The Episcopal Church Service Cross (formerly called the Episcopal Church War Cross) is a pendant cross worn as a "distinct mark" of an

Episcopalian Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the l ...

in the United States Armed Forces. The Episcopal Church suggests that Episcopalian service members wear it on their dog tags or otherwise carry it with them at all times.

History

In 1917, the Episcopal Church created a War Commission to help serve the religious needs of Episcopalians in the U.S. military during World War I. Under the chairmanship of William Lawrence,

Bishop of Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. History Massachusetts was founded by Puritans who did not accept such aspects of the Church of England as bish ...

, the Commission supplied Episcopal chaplains with portable altars, vestments, prayer books, bibles, hymnals, and money for special assistance. The Commission decided that something more personal than service books should be given to Episcopalian troops as a reminder of their religious faith. The Commission requested that Edith Weir Perry, wife of the

Bishop of Rhode Island The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the state of Rhode Island. It is one of seven New England dioceses that make up Province 1. The former Episcopal seat of th ...

, James DeWolf Perry, obtain designs for a cross or

scapular The scapular (from Latin ''wikt:scapula#Latin, scapulae'', "shoulders") is a Western Christianity, Western Christian garment suspended from the shoulders. There are two types of scapulars, the Monasticism, monastic and Catholic devotions, devot ...

. Mrs. Perry approached the

architectural firm In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countri ...

of Bertram Goodhue, which produced the design. During World War I, the Cross was distributed by Episcopal chaplains to "thousands" of Episcopalian troops in active service overseas. With the outbreak of World War II, the Episcopal Church reestablished the Commission. Under the chairmanship of Henry Knox Sherrill,

, the Commission decided to resume issuing the Cross. The Cross was given to both Episcopal chaplains and parish clergy to distribute to Episcopalian troops. By 1944, about 226,000 Crosses had been given to Episcopalian men and women serving in that war. By 2008, the Episcopal Church published a blessing for use with the Cross.

Appearance

The Cross is a five-fold cross, symbolic of the

five wounds In Catholic Church, Catholic Catholic devotions, tradition, the Five Holy Wounds, also known as the Five Sacred Wounds or the Five Precious Wounds, are the five piercing wounds that Jesus Christ suffered during his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixi ...

of Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. The Cross is rounded to avoid sharp points. The inscriptions on the Cross have evolved over time. * The Cross for World War I is inscribed on the obverse with "CHRIST DIED FOR THEE," a quotation from the communion service in the '' Book of Common Prayer'', and on the reverse with "The Church War Cross." * During World War II, the Roman numeral "II" was added to the reverse inscription. * By 1951, the reverse inscription changed to "Episcopal Church Service Cross." * Following the publication of the 1979 edition of the ''Book of Common Prayer'', the obverse inscription changed to "CHRIST DIED FOR YOU."

References

{{Reflist

External links

Episcopal Veterans Fellowship

Hospitallers of St. Martin
Episcopal Church (United States) Exonumia Pendant crosses Religion in the United States military United States military chaplaincy

History

Appearance

See also

References

External links