An abbreviated worship schedule for May is on the right sidebar of the HOME page. A three-month May-June-July 2026 worship schedule is available for download from the right sidebar of the RESOURCES page.

This year, on Thursday, May 14th, we celebrated

Ascension Day 

The Ascension by Giotto (d. 1337), part of the Cycle of the Life of the Christ, c. 1304-06, fresco in the Scrovegni Arena-Chapel, Padua, Italy; public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

This year, Ascension Day was on Thursday, May 14th, and it is a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion, although not always celebrated in individual churches. The date varies from year to year because it falls exactly forty days after Easter, which also has a variable date. Ascension Day marks the last of Christ’s appearances to his followers after the Resurrection, as they experienced the sight of his withdrawal into the near presence of God. The Venerable Keith Dean-Jones, OGS, writes:

“In ascending into heaven, Jesus completes creation, and through him all things are returning to him from whom they have taken their origin. In Jesus, humanity is united to God. For western Christians, this language may seem unusual. It does not mean that the division between the Creator and creatures is breached; God is still God and humans are still humans. Rather, divinization affirms that, by God’s grace, we are being transformed into the likeness of him who is both God and human, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Alleluia. Christ hath ascended into heaven:
O come, let us worship. Alleluia.

The Ascensiontide canticle above may be used in prayer and liturgies during the ten-day period between the Ascension Day and the Feast of Pentecost, this year on May 24th.

Commemorations and feast days are part of the Book of Common Prayer calendar throughout the year. This week, Tuesday, May 19th, marks the commemoration of Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988, a man greatly inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was Dunstan who restored organized monasticism in England after it had been all but destroyed by Viking raids. He founded and re-founded abbeys, reformed church life, and was an advisor to the Wessex kings, including Edgar, the first acknowledged king of all England. Edgar made him the Archbishop of Canterbury. Dunstan’s ability as a religious leader was only one aspect of his personality. He was also a gifted craftsman, singer, and musician. With his leadership, these pursuits were integrated into monastic life and lent beauty to the Church and its liturgies as well.

On Wednesday, May 20th, we remember The Council of Nicæa, 325. This was the first of the councils referred to as “oecumenical” or “general” because of the large number of delegates attending from far and wide in Christendom as it then existed. It was summoned by the Emperor Constantine I. Out of it came a statement of doctrine which was the original form of the Nicene Creed, later amended to create the creed professed by many Christians today.