Book of Common Prayer (Canada) 1962

Book of Common Prayer (Canada, 1962)

The Book of Common Prayer (Canada, 1962) (often abbreviated BCP 1962) is the authorized traditional-language prayer book of the Anglican Church of Canada. It is a national revision—faithful to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer—that adapts Anglican liturgy to Canadian pastoral, linguistic, and civic contexts. The BCP 1962 remains a standard of doctrine and worship in Canada alongside the Book of Alternative Services (1985).

Alternative titles

The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the Use of The Anglican Church of Canada, together with the Psalter.

Overview

The Canadian 1962 BCP preserves the classical Anglican liturgical structure (Daily Office, Holy Communion, Pastoral Offices, Ordinal) while incorporating modest 20th‑century refinements in rubrics, collects, and propers. It was intended both to maintain continuity with the historic Prayer Book tradition and to address Canadian patterns of observance (civil calendar, national thanksgivings, northern missions, bilingual considerations). It is still printed and used in many parishes as a primary or alternate formulary.

Historical development

• Pre-Confederation: Canadian Anglicans used the English 1662 BCP with local adaptations.
• 1918–1959: Several Canadian revisions were proposed; experimental lectionaries and propers circulated.
• 1959 Trial Book: A trial-use book introduced texts that would be refined into the 1962 edition.
• 1962 Authorization: General Synod approved the present form as a national formulary.
• 1985 and after: The Book of Alternative Services (1985) offered a contemporary-language alternative; however, the 1962 BCP retained formal status and ongoing parish use.

Editorial principles and sources

The 1962 compilers aimed to:

1. Conserve the doctrinal clarity of the classic Prayer Book tradition (Scripture sufficiency, justification by faith, and sacramental realism without medieval excess).

1. Maintain intelligible, elevated English in the Tyndale–Cranmer register.

1. Provide pastoral accommodation to Canadian contexts (climate, seasons, civil observances, missions, and national thanksgivings).

1. Harmonize with wider Anglican usage, drawing on English, Scottish, and other dominion revisions while keeping continuity with 1662.

Structure of the book

• The Calendar (Sundays and Holy Days; Tables and Rules)
• The Order for Morning Prayer (Mattins)
• The Order for Evening Prayer (Evensong)
• The Creed of St. Athanasius (optional, on appointed days)
• The Litany
• Prayers and Thanksgivings (including prayers for the Sovereign and Commonwealth)
• The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (one-year cycle)
• The Order for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper, or Holy Communion
• Baptism (Public and Private), Confirmation
• Solemnization of Matrimony
• The Order for the Visitation of the Sick and Communion of the Sick
• Burial of the Dead
• The Ordinal (Deacons, Priests, and Bishops)
• Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea
• The Psalter (Coverdale, revised)

Doctrinal and liturgical characteristics

Language register

Retains traditional (thou/thee) English with careful revisions for clarity.

Daily Office

Morning and Evening Prayer remain the backbone of parish and personal devotion, with invitatory psalmody, Scripture readings per the Tables of Lessons, canticles (Te Deum, Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis), creed, collects, and intercessions.

Holy Communion

Follows the classic Anglican shape: Collect, Epistle, Gospel; Creed; Sermon; Offertory; Prayer for the Church; Exhortations (optional); Confession/Absolution; Comfortable Words; Sursum Corda; Preface; Sanctus; Prayer of Humble Access; Consecration; Administration; Lord’s Prayer; Thanksgiving; Blessing. The 1962 text shows measured influences from the Scottish tradition in the Prayer of Consecration while retaining the recognizable 1662 framework.

Psalter

The Coverdale Psalms are retained with light modernization and optional pointing for chant.

Calendar and Collects

Observes the classical Western sanctoral core with select Canadian emphases; the Collects are largely those of 1662 with occasional textual refinements and a few additions for Canadian observance.

Pastoral Offices

Baptism includes clear exhortations on regeneration and incorporation into Christ’s Church; Matrimony retains the classic goods of marriage; Visitation and Burial preserve sober, hope-filled language of Christian consolation.

Notable differences from 1662

• Revised rubrics for Canadian parish practice and climate.
• Minor textual updates for clarity and proclamation.
• Adjusted lectionary tables and certain proper prefaces.
• A lightly revised Coverdale Psalter.

Use and authority

The 1962 BCP is a formulary of the Anglican Church of Canada and remains authorized for public worship. Many parishes use it exclusively or in rotation with the Book of Alternative Services (1985). The BCP Society of Canada and various diocesan resources continue to promote its study, chant, and parish use.

Music and chant resources

• Anglican chant pointing editions of the 1962 Psalter
• Settings of the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus) suitable for traditional language
• Plainsong and Anglican chant for canticles (Te Deum, Benedictus, Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis)

Editions and printing

• 1959 trial edition (for experimental use)
• 1962 definitive Canadian edition (multiple printings)
• Pew, pulpit, and pocket editions remain available from church publishers and societies

External links

• [[1](https://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcp-online/) The Book of Common Prayer (Canada, 1962) – Full text online at the Prayer Book Society of Canada]
• [[2](https://anglican.ca/resources/liturgical-texts/) Anglican Church of Canada – Authorized liturgical texts]
• [[3](https://archive.org/details/bookofcommonpray00churuoft) Internet Archive: historical scans of the Canadian BCP]
• [[4](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Book_of_Common_Prayer_%28Canada_1962%29) Wikimedia Commons category for images and scans]

Further reading

• Book of Common Prayer (1662)
• Book of Alternative Services (1985)
• Anglican Church of Canada
• Prayer Book Society of Canada

Notes on text and copyright

This page provides an overview, structure, and historical context for the Canadian BCP (1962). For the full liturgical texts, link to official or licensed editions provided by the Anglican Church of Canada or the Prayer Book Society of Canada. When quoting passages, keep excerpts brief and cite the authorized source.

References

• Standard histories of the Book of Common Prayer and Canadian Anglicanism (insert citations when sourced)
• Authorized printings of the BCP (1962) (insert publication details)

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