Our History
A Legacy of Worship:
The Saint Michael Acolyte Corps
When Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church opened its doors in 1945, worship was at its heart from the very beginning. SMAA's acolytes helped mark the sacred rhythms of the liturgy week after week. It was a humble start, but a faithful one. For decades, the Corps remained small and simple, a quiet constant in the life of the parish. Few could have imagined then what it would one day become.
A Vision That Changed Everything
In the late 1990s, Tony Briggle, SMAA's Master of Ceremonies and Acolyte Master, approached interim rector Father Bill Power with an idea that would transform the Corps — and Sunday worship at Saint Michael — forever. Having served as Master of Ceremonies since the 1970s, Tony had long seen the potential for something greater. He envisioned a procession worthy of Saint Michael's expansive sanctuary: multiple crosses, banners, and a growing roster of lay participants — youth and adults alike — woven together into a sweeping act of communal worship.
To bring the vision to life, Tony raised funds for new ceremonial pieces. Acolyte Joe Dealey made a gracious donation of the Dealey crosses and torches that remain a beloved part of the procession today. The changes were ambitious, but the response was immediate. What had once been a modest children's program began to grow into something far larger and more inclusive.
Father Mark Anschutz, who became rector as the transformation was taking hold, helped shepherd the program forward. Successive rectors continued to collaborate and build upon the foundation, allowing the Corps to evolve in step with the broader life of the parish.
What the Corps Is Today
That vision, planted in the late 1990s, has blossomed into one of the largest acolyte programs in both the United States and the worldwide Episcopal/Anglican Communion. Today, over 100 active women, men, and youth serve as acolytes, participating in more than 500 services each year. It stands as one of Saint Michael's longest continuous programs — a thread of faithful service woven through eight decades of parish life.
The Corps is guided by the Acolyte Steering Committee, a dedicated group of volunteers who oversee the program and ensure its continued growth. Within our services, the Master of Acolytes, Masters of Ceremonies, and 27 Vergers — among them 12 Verger Fellows of the Verger Guild of the Episcopal Church — lead the liturgy with reverence, beauty, and care.
What makes the Saint Michael Acolyte Corps truly distinctive, however, is its spirit of family. Some families now span three generations in the same procession — grandparents, parents, and children serving side by side, Sunday after Sunday. It is one of the most visible expressions of faith being passed down not through words alone, but through presence and participation.
An Invitation to Serve
From just a few acolytes in 1945 to one of the great acolyte programs of the Anglican Communion, the story of the Saint Michael Acolyte Corps is a story of what a congregation can build when vision meets faithfulness — and when the doors of service are opened wide to all.
That story is still being written. New acolytes of every age are welcome to join the procession, take up a cross or torch, and become part of a tradition that has shaped the worship life of this parish for generations.