Q: What does it mean to be Episcopal?

A: It means that our church is governed or "overseen" by bishops. The word "episcopal" comes from the Greek word episcope, which means "over-sight." Each individual church (or "parish") belongs to a larger governing area called a "diocese," which is overseen by an elected bishop. All the dioceses together make up the church across the whole country (and a few missionary dioceses in other countries), and they are overseen by a specially elected bishop, called the Presiding Bishop. A bishop is one kind of ordained clergy person, along with priests and deacons.

Q: What are you celebrating?

A: We are celebrating the love of God made manifest in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus died to save us, to bring us into new life with God. We remember this and celebrate our continuing life together through worship, prayer, and sacraments. The primary act of worship in the Episcopal Church is the celebration of the Eucharist, which is also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper.

Q: What is the Book of Common Prayer?

A: It is the book that contains the prayers and liturgies that are part of the life in worship Episcopalians share with each other. It also contains historical documents, church calendar, the catechism (statement of what we believe) and the lectionary (a schedule of Scripture readings to use in liturgy). The Prayer Book binds together all those in the Anglican Communion. The very first Prayer Book was written in 1549, and the first Book of Common Prayer for the new Episcopal Church in the United States was written in 1789. You will find Prayer Books in every Episcopal Church, and you can follow any service by reading it.

Q: What are the Sacraments?

A: The sacraments are defined in the Prayer Book as "outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace." This means that we recognize God as active and sustaining in our lives, and through the sacraments we participate in this sustaining and saving power. The two main sacraments in the Episcopal Church are the sacrament of Baptism, in which we are initiated into new life with Christ, and the Eucharist, in which we remember and celebrate Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Baptism happens only once in a person's life, but the Eucharist is celebrated at least once a week. The other traditional rites that have sacramental character include confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation (confession and absolution), and anointing of the sick.