The Great Vigil of Easter is celebrated on Easter Eve. This is a service unlike any other in the Church's year. The first part is quiet, dark, and reflective - a continuation of the somber tone of Good Friday. However, midway through the service, the organ rumbles, bells ring, and the light bursts forth, heralding the miraculous Resurrection of our Lord!
The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum - the sacred three days. This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his cross. The church is darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and sorrow of this day.
The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.
Join us for the Good Friday Liturgy (with the distribution of Communion), followed by the Stations of the Cross.
The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum - the sacred three days. This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his cross. The church is darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and sorrow of this day.
The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.
"So, could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matt 26:40)
Come, watch and pray with Christ for an hour or more at the Cathedral, which will be open throughout the night beginning after the Maundy Thursday Liturgy (7pm) and ending at the Morning Prayer Liturgy on Good Friday (9am). While sign-up is not required, please consider committing to an hour block, on the roster, which will be in the Narthex closer to Holy Week, to ensure minimal coverage throughout the night. If signup for an hour is full, you are still welcome to come at that time.
Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus' time with His disciples in the Upper Room, where He instituted the Last Supper and commanded His disciples to love one another, showing them an example of servant-love by washing their feet. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means command, as He commanded us both to remember His death through the Supper and to love one another with a self-giving love.
Families will partake in a Passover meal before the 7pm service. This is not a Jewish Seder meal, but a meal recreating some ambiance of what it was like at the Last Supper with Christ. We will start with feet washing and there will be scripture readings and thought provoking discussions connecting what was the first Passover to how Christ is now our forever Passover meal. Families need to sign up to contribute to the meal. Open to all ages and stages (babies, kids, youth, grandparents).
Tenebrae (Latin for darkness or shadows) has for centuries been applied to the ancient monastic night and early morning services (Matins and Lauds) of the last three days of Holy week, known as the Paschal Triduum. In medieval times Tenebrae came to be celebrated on the preceding evenings. It is a most beloved and hated liturgy because of the shadows of death that begin to cling to our Lord starting with this liturgy on the even of the Wednesday of Holy Week, sometimes called ‘Spy Wednesday’ in reference to the ambush of Jesus by Judas Iscariot.
Apart from the chant of the Lamentations (in which each verse is introduced by a letter of the Hebrew alphabet), the most conspicuous feature of the service is the gradual extinguishing of candles and other lights in the church until only a single candle, considered a symbol of our Lord, remains. Toward the end of the liturgy this candle is hidden, typifying the apparent victory of the forces of evil. At the very end, a loud noise is made, symbolizing the sealing of the tomb by a great stone and all depart in silence. Interestingly, the candle stand is known as a hearse. The Tenebrae service recreates the betrayal, abandonment, and agony of Jesus and it is left unfinished, because the story isn’t over until the Feast of the Resurrection.
We will gather outside on the North Lawn for the Liturgy of the Palms and then process into the Cathedral. All who are able to join the procession are encouraged to participate! Our Choristers and Youth Choir will also be joining the Cathedral Choir to sing at the morning services.
Ash Wednesday is February 14. St. Peter’s will offer three Liturgies to choose from that may best fit your schedule: 7:00am, 12:00pm, and 7:00pm. Childcare will be available at the 12:00pm and 7:00pm services only.
Please join us for a Christmas Day service! We expect this to be a much smaller service and it is perfect for those who could not worship on Christmas Eve or are not comfortable with larger crowds. Childcare is not available at this service, and it will not be live-streamed.
There will be four Christmas Eve services to choose from this year. Childcare is available at the 12:00pm and 5:00pm service and only for children 4 years old and younger.
Join us for a Chorister Christmas! Choristers of all ages will sing a special Christmas program! This is a great event for the entire family to enjoy!
We will have a potluck dinner as well! Please email Amy Stewart for more information and to RSVP.
Our annual service of Lessons and Carols helps us as a Cathedral family to prepare for the coming Christmas season. It also provides us an opportunity to open our doors to the wider community, inviting them to join us in hearing the story of our redemption.
Childcare is available for children 4 and under and must be requested by December 1. Email Amy Stewart to request childcare.
The Gulf Atlantic Diocese Annual Synod is being held at St. Peter's November 3rd and 4th. Clergy, Clergy Delegates, Congregational Leaders, and Lay Delegates will come together for fellowship, workshops, council/delegate nominations/votes, changes in Canons & Constitutions, and any other orders of business.
All parishioners are invited to attend the 7pm worship on November 3.
We are also looking for volunteers to help serve dinner, lunch, and get the cathedral ready for Sunday! Contact Ellen Culpepper with questions and Tina Campbell if you are able to help!
For more information, visit the Gulf the Gulf Atlantic Diocese Website Diocese Website.
Join us for Connections Sunday! Come out to the transepts after each morning service to discover new ways to get connected in the different ministry opportunities St. Peter's has to offer.
St Peter’s Cathedral choir member, and amazing tenor, DaSean Stokes will be in recital! DaSean will also be raising funds to get to Berlin where he will sing in the Opera!
Easter Egg Hunt for Children at 10:30am
The Nursery will be available for children ages 4 and under at both Easter Sunday services.
The Great Vigil of Easter is celebrated on Easter Eve. This is a service unlike any other in the Church's year. The first part is quiet, dark, and reflective - a continuation of the somber tone of Good Friday. However, midway through the service, the organ rumbles, bells ring, and the light bursts forth, heralding the miraculous Resurrection of our Lord!
The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum - the sacred three days. This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his cross. The church is darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and sorrow of this day.
The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.
Join us for the Good Friday Liturgy (with the distribution of Communion), followed by the Stations of the Cross.
The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum - the sacred three days. This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his cross. The church is darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and sorrow of this day.
The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will. By the cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.
"So, could you not watch with me one hour?” (Matt 26:40)
Come, watch and pray with Christ for an hour or more at the Cathedral, which will be open throughout the night beginning after the Maundy Thursday Liturgy (7pm) and ending at the Morning Prayer Liturgy on Good Friday (9am). While sign-up is not required, please consider committing to an hour block, on the roster, which will be in the Narthex closer to Holy Week, to ensure minimal coverage throughout the night. If signup for an hour is full, you are still welcome to come at that time.
Maundy Thursday commemorates Jesus' time with His disciples in the Upper Room, where He instituted the Last Supper and commanded His disciples to love one another, showing them an example of servant-love by washing their feet. The word Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means command, as He commanded us both to remember His death through the Supper and to love one another with a self-giving love.
Please join us for a Christmas Day service, which is also the First Sunday of Christmas! We expect this to be a much smaller service and it is perfect for those who could not worship on Christmas Eve or are not comfortable with larger crowds. Childcare is not available at this service and it will not be live-streamed.
There will be four Christmas Eve services to choose from this year. Childcare is available at the 12:00pm and 5:00pm service and only for children 4 years old and younger.
Join us for a Chorister Evensong! Choristers of all ages will sing a special Christmas prelude prior to Evensong. This is a great event for the entire family to enjoy!
Join us as we worship together and honor the Saints who have gone on before with incredible musical selections.
