Blessings to All

[FrChristopher]

Hi Everyone!

I am an Independent Catholic priest living and ministering in the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. I'm so grateful for Soulforce and for this community!

As Independent Catholics, we share in the rich customs and tradition of Catholicism without being under the authority of Rome. Because of that, we can be fully welcoming and inclusive of our LGBT sisters and brothers. We are convinced that there is a place at the Table for everyone!

Our tiny parish and Augustinian community will surely never compare in size to the Church of Rome, but we hope to create a welcoming home for all who have ever felt excluded from their faith community. Wish us luck and please, more than anything, remember us in your prayers!

Your brother,

Christopher

FrChristopher@AugustiniansIHM.net
http://www.VaticanFreeCatholics.net
http://www.AugustiniansIHM.net

[Zerbie]

Welcome Christopher!

Glad to have you here. :)

[Daniel]

It's great to have you here Christopher! Welcome!

[Emproph]

I wanna come back and check out those links, but I wanted to say hi just in case I don't.

Welcome :rainbow:

[Jennifer5]

:) Welcome! Glad to have you here!

[Lydia]

Welcome, Christopher. I've heard of Independant Catholic clergy before, but know very little about them. Are you affiliated or familiar with that (Vancouver woman (http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/na.cgi?nationalupdates/050721former) who became Canada's first female Roman Catholic Priest?

[Mia14]

I've never heard of Independent Catholics before, but I like what I'm hearing! I'm happy to welcome you and very happy to hear you welcome us.

:) :love:

Hope to hear more from you on the forums!

[FrChristopher]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I'm very happy to help spread the word that not all Catholics are Roman, and that many branches of Catholicism embrace our LGBT sisters and brothers as full and equal members of the Church.

Lydia, we have heard about and fully support Michele Birch-Conery's ordination in July on the St. Lawrence River. Although she will share in Apostolic Succession - which makes her ordination absolutely valid - she will most likely not find any Roman bishop willing to grant her faculties (authority to minister in the name of the Church).

I know many Independent Catholic bishops, though, who would be overjoyed to welcome her to the priesthood and provide her with opportunities for ministry. One of the blessings of not being under the authority of Rome is that we can welcome women and LGBT Catholics to the priesthood.

Independent Catholics represent only a small percentage of the total Catholic population in the world, but the Internet and organizations like Soulforce are helping us to spread the news that there is room at God's Table for everyone! Thank you again and know that I hold you all close to my heart every day in prayer!

Your brother,

Christopher

[Rick336]

Welcome Christopher. It's great to have you here. I just joined last week and I find these folks to be a warm and friendly bunch. I'm sure you will too. I'm looking forward to hearing more about you and your church in the forums. :)

Rick

[bkeithb]

Christopher - welcome!

Out of curiosity ... how do Ind. Catholics differ from Episcopalians and/or Eastern Orthodoxy?

Keith

[BruceChris]

Christopher, welcome to our community. We have seen the Protestant
Reformation, with mixed results. I for one am awaiting the first fruits
of the Catholic Reformation

[FrChristopher]

Christopher - welcome!

Out of curiosity ... how do Ind. Catholics differ from Episcopalians and/or Eastern Orthodoxy?

Keith

Hi, Keith! Like the Episcopalians/Anglicans and the Orthodox, we are an autocephalous church, totally separate and independent from any other ecclesiastical body. Yet, among the Independent Catholic denominations, there is a great diversity of worship and practice.

For instance, some Independent Catholics are very traditional and reject the reforms of the Second Vatican Council. Others, like us, are very liberal and fully inclusive of our LGBT brothers and sisters, ordain women, and give clergy the option to marry. We also celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony for same-sex couples.

Our particular church follows the exact same liturgy as the Roman Catholic Church, so a visitor probably wouldn't notice any difference. Again, there is diversity, with some other congregations celebrating Mass only in Latin.

So, to answer your question, each Independent Catholic church is a separate body within Catholicism, similar to but not the same as the Anglicans or the Orthodox. We remain fully Catholic in belief and worship, and we are able to be fully inclusive now. We pray that other denominations, like the Anglicans and Orthodox (and even the Church of Rome!) will someday reach that point, but so far, it is an unfulfilled dream.

Thanks for the welcome and God bless you!

Christopher

[Montanna]

Hi FrChristopher, Welcome. It's good to know you're out there. I have some friends who need to know about you folks. Montanna