OUR LITURGY
At Holy Cross + Santa Cruz, the source and summit of our common life in the Spirit is our
weekly celebration of the Holy Eucharist, where the enduring sacrifice of Christ is made present
and effective in our lives. Eucharistic worship at Holy Cross + Santa Cruz is both deeply
traditional and genuinely contemporary. It is true to our apostolic roots, expressed in
Reformation simplicity and open to the call of the twenty-first century. All baptized persons who
discern the Eucharist to be a sharing in the body and blood of the risen Christ, are invited to join
in the reception of Holy Communion.
Our Sunday liturgy, typically a sung service, embraces Christ’s presence as a forgiving, loving,
and healing one. Our priest wears traditional vestments, we use incense when appropriate, and
we ring bells at significant moments during the Mass. Our priest is supported by two acolytes
and two lay Eucharistic ministers.
Teams of parishioners serving as lectors and ushers are organized and scheduled by a volunteer.
Bilingual services are held at least once every quarter, when the two languages of English and
Spanish come together in a shared service. Afterward, a potluck supper is enjoyed.
Music is an integral part of our liturgy and is an active ministry with the choir supporting Sunday
worship, holidays, and pastoral services in a devoted way.
Who May Receive Holy Communion?
We do not regard the Bread of Heaven as a reward for living a good life but always as a gift given to sinners. All who have been baptized with water and in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit are invited and welcomed to come to the table and receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s body and blood.
Are you divorced? Gay? Undocumented? Lacking the means to make a weekly financial contribution to the support of the parish and its ministry? Have felt marginalized in other churches? Not been to church recently or even for a long time? Not been to confession? We all come to the Lord with personal baggage. Here at Holy Cross you are welcomed just as you are. Here you are invited to be a full member of Christ’s body. In the Lord’s house, and thus among us, there are no strangers or outsiders.
What do I need to do if I wish to be baptized, married or buried?
At Holy Cross + Santa Cruz we emphasize God’s unconditional love and practice radical hospitality. In that spirit, no one is turned away from being baptized, married in or buried from this church. In keeping with our belief that the Sacraments are gifts and signs of God’s love, we do not charge a fee for administering the Sacraments.