Ancient Faith,
Timeless Truth
A Western Rite Orthodox parish preserving the richness of Christian tradition in Brookfield, Massachusetts
Orthodox Tradition
Part of the ancient Church founded by Christ and His Apostles, maintaining unbroken apostolic succession
Western Rite
Celebrating the Divine Liturgy using ancient Western Christian liturgical traditions and Gregorian chant
Welcoming Community
A vibrant parish family embracing all who seek to know Christ in the fullness of the Orthodox faith
The Ancient Church in the Western Tradition
Emmanuel is a Western Rite parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese. We are part of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. The Orthodox Church is the ancient Church founded by Christ and His Apostles. In the Book of Acts we read that "in Antioch they were first called Christians" (11:26).
As Western Rite Orthodox Christians, we maintain the authentic Orthodox faith while celebrating the Divine Liturgy in the ancient Western liturgical tradition. We use the Gregorian Rite liturgy, which preserves the venerable Latin usage that was Orthodox before the Great Schism of 1054. Our worship includes the traditional prayers, ceremonies, and Gregorian chant that have been sanctified by centuries of use in the undivided Church of the West.
The Western Rite is not a compromise or innovation, but a restoration. It represents the ancient liturgical traditions of the Western Church—the Mass of St. Gregory, the ancient Office, and the sacred music of Gregorian chant—brought back into full communion with the Orthodox Church. We are grateful to our Orthodox bishops for blessing this return of Western Christianity to its Orthodox roots.
What to Expect
1The Church Environment
As you enter, you'll see icons available for veneration, prayer, and candle lighting. Our church follows the traditional Western arrangement with an altar rail or rood screen separating the sanctuary from the nave, rather than the Eastern iconostasis. Near the entrance, there's a stoup (bowl) of Holy Water where you may bless yourself with the sign of the Cross as a reminder of your Baptism, a venerable Western custom.
2Congregational Participation
Our services involve active participation through singing, responses, and physical acts of devotion. Visitors are welcome to observe until comfortable. Bulletins provide page numbers for the Mass booklet (containing the Gregorian Rite liturgy), St. Ambrose Hymnal, and English Office Noted. Church members nearby are always happy to help you follow along.
3Music and Worship
Our primary musical form is Gregorian chant—the ancient sacred music of the Western Church, sung in English. This plainchant tradition dates back over a millennium and is the authentic voice of Western Orthodox worship. We also sing traditional Western hymns from the St. Ambrose Hymnal. Organ accompaniment supports congregational singing, a longstanding Western practice that enriches our worship.
4Postures and Gestures
Following ancient Western custom, we kneel for the Eucharistic Prayer and personal prayer (standing is fine if unable to kneel). We stand to sing, for the Gospel reading, the Creed, and other parts of the service. Sitting is appropriate for psalms, epistle readings, and the sermon. The sign of the cross is made frequently using the traditional Western form (left to right). Genuflecting (bending the right knee) is done when passing before the Blessed Sacrament, and bowing shows reverence at holy names and during the Creed.
5Holy Communion
Orthodox faithful who have prepared by fasting, prayer, and confession kneel at the altar rail to receive Holy Communion on the tongue, following the ancient Western practice. If you're not Orthodox or not prepared to receive, fold your arms across your chest and bow your head to receive a blessing from the priest instead. After the service, blessed bread (antidoron) is offered to all as a sign of Christian fellowship and hospitality.
Our Leadership
Our Patriarch is John X of Antioch. Our Metropolitan is SABA, and our Bishop JOHN oversees the Western Rite Vicariate, the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and all of New England.