Who We Are

Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross: A priest standing next to the altar and dressed in white bends over toward two children, a boy in a suit and a girl in a pink sweater, who have brought bread and wine forward for Holy Communion

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Cross is an inclusive, supportive, Christ-centered community that celebrates the diversity and dignity of all God’s people. We strive to offer inspiring worship, serious engagement with questions of faith, commitment to serving our neighbors and the world, and opportunities for fun and fellowship.

We are a part of the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the Diocese of Virginia.

Our Mission

“The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. We pursue that mission through prayer and worship, proclamation of the gospel, and the promotion of justice, peace, and love.”

(adapted from the Book of Common Prayer, pg 855)

Core to Our Beliefs

  • The Scriptures, which we interpret through reason and tradition, provide the foundation for all we do. We call the Bible the “Word of God” because we believe that God inspired human authors to write it. By studying the Bible together, we can see how God’s story interacts with our stories in ways that are profoundly relevant to our modern lives.

  • In our tradition, we believe that how we pray together shapes what we believe, and we hold these prayers in common with one another. We, who are many and diverse, come together in Christ through our worship, our common prayers that gives us unity.

  • Central to how we understand discipleship, the Baptismal Covenant is a question-and-answer version of the Apostles’ Creed followed by five questions about how we are called to live out a life of faith. Those questions are about participating in Christian community, repentance when we make mistakes, sharing the Good News through words and actions, loving our neighbors as ourselves, and promoting justice and peace in the world.

  • In the two foundational statements of faith - the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed - we join Christians throughout the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us.

  • The sacramental life of the church helps us to recognize and encounter God, who takes the ordinary things of our lives and transforms them and us into something holy. The two great sacraments are Baptism and Holy Eucharist, which all Christians are called to. Some Christians may also be called to participate in the sacramental rites of Confirmation, Ordination, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation of the Penitent (individual confession with a priest), or Unction (laying on of hands for healing).