What We Aspire To Be 

A community of Apostolic Christianity. The Community of the Holy Cross affirms that the full and final self-revelation of God was made in the person and work of Jesus Christ. For this reason, the Church was given all of its essential characteristics by the Lord Jesus himself, and the teaching he entrusted to the Apostles was substantially complete. This means that the constant touchstone for what we believe and how we worship is Apostolic Tradition, the doctrine and sacramental life “handed on”* in an unbroken line of succession from the Apostles, and expressed in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. 

* “Handed on” is the literal meaning of the word Tradition. 

A community of intercessory prayer. A particular charism of the Community of the Holy Cross is intercessory prayer. We are a community of people who have discerned a calling to a life of intercession, constantly seeking the mercy of God for the needs of the Church and the world in general, and for the individuals and families that God places in our lives in particular. 

A community of excellent catechesis. We live in an age of theological confusion. An emphasis upon sound doctrine has in many churches given way to a form of Christianity that has emotional self-satisfaction as its only goal. Whole Christian traditions and denominations have their roots in the 16th century, completely ignoring the first three-quarters of the Church’s history. Pop psychology and intellectual fads have found their way into our churches’ pulpits. Against this backdrop, the Community of the Holy Cross seeks to be a community committed to excellence in catechesis, the teaching of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). 

A community that together finds creative and informed ways to live out the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. The Community of the Holy Cross affirms that living as a disciple of Jesus Christ has been admirably summed up in the lists of Christian duties traditionally known as the “corporal works of mercy” and the “spiritual works of mercy.” These are: to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to bury the dead, to shelter the homeless, to visit the sick and the imprisoned (the corporal works); and to instruct the ignorant, to counsel the doubtful, to admonish sinners, to bear wrongs patiently, to forgive offences willingly, to comfort the afflicted, and to pray for the living and the dead (the spiritual works). 

A community of stewardship and simplicity. We as a community seek to reduce waste and excess in our lives and to live in the mode of noble simplicity which befits disciples of Jesus. We seek a lifestyle of good stewardship of the natural world, seeking a “golden mean” between environmental fanaticism that fails to accord humankind its due place in the created order, on the one hand, and consumerist disregard for ecological health, on the other. 

A community that is pan-Anglican and ecumenical. A variety of factors over the last several decades have separated traditional Anglicans into a number of church structures and jurisdictions. The Community of the Holy Cross seeks to transcend these divisions by welcoming into membership Anglicans of all jurisdictions who affirm Apostolic doctrine and practice. We also welcome Christians of other traditions who are willing to adopt our way of life and worship. 

What We Aspire To Do 

To live a life of common prayer. As a community of intercessory prayer, a main focus of the Community of the Holy Cross will be offering Morning and Evening Prayer together, celebrating the Lord’s Day with Holy Eucharist, and observing the liturgical seasons and major feasts. 

To live a life of cooperation in doing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. We believe that as our community forms, the Holy Spirit will be present with us and will bring to our hearts and minds creative ways to live a life of discipleship and cooperation in the works of mercy. 

To live a life of fellowship. We anticipate that common meals, social gatherings, and recreation will be a regular part of the life of the community. We will also seek to assist and support one another in various aspects of day-to-day life. 

To live a life of study and ongoing catechesis in the Christian faith. While we seek to avoid the error frequently made by many Christian denominations – that of valuing study over prayer – we do affirm that ongoing study and catechesis should be part of the life of every Christian. As a community committed to excellence in catechesis, we anticipate that study of the Bible and also of other important Christian works (such as the writings of the Church Fathers and great saints and teachers of the Faith) will be a regular part of community life, as we seek to catechize ourselves, our children, and others that God may place in our lives.  

What We Are Not 

A commune. While some Christians are called to a vocation of shared property, that way of life is not part of this community. Each individual member, couple, and/or family will be responsible for their own finances. As with any church, club, or fraternal organization, there may be a common treasury for the activities of the community. 

An enclave seeking to hide from the world or from modernity. The Community of the Holy Cross does not seek in any way to flee from the world, but to strengthen and enrich its members’ engagement with the world. It is expected that members of the community will continue their normal “secular” employment. 

A community that is Luddite, anti-technology or anti-science in any way. We affirm that creativity, intellectual curiosity, and technological inventiveness are all part of human nature as God designed it. Like money, technology makes a poor master but an excellent servant. As with all things, we seek to use scientific knowledge and technology to serve God and our fellow human beings. 

A community that seeks to “re-create” the lifestyle of a different era. Some groups of Christians have erroneously sought to re-create an alleged “golden age” of Christianity, or to halt societal evolution at a particular stage. The Community of the Holy Cross affirms that human societies in each time and place have their own respective strengths and weaknesses, and that there has been no “golden age” of Christianity to re-create. Furthermore, we affirm that, since God is sovereign over all things, we live in the particular age that we do, as an act of his will. 

An all-consuming obligation. We affirm that the integrity of each marriage and household must be nourished within community life.  Private time for spouses to spend cultivating their marriages, time for family vacations and household traditions, and privacy for the day-to-day exigencies of life will be respected.