The
worldwide daily communication newsletter of The Reformed
Catholic Church
February 2008
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING
BISHOP
The Most Reverend Phillip
Zimmerman ThD RSJ
February 11, 2008
Dear
Family in Christ,
No matter
the size of the church, from the largest denomination to the tiniest
fellowship, it seems that controversy makes itself known and is the
cause of distress, disappointment, anger and division. Controversy can
-- and does -- destroy a church, if the members of the church allow
it.
Over the
past few days, we have been witness to a tragedy in the Church of
England, with the words of Archbishop Dr. Rowan Williams, the
Presiding Bishop of the Anglican Communion, repeated, interpreted out
of context and misinterpreted to the point of causing hysteria and
division. Most people have not taken the time to investigate the
actual statement made by the Archbishop. Instead, they rely upon the
proverbial "grapevine" or the media's "coverage" of the matter. As
such, the actual words spoken are lost in the mist of controversy in
which the Archbishop is labeled a "weak leader" and an "ineffectual
protector of the Christian faith." How disheartening and sad. The
dignity of his office, the contributions he has made, the goodness of
his person are seemingly forgotten and power politics paint a new,
unflattering portrait of a man who is confused about the level of
anxiety surrounding his comments.
Throughout
the years, I have not agreed with nor have I always been supportive of
Archbishop Williams' decisions. One matter that sorely stands out in
my mind is the refusal to allow Bishop Gene Robinson to participate
in the Lambeth Conference. That decision was quite sad and painful
for many people around the world.
In this
current controversy surrounding statements about a possible fusion of
Sharia Law and British Law, I want to withhold judgment until I have
an opportunity to hear or read his words. Enlightened by truth, I can
then make a decision. It will be a decision based on fact, not rumor,
political distortion or emotion. As Presiding Bishop of the Reformed
Catholic Church, I understand and appreciate the difficult office he
holds and the metaphorical political tightrope upon which he has to
travel. Not every word will be universally acceptable and not every
action will be totally embraced. The office of Bishop is oftentimes a
lonely office requiring broad shoulders and a "cast iron stomach" ...
that is, if the bishop plans on being an effective shepherd!
As
Christian people, we are called to act with compassion, understanding
and agape love. Yet we somehow manage to get caught up in power
politics and personal grudges that serve no purpose other than to tear
down the House of God, which is the Church. Like other communities,
we face possible difficulties caused by differing opinions, blind
ambition and misunderstandings. It is up to us to hear and understand
what people say, understand the spirit in which words are spoken,
and to ensure that there is always a via media solution in every
conflict, disagreement or controversy. If we have caused harm to each
other, it our duty, no, it is our moral obligation to enter into
reconciliation not separation. If we cannot reconcile, how can we
approach the altar of the Lord?
We
cannot...unless we are prepared to be a hypocrite!
My hope for
2008 is that people of the Christian faith will endeavor to listen
with open ears, see with open eyes, understand with open minds, speak
with clear tongues and reach out to each other in Agape love and
Christian unity. It is also my hope that people of different cultures
work together to overcome the dangerous xenophobia that is far
too prevalent in many of our countries.
Let us pray
for our sisters and brothers of the Anglican Church that they will
quickly overcome this current crisis and focus again on the important
work of the church: To spread the Gospel of the Lord!
May God
continue to watch over, protect and bless The Reformed Catholic Church
and her people. May each of us work together to build up, not tear
down the house of God, His Church!
I share this prayer and meditation for Ash Wednesday,
as we prepare to enter into the Holy Season of Lent.
In the name of the +Father, the +Son, and the +Holy Spirit,, Amen.
PRAYER
Father, we give you praise and thanks that your love for us is a
jealous love. However much we turn from you, you always seek us out
and welcome us back with joy. Even when we grow dull and weary you
smile on us and fill us with the blessing of new life. Grant that we
who have been raised far beyond ourselves in the likeness of your Son
may be filled with the transforming power of your Holy Spirit this
Lent, and that all we touch may come to life in our hands. Thus may we
give you praise and thanks before all people, today and every day,
forever and ever. Amen!
