Christians meet together to worship. Jesus promises that where two or three are gathered in His name, there He will be also. The roots of the word ‘worship’ – in Anglo-Saxon – give us a literal meaning, the act of focussing on that which is of greatest worth.
For Christians this is God, one God experienced in three persons or aspects: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the centre and foundation of all things – the concept of God as a Trinity of three persons helps us to understand the nature of God as love.
The worshipping community reflects the relationship between God and man. Through worship we come closer to God, expressing praise, prayer, repentance and love for him.
The Church building is a focus for the religious life of the Christian community.
St Anselm’s Parish Church is not just an attractive historical building. It is a meeting place for worship and prayer.
The centre of the life of the worshipping community is the Eucharist (which means ‘thanksgiving’) or Holy Communion, often called the Mass. This act, which Christians are directly commanded to do by Jesus to recall and reconfirm our part in His ongoing life in the world, is celebrated twice each Sunday, on Wednesday at lunchtime and on a number of special moments throughout the year.
Far from being inaccessible, all are welcome and are welcomed. The Mass is a joyful remembrance of what God, in the person of Jesus Christ, has done for mankind.