Welcome to
Epiphany Byzantine Catholic Church.
If
this is your first visit to a Catholic church of the
Byzantine Rite, you probably have two important
questions. Is this a Catholic parish? Can I as a Catholic
fulfill my Sunday Mass obligation by attending the Divine
Liturgy in this church?
Is this a
Catholic parish?
Yes,
absolutely. We are Catholics in union with the Bishop of
Rome, our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, whom we
recognize as the visible head of the Catholic Church. we
are recognized as being Catholic by the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Atlanta and by all Roman Catholic bishops
of the United states and of the whole
world.
Eastern and
Roman Catholics share the same faith and have the same
seven sacraments. The difference is that we Eastern
Catholics have a different way of rite of expressing our
faith throught the Liturgy and church customs. As the
disciples brought the Gospel to different parts of the
world, they adapted the ceremonies of the Liturgy to the
customs and music of the people they converted. The early
centers of Christianity were located in the great cities
of Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome and Alexandria. Later a new
center of Christianity arose in Constantinople (formerly
Byzantium) and her ritual became known as the Byzantine
Rite. From Constantinople the Slavic people of Eastern
Europe were converted by the Greek missionary brothers
Saints Cyril and Methodius and followed the Byzantine
Rite. The Byzantine Church was eventually brought to
North America by Slavic immigrants in the last decades of
the nineteenth century. Today the Byzantine Catholic
Church in the U.S. is a church that welcomes all people
and offers them a spiritual home.
Can I as a
Catholic fulfill my Sunday Mass obligation by attending
the Divine Liturgy in this church?
Yes, all
Catholics may fulfill their Sunday obligation by
perticipating in our Eucharistic Liturgy. Any Catholic
can receive Communion in any Catholic church, whether it
is in Eastern or Western. Both the Body and Blood of
Christ are given to the person by the priest who places
Communion into the person`s mouth with a small gold
spoon.
Our pastor,
Father Philip Scott, and our parishioners hope that
during the Divine Liturgy you will experience the
majestic beauty of Byzantine worship and encounter the
living and changeless faith handed down from the
Apostles.
|