Frequently Asked Questions

Entering any church for the first time can be daunting. It may seem like everyone else knows when to stand, sit, kneel, and bow. Don’t worry! Whether you’re a cradle Episcopalian or have never stepped inside a church, you are welcome. Friendly ushers will provide a bulletin to help you follow along in the service. Each Sunday service includes readings from the Bible, a sermon, prayers, community announcements, and celebration of the Holy Eucharist (communion), with hymns and music throughout.

Yes, kids are welcome here! Sunday school meets during Sunday services, usually at least twice a month. We also offer a variety of activities throughout the year and a “Prayground” — a carpeted space within the church which includes church-appropriate books and activities.

Yes. Ample free street parking is available on Sundays along E. St. John and N. 3rd Streets. Metered parking is available Monday–Saturday.

The Third Street Garage (ParkSJ), directly across the street from Trinity Cathedral, offers the first 90 minutes free.

On Sundays and for special Cathedral events, parking is also available at The James — the apartment building next door — with an access hang tag. Contact the office for details.

We are also easily accessible by public transportation. See the Contact page for transit details.

Yes, unequivocally.

The Episcopal Church’s joyful embrace of LGBTQ+ laity and clergy is one result of our fervent desire to live the gospel of Jesus Christ as it is revealed in the holy scriptures. Learn more about LGBTQ+ in the Episcopal Church.

Yes. All are welcome at God’s table.

No. Wear clothing that you find comfortable and suitable for worship.

There is a wheelchair ramp on Second Street at the front of the church, as well as one leading from our parking lot into the main level of our parish hall. We recently installed a lift which services the lower level of our parish hall.

Yes. Trinity Cathedral holds prayer and worship services, online or in person, every day of the week. See the full worship schedule.

Congratulations on your decision to make a lifelong commitment to one another in the presence of God and those who love and support you. We are delighted to make our historic cathedral (350 seats) available for your happy and holy day.

Trinity Cathedral is an Episcopal community of radical welcome. We celebrate partnerships of all genders, and we welcome divorced persons to remarry (subject to the approval of the Bishop). We also welcome you whether or not you are a member of Trinity Cathedral.

To learn about requirements, fees, and availability for your wedding, contact the cathedral office.

Call the cathedral office at 408-293-7953 or send an email to cathedral@trinitysj.org.

At worship, ask an usher for a visitor card to fill out. This provides us with your information, lets you tell us what you’d like to know more about, and gives you options to receive our weekly newsletter and/or receive a call from our clergy. We will follow up with you according to your indicated preferences.

Briefly stated: We believe every person is precious, made in God’s image. We believe in a God of creation, redemption, and constant presence and love. We believe in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. We believe that honest questioning is holier than false certitude.

The Book of Common Prayer contains our liturgy and expresses our doctrine. It includes an “Outline of the Faith” which addresses many common questions.

But the best way to learn is through experience! Visit Trinity Cathedral and experience our worship and fellowship.

It is led by a Presiding Bishop, currently the Most Reverend Sean Rowe, who functions largely as an organizer and as pastor to the other bishops. Chief authority is vested in the General Convention, which is held every three years. Lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons are all represented at General Convention.

The Episcopal Church ordains qualified and called persons of all genders and sexual orientations, married and unmarried, as bishops, priests, and deacons.

Yes. “The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 855.)

Yes, very. Each Sunday morning, our congregation will hear at least three readings from the Bible, which instructs us in salvation and spiritual growth. The Bible is one of three essential sources of authority, along with tradition and reason (which includes personal experience and discernment). In addition to prose narrative, the Bible is rich in poetry, allegory, metaphor, and symbol. We believe it is misguided to treat the Bible as a science textbook, a literalistic history, a patriotic manifesto, or a manual to attain material prosperity.

We are both!

We are Catholic because our bishops stand in a line of apostolic succession reaching back to the first century. This means that we, like Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, value our connection to the very first followers of Jesus Christ. Our customs and practices of worship may feel familiar to people acquainted with those of the Roman Catholic church.

We are Protestant because our church rejected papal authority during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. Our understandings of the Bible, freedom of conscience, and the authority of reason have been profoundly influenced by the Protestant Reformation and European Enlightenment.

Yes and no. The Episcopal Church is part of a global family of churches known as the Anglican Communion. These self-governing churches maintain relations with one another through their voluntary communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the chief bishop of England. Neither the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the British monarch has any governing authority over the Episcopal Church.

Yes. In addition to other Anglican churches, the Episcopal Church has full-communion agreements with several other churches, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Moravian Church, and others. These agreements allow for the sharing of sacramental life and the interchangeability of clergy.

The Episcopal Church also engages in dialogue and cooperation with other Christian churches and world religions.