Holy Trinity

About Holy Trinity

📖 About this Christian tradition

The Anglican tradition emerged in sixteenth-century England, when the Church of England separated from Rome under Henry VIII and, during the reign of Elizabeth I, took on the character that has defined it ever since: a via media between Roman Catholicism and the Reformed churches of the continent. For this reason, many theologians speak of a "reformed Catholicism" that preserves apostolic succession of bishops and the centrality of the sacraments, while also embracing the Reformation principles regarding the primacy of Scripture.

Anglican and Episcopal churches around the world form the Anglican Communion, a family of national churches united by historic ties to the See of Canterbury. In Latin America and the United States, the local branch is usually called the Episcopal Church, while in Spain, the United Kingdom, and other regions it is known as the Anglican Church; both names refer to the same tradition. Governance is exercised through three orders of ministry—bishops, priests, and deacons—with synods that also include laypeople.

Spiritual life centers on the Sunday Eucharist, celebrated with formal liturgy, and on the Book of Common Prayer, the central text that provides the daily offices, sacramental rites, and the psalter. Choral music, hymns, and liturgical vestments are highly recognizable features, alongside a historic commitment to social justice, ecumenism, and pastoral care. Several provinces ordain women to the priesthood and the episcopate, although specific practices vary by national church.

🕯️ Feast days, calendar and devotions

The Anglican liturgical year essentially matches the Catholic calendar and is organized around the great seasons: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and the long season after Pentecost (also called Trinitytide in many provinces). The Paschal Triduum stands at the center of the year, with celebrations of Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Easter Vigil.

Among the principal feasts are the Epiphany (January 6), Lent with Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Feast of All Saints (November 1), and the Feast of Christ the King, which closes the annual cycle. Many communities also celebrate the feasts of the Apostles and maintain their own calendar of saints that includes Anglican figures such as Thomas Cranmer, John Donne, William Wilberforce, or Janani Luwum.

Anglican devotions tend to be expressed in liturgical rather than private form: the recitation of Morning Prayer and Evensong, the choral singing of the Psalms, Advent processions with candles, and the Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Christmas are deeply cherished traditions. Eucharistic adoration, the use of incense, and the continuous reading of Scripture are part of Anglo-Catholic spirituality, while Anglican evangelical currents emphasize preaching and ritual simplicity.

⛪ How to prepare for a visit

The main services are usually held on Sunday morning, frequently a sung or solemn Holy Eucharist and, in many parishes, also an office of Vespers or Evensong in the afternoon. The usual length is an hour to an hour and a quarter. It is worth arriving a few minutes early to pick up the day's bulletin, which indicates the hymns, readings, and pages of the Book of Common Prayer to be used during the service.

No specific dress is required, although a tidy and modest style usually predominates. The liturgy is participatory: the assembly stands, sits, and kneels at different moments, and responds with phrases printed in the bulletin. Those who are not baptized or who do not feel ready to receive communion may remain in their place or come forward to the altar with arms crossed over the chest to receive a blessing from the celebrant.

❓ Frequently asked questions

✍️ Curated by María del Carmen Salazar · Last updated: 2026-01-30
Information verified by the EncuentraIglesias editorial team