Welcome from the Rector
Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
The Church of the Advent is a Christian community, a parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, which gathers together day by day and week by week to know and make known the grace of God which comes to believers through Jesus Christ. All that we are and all that we do is empowered by the grace of God which is given to us through the Sacraments instituted by Christ, particularly the Sacrament of the Altar. And by means of this abundant grace we enjoy a diverse, vital, and close-knit parish family - young, old, rich, poor, of various ethnic origins and differing backgrounds. From our extraordinary music program to a growing church school, our guilds of bell ringers, gardeners and acolytes, to those who serve our long-standing Tuesday Night Community Dinner for the needy, the Advent is a community of faith which tries to keep the Gospel close to her heart and to live by Jesus' teaching.
The mission of the Parish, as defined by its charter in 1844, is "to bring to a portion of the city of Boston the ministrations of the holy Catholic Church; and more especially to secure the same to the poor and needy in a manner free from unnecessary expense and all ungracious circumstances." To that end, the Advent was founded as the first church in Boston without compulsory pew rent. Over the years we have welcomed into our fellowship worshippers not only from the city and suburbs, but also from all New England. An appreciation of the importance of prayer and the ancient traditions of Christian worship inspires all our services, from a quiet weekday Mass in the Lady Chapel to the full splendor of Solemn High Mass on a Sunday morning. We are committed to preaching the Word of God and ministering His Sacraments to all who desire them, and we hope to have you join us in this mission.
And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Coming this November: “Anglo-Catholicism: Uncovering Roots”
November 15-16, 2017: A Special “Mini-Conference” in advance of the American Academy of Religion Meeting in Boston.
What is Anglo-Catholicism? This brief conference, on the eve of the annual meeting of the AAR, will delve into our broad tradition in a bid to remember and retrieve the best of the past for a faithful future.
The Church Cat Welcomes You!
Simon is the latest in a series of felines who have called the Advent home over the years.
A Brief History
The Church of the Advent was born in 1844 from the inspiration of a group of Bostonians who desired to establish a new parish that would put into practice the ideals of the then-11-year-old Oxford Movement.