Anglicans around the world number about 61 million. All of us everywhere worship using modern versions of the Book of Common Prayer, whose roots go back to the first edition in 1549. Through the creation of this Book, the Church was determined that lay people would participate in the liturgy, not simply have it performed for them by the clergy. We continue in that tradition of lay involvement, using either the 1985 Book of Alternative Service or the 1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer, using both contemporary language and traditional language at different services. We invite you to join with us at any of these services, where we experience different ways of worshipping God. Because parts of our service are not always in page number sequence, we always provide a service guide at every service. We also include, with each bulletin, copies of the Bible readings for the day and announcements of upcoming events. We encourage everyone to take home their bulletins so that they may later re-read the lessons of the day and mark upcoming dates on their calendars.

On the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month respectively, the parish provides services of Holy Communion at the Mariann Home and the Brookside Seniors’ Residence in Richmond Hill.

At Saint Mary’s, all of these services are led by men and women, ordained and lay. In the Anglican Church, our ordained ministers are referred to as bishops, priests and deacons. The priest in charge of a parish is often called the Rector or the Incumbent. The assistant is sometimes called a Curate. We also commission lay readers and eucharistic ministers to assist the priests and deacons. The Incumbent generally preaches at services of worship, occasionally alternating with our deacon and invited guest speakers. At all services of Communion, we offer Holy Eucharist to all baptized Christians, regardless of their denominational background or their current status in that denomination. As well, we welcome all baptized children to receive communion (at the discretion of their parents) as full members of the family of Christ.