What is St. Botolph Orthodox Chapel?

We are an Orthodox reader’s chapel, serving the Boston area. This means that we are under an Orthodox bishop, but we have just begun to meet together and grow. Because of this, we lack a priest who can regularly offer services every week. Instead, weekly services are led by Mr. Augustine Watson, and the Holy Mass is celebrated by Fr. Justin Doty on the first Sunday of the month.

Who is St. Botolph?

St. Botolph was an English abbot in the 7th century A.D. He was born to noble Saxon parents who were Christians. He and his brother Adulph were educated by Saint Fursey at Cnobheresburg monastery. They were then sent to study on the Continent, where they became Benedictines. Having returned to England, St. Botolph found favour with a king of southern Angles was permitted to choose a tract of desolate land upon which to build a monastery.

The monastery grew, and, further, St. Botolph worked for the evangelisation of East Anglia, Kent and Sussex. He came to be known for his excelling virtue.

Boston, being named after St. Botolph, has him for her patron saint.

What is the Orthodox Church?

The Orthodox Church is the Mystical Body of Christ: the Church established by Our Lord Jesus Christ which has passed down the faith ‘which was once delivered unto the saints’ (Jude 3).

What is the Western Rite?

The Orthodox Church has always had diverse rites and traditions, worshiping in the language and ritual of wherever she went. The Orthodox Church spread throughout the world in various places, such as Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Carthage, Rheims, and Canterbury. Since the Great Schism between East and West in the 11th to 14th centuries, the West followed the Pope of Rome into various novel beliefs. The eastern churches, however, maintained the ancient faith and has always preached that same faith wherever she went.

In the last few centuries, those in the western world have sought that ancient and biblical faith in Christ, finding its fullest and true expression in the Orthodox Church. As western Christians entered the Orthodox Church, they brought their language and liturgical forms. This became the Western Rite.

In the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate, we believe the entire Orthodox Faith while expressing it according to the western expression. Because of this, we are fully canonical and Orthodox, but we look very different to our eastern rite brethren.

St. Botolph’s looks very Catholic. Is it really Orthodox?

St. Botolph is part of the Antiochian Orthodox Church, in the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate: a fully canonical Orthodox jurisdiction in communion with the other Orthodox Churches. While we do not look like eastern rite Orthodox Churches, we profess the same faith, worshiping in a different but fully Orthodox manner.

What are St. Botolph’s services like?

While we only have Mass (Divine Liturgy) once a month, we pray Mattins (an English Orthodox version of Matins, Orthros, Morning Prayer, etc.), Litany (a series of petitions to God, similar to the eastern Akathist), and Antecommunion (the first part of the Communion service, similar to the eastern Typica) every Sunday.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, we pray Evensong (Vespers), where we chant the Psalms along with other prayers for the evening.

We also have additional services for Feast Days, as found in the calendar.

All are welcome to attend, and Orthodox Christians satisfy their obligation to attend church on Sundays and Feast Days by attending here, even when there is not Holy Communion.

When we have Holy Communion, Orthodox Christians who have duly prepared themselves are welcome to commune. While we appreciate and welcome our non-Orthodox friends and visitors (such as Roman Catholics, Protestants, and Oriental Orthodox), we ask that they refrain from coming up for Holy Communion.