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About Our Church
Hello and Welcome.
The American Catholic Church is a growing community of Christians
comprising an
autocephalous otherwise
known as a "self-governing" Catholic
Church. We are one of more than 100 Autocephalous
Catholic Churches worldwide. We are a community of
faith which finds unity in the recognition and
celebration of the diversity we have. We are an
eclectic group of believers who know we will never
have all the answers, but take great delight in
asking the questions.
What
is the Local Church? This is a very good
question, one in which there is a lot of
misunderstanding. The Church is the Assembly of the
People of God for the celebration of the Mystery of
the Eucharist, wherein the local Church actually
becomes and is revealed as the Body of Christ, as a
Theandric organism, in which the Holy Trinity
dwells. (Cf. Ephesians 4:5-6 and I Corinthians
10:15-16; Concerning the Ecclesiastical and
Sacramental Assembly and the Meaning of the Body of
Christ.)
Our
Mission and
ministries include both parochial, that is parish
based ministries, as well as individual ministries
so typical of members in
Religious Orders.
These individual ministries include: Hospice Care,
Ethnic Ministries, Street Ministries - Homeless
persons, as well as those involved in Counseling and
Physiological Therapy activities, Wedding Ministry,
and naturally Parish Ministry.
Take a moment to get
acquainted with our clergy.
As mentioned above, we are an autocephalous catholic
church, that is we are self-governing, the same as
the Orthodox Churches, the Episcopal Church, in the
United States, the nationally based Old Catholic
Churches in Europe and the Roman Catholic Church.
All of these are self-governing churches. We are
part of what is generally referred to, here in the
United States, as Independent Catholic or
Old Catholic
Churches.
The tradition of Independent Catholicism, although
not well known, especially in North America, extends
back to the earliest Christian Church. You can read
more about our history by visiting our web pages:
A Short History Overview,
Old Catholic Resources,
and
A Historical Article.
As part of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic
Church, though "self governing" we reach out to
other "self-governing" churches through our
inter-communion efforts
as we build up the Body of Christ.
Our cathedral parish;
Saint John the Beloved,
serves as the spiritual center, not only for
worship, but for many active ministries, enriching
our common lives together, and reaching out to the
surrounding community. We are an Open and Affirming
Community of Faith. We reach out equally to the
GLBT Community
and those who are divorced and remarried including
those with a Roman Catholic (Western - Latin Rite),
Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox and other faith
traditions, the unchurched and all in search of God.
LITURGY
Liturgical worship, especially the
Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist (i.e. the Holy Mass) is
celebrated in several Rites depending on the needs
and desires of the local community and with approval
by the Diocesan Bishop. Generally, the Liturgy will
be either the current Rite of the Roman Church
(Novus Ordo), the Rite of the Anglican/Episcopal
Communion (either 1928 or current versions), the Old
Catholic Churches, or the liturgy of the Eastern
Orthodox Churches.
We believe that Christ calls each of us as a free
gift of Grace to be equal members of His Mystical
Body.
No individual, regardless of position in the Church,
receives an infallible personal insight into the
Mind of God by virtue of their call or position in
the Church. Rather, the Holy Spirit inspires each
person, lay, religious, and clergy, with gifts for
the building of God's Kingdom (cf. 1 Corinthians 12,
et al.) according to the Spirit's Plan for God's
People.
The clergy are
ordained as leaders and teachers of the Gospel; not
as princes, or infallible arbiters of theological
opinion. It is the duty of each person, under the
teaching guidance of the Church, to inform
themselves through prayer and study and arrive at an
understanding of the Truth revealed to our world by
Jesus Christ and to apply their individual gifts to
the building of God's Kingdom. Please reference here
our
Apostolic Succession.
To be accepted as defined matters of the Faith and
inerrant Truth, however, theological postulates
require a moral consensus of all bishops and must
also be received as inerrant Truth by the People of
God. Thus they cannot be imposed on the People of
God by the actions of any single person, regardless
of their Office or stature in the Church.
We welcome to the Lord's Table all baptized
Christians who approach it reverently, regardless of
their current ecclesiastical affiliation. Divorce
and remarriage are not impediments to the reception
of the Holy Eucharist (see Matthew 10:8).
FREEDOM
We leave to the informed conscience of our people,
matters which are properly theirs to decide before
God.
A WELCOMING CHURCH
We welcome all people, regardless of their marital
status or sexual orientation, to participation in
the life and Sacraments of the Church; asking only
moral conduct which is appropriate for all
Christians. The call to be a Christian entails
moral and ethical behavior which flows from a
conscience informed by prayer and study. While it is
not the function of the Church to be judgmental
regarding the conduct of individual members, this
lack should not be seen as affirming immoral conduct
of any kind, but is a recognition that we are
incompetent and unworthy to judge another. It is,
rather, the Church's function to offer instruction
and guidance in a Christian way of life so that
those whom He calls may lead lives in imitation of
Christ out of Love for God and not from fear of
damnation nor from censure by their sisters and
brothers (cf. Matthew 7:1-5; John 8:7, et al.).
MARRIAGE
We minister to those making commitments for life to
each other in Matrimony; for both heterosexual and
homosexual couples. We believe love between two
persons is a gift from God. We believe that the
commitment in love between two persons should also
be blessed by God through the ministry of the Church
irrespective of their orientation. It is good and
proper for the Church to recognize this reality in
public and witness the bond of love between two
persons. Divorce is not, generally, an impediment
to remarriage in the Church and does not bar one
from the reception of the Sacraments.
Please fill out the
Marriage form.
Divorce and remarriage are not impediments to the
reception of the Holy Eucharist (see Matthew 10:8).
ADMISSION TO HOLY ORDERS
For details on incardination of Clergy and admission
of candidates for Holy Orders please contact the
Vicar of Vocations.
RELATIONS WITH OTHER CHURCHES
We welcome all who come to us in the Name of the
Lord. We believe that all communities of faith honor
and worship the one God. We extend to them the
warmest of bonds of Love and Fellowship. They are
our brothers and sisters in the one common God. (cf.
Mark 9:40) Please see this
listing of other churches
we communicate with. We also actively seek out other
church bodies who seek closer ties as we work
together in the vineyard of the Lord. If you are
interested in forming closer communion with us,
please go to our website describing our active
ministry to other
Communions.
PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
All people sin. Sin is a sad but inherent part of a
human nature which has yet to fully align itself
with the Will of God. As sinners we recognize the
need for conversion of heart and reordering of our
lives; but also trust in the infinite love and
forgiveness of our Lord. Reconciliation is the great
Sacrament by which those who have wandered on paths
which lead astray are reunited and reconciled to the
Lord and God's People. Though not required, Private
Confession is available from any priest
by request.
General Sacramental Absolution may be granted to all
present during the penitential rite.
Statement of Sexual Misconduct
The purpose of this policy is to articulate the
American Catholic Church's
abhorrence to sexual misconduct on the part of any
clergy, or any person acting under the mantel of
authority, of the American
Catholic Church, and to delineate a process to
permit any person who believes they have been a
victim of sexual misconduct to report this
information to law enforcement or any agency as
deemed necessary. The American Catholic Church expressly prohibits any
misconduct on the part of our clergy or any person
using the mantel of authority of the Church.
[Please see the complete
statement here.]
We hope this has helped you in your understanding of
our Diocese. Please visit our other web pages to
learn more of who we are and of our ministries.
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