Sunday, September 12 at 9:00 AM
Litanies as forms of prayer are very old, dating from before the fourth century, and for a long time constituted a major part of the congregation’s participation in the Mass. While we will not be celebrating Holy Communion until our Vicar is ordained, we will be using the Great Litany and Penitential Office for our Sunday Service. The Great Litany in the Book of Common Prayer derives from the first English litany, compiled by Thomas Cranmer in 1544, drawing from the Sarum rite, the Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom, and a Latin litany composed by Martin Luther. The three invocations of saints that appeared in this litany were deleted before it was included in the 1549 Prayer Book. For much of the history of the Anglican Church, the use of the Great Litany after Morning Prayer on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays has been required.