Finding a Spanish Language 1928 BCP Holy Communion Service
Recently, a question was posed on Twitter seeking help for a Cuban priest working on a church plant within their parish. That priest was struggling to locate a Spanish-language version of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) Holy Communion service with musical notation for singing the creed and suffrages. This is a common challenge for those ministering in Spanish-speaking contexts, especially when working with older, historical liturgical texts. Fortunately, I knew of a solution that might help: the 1961 Hymnal.
The 1961 Hymnal: A Bridge to the 1928 BCP in Spanish
The 1961 Hymnal (El Himnario de la Iglesia Episcopal) is a valuable resource for Spanish-speaking Anglican communities. While it is not a direct translation of the 1928 BCP, it is based on the Puerto Rican Hymnal and follows the structure and style of the American 1940 Hymnal, albeit with less content and some variations. Importantly, it includes Spanish-language liturgical texts that align with the tradition of the 1928 BCP, making it a practical tool for those seeking to sing Holy Communion services in Spanish.
Accessing the 1961 Hymnal
A digital copy of El Himnario de la Iglesia Episcopal is available online, thanks to the Internet Archive. You can access it here:
1961 Hymnal Digital Copy
Why This Matters
For Anglican church planters and clergy working in Spanish-speaking contexts, having access to liturgical resources in the vernacular is crucial. It not only ensures that worship is accessible to the congregation but also helps preserve the richness of the Anglican liturgical tradition.
Many Anglican would rather use a more traditional text rather than the more modern Spanish editions currently published by the Roman Catholic and Episcopal Churches.
The Spanish Prayerbook
| The 1928 Book of Common Prayer in Spanish is available online here and I believe the APA publishes the printed version. Prior to this, Spanish editions had been issued of the American 1789 BCP (published 1860), and of the American 1892 (published 1905). |
“This book is the first Spanish translation of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer of the U. S., Episcopal Church. It was published in 1930 by (oddly enough) the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), an English publisher of religious books closely affiliated with the Church of England. It bears no official sanction nor is there even any mention of the U. S. Episcopal Church in it. The generic prayers for “el Presidente de Este Nación” indicate that it was for use throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America. It is listed in David Griffiths’ Bibliography of the Book of Common Prayer as 162:17. This translation is nearly (but not completely) identical to the later, more widespread 1955 translation. It is complete except for omitting nearly everything before Morning Prayer, the Ordinal, and the Articles of Religion.”
If you have a copy of the Reformation Study Bible in Spanish, they have a wonderful translation of the 39 Articles of Religion in the back as a reference.
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