READING
We are ambassadors for Christ, God as it were appealing through
us. We implore you, in Christ’s name: be reconciled to God! For our
sakes, God made him who did not know sin, to be sin, so that in him we
might become the very holiness of God. As your fellow workers we beg
you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “in an
acceptable time I have heard you; on a day of salvation I have helped
you.” Now is the acceptable time! Now is the day of salvation! (2 Cor
5:20-6:2)
RESPONSE
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is
before me always: Against you only
have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a
steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your holy spirit take not from me.
Give me back the joy of your salvation and a
willing spirit sustain in me. O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
REFLECTION
The Church, in placing ashes upon our heads, teaches us that today we
should enter into a truly penitential spirit. . . In receiving these
ashes, ask God to grant you that spirit of penance with which you
should be animated, and which should accompany you and make you holy.
Exterior penance serves little purpose if it does not effect a change
of heart. Therefore, the imposition of ashes ought should invite a
change in our general conduct, making us repent, as it were, with the
eyes, the tongue, and the heart.
We will repent with the eyes by refraining from all that can distract
us; with the tongue by allowing our lives to be filled with silence in
order to attach ourselves to God; and with the heart by turning our
thoughts to God during this holy season. . .
To encourage us to repent during this season of Lent, the Church's
priests, while placing ashes upon our heads, remind us that “you are
dust and to dust you will return.” We should bear this thought in mind
during this holy season, that we may be inspired to perform acts of
penance with great love and zeal
CLOSING PRAYER
Lord, when I look at life
may I see through your eyes,
sensitively.
Lord, when I hear your people speak
may I listen with your ears,
attentively.
Lord, when I speak
may I use your words,
thoughtfully.
Lord, when I use my hands
may I give your hands,
carefully.
Lord, as I live each day during this season of Lent
may I walk with you, lovingly.
May this Holy Season be one of renewed faith, hope and love in each of
you!
Pray for peace, pray for healing, pray for reconciliation of God's
people.
In Christ,
++Phillip
FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CO-ADJUTOR - USA
The Most Reverend David Frazee, DD RSJ
Dear RCC Family,
It’s hard to
believe that it is already in February, 2008, 2007 came and went very fast.
It was a year of growth and it was a time with some sorrow attached.
2008 is going to
be a defining time for us in the RCC, with growth comes additional
responsibilities and making sure we live what we talk.
I have been
thinking of what to write to the RCC since my responsibilities have changed
to handling the day to day issues within the United States. ++Phillip is
still the Presiding Archbishop and I am stepping up (with a gentle push) to
help him be able to focus on the International growth which is exploding.
This Church is
marching forward and we have to continue to march in step with the person
next to us to be successful in the harvest of souls.
I was doing some
reading for a speech I have to give at work and I came across a poem that I
think really talks about what we need to do as both Clergy and Laity within
the RCC to make 2008 a successful year.
The poem comes
from the book “Walk the Talk (Translating Beliefs Into Behaviors)”
A Poem of
POSSIBILITIES
If every person
walked the talk,
Can you imagine how
it would be?
A world filled with
good intentions
That all became
reality.
We could count on
one another,
And coexist
respectfully.
There would be no
broken promises,
And no hypocrisy.
We’d have no
problem spotting heroes,
They’d be
everywhere to see.
Just by looking in
the mirror,
We all would find
integrity.
If everybody did
what’s right,
Most rules we
wouldn’t need.
Conscience, trust,
and common sense
Would be the things
that we’d all heed.
There would be no
hurtful actions
In the news that we
would read.
Only story, after
story
Of yet another
noble deed.
And when it came to
raising children
With young
characters to mold and feed,
The best lessons
they could ever learn
Would come by
merely following our lead.
If each of us
behaved beliefs
There’d be little
cause for fear.
All actions would
be honorable,
Our values would be
clear.
Just by watching
what it is we DO,
One could tell what
we hold dear.
For our principles
would be acts you see,
Not merely words
you hear.
It’s a challenging
task to Walk the Talk
Every hour, day,
and year.
And we ALL can do a
better job.
Let’s start RIGHT
NOW…RIGHT HERE
Let us all step
up to Walk the Talk and lets make 2008 a year of Unity within the Church and
by living what we say.
May God give us
the Strength and Courage to be ONE in our focus, Let Walk The Talk and show
people we are real.+
+David Frazee
RSJ
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF ST.
PATRICK
The Most Reverend William
Quinlan, DD RCF
My dear fellow clergy:
On Sunday March 2nd, Archbishop
Bill Quinlan will celebrate a Memorial Mass for Fr. Harry B. Sherman at
St. Sebastian Church in Columbus Ohio at 10:00 AM. I ask that you all
remember him in your masses and prayers on this day.
Fr. Harry was the pastor of St.
Luke's Episcopal Church in Granville, Ohio for a number of years. He
was the epitome of what a priest should be. A very spiritual
man, loving, kind, a great sense of humor, and always open to helping
people. He was a special friend and mentor to me during the time that I
attended St. Luke's Church.
After reaching retirement age he
and his wife Joan moved to New Hampshire.
He is survived by Joan, three
sons, and a daughter, and his grandchildren.
Eternal rest grant unto him O
Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him.
On Ash Wednesday we entered into the holy season of
Lent. As the ashes were placed on our foreheads in the form of a cross,
we hear the words "Remember that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt
return"
We humans do not like to be reminded of the brevity
of our lives, but it is a fact that we must all keep in mind as we go
about our lives. No matter what our station in life is, no matter if we
are a poor homeless person, a great celebrity, or the president of a great
country our days upon this earth are numbered.
God cares not about what wealth and fame that we
may achieve, but looks into our souls to see if we are loving, kind to all
we meet, helpful to those in need, and if we, his ministers, are showing
forth the love of Christ by our example and actions.
Psalm 51 taken from the Mass of Ash Wednesday :
Have mercy on me O God, in your goodness:
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.
For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is always before me.
Against you only have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.
A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within
me.
Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
Give me back the joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in
me.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
As children we were asked to give up something
during this time, such as candy or something we
liked. As adults we know that it is not the giving
up, but the taking on, which is more pleasing to God.
To seek out others that we may help, by additional
prayer time and strengthening our spiritual life, which
is the better path.
The greater our effort during Lent, the greater our
joy on Easter morning, when we hear the marvelous message of "He is Risen,
he is risen indeed" For this is the bedrock of our faith - that Christ
suffered, died, and conquered death.
My wish for all of us is a blessed Lenten season,
and a joyous feast of the Resurrection on Easter morn.
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
From the Gospel of the 1st Sunday of Lent:
Shortly after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist he went away into the
desert, to pray and discern the path that His Father would have him
follow.
The Gospel for the 1st Sunday of Lent tells us that he fasted for 40 days
and forty nights As we count 40 days and 40 nights today it may not have
been within this actual framework of time, but the writers of Holy
Scripture use this time frame, not only in this Gospel, but in others,
to denote a passage of time.
During this time Jesus was utterly alone, praying and being in communion
with His Father in Heaven. It must have been a time of great seeking, and
yearning to do what was right. It must have been a time of sadness and
also of expectation. To be alone on this great desert, hot during the
day, cold during the night, could not have been a pleasant experience. He
was hungry and thirsty. Then at a time when He must have been at a low
point the Tempter appears.
He tells Jesus "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to turn
into bread." By this statement the tempter surely must know with whom he
is speaking. Jesus tells him," Scripture has it: "Not on bread alone is
man to live, but on every utterance that comes from the mouth of God?
The devil has failed in this first attempt, so he tries again. He takