a place in heaven.  We regard Scripture as God's word, containing all things necessary to salvation.

In the midst of the confusion in the world and in the Church today, Saint Michael's tries to help people come to God with all the assistance of the rich tradition of the Anglo-Catholic movement.  The faith which has been handed down to us from the apostles is a priceless treasure.  We are determined to uphold it, practice it as best we can, and pass it unimpaired to our children.

In addition to Masses at 8 am and 10 am on Sundays, St. Michael's has weekday Masses Tuesday through Saturday at the rectory in Mount Airy (call ahead to confirm), a Wednesday Healing Service, a weekday Bible study, a tutoring program for elementary age children in North Philadelphia, and the "Prayer Box" ministry of intercession.

Our worship is Eucharistic and centered at the altar.  Using traditional Anglican forms, our worship has formality as well as intimacy, times of quiet as well as praise.  We use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer and the Hymnal 1940. 

St Michael's is a parish of the Pro-Diocese of the Holy Family, preparatory to entrance into the Ordinariate, a structure similar to a diocese which has been offered by Pope Benedict XVI to traditional Anglicans.  The Ordinariate is expected to be erected this fall, at which time the parish will be catechized and prepared to enter it.  Part of the purpose of the Ordinariate is the preservation and use of traditional forms of Anglican heritage and worship. Once in the Ordinariate, and in communion with the Roman Catholic Church, the parish plans to move to a more permanent location.

Liturgical worship may be new to you.  It is formal (even though we live in an informal age), and uses courtly language and ritual.  Coming to worship is to approach God, and the church is His throne room, so some formality is appropriate. The texts of the Prayer Book are largely Biblical, and their consistency allows us to enter into the prayers more deeply.  Liturgical worship is participatory and not entertainment, and is demanding of us.  As most other worthwhile endeavors, it takes practice and effort -- which God richly rewards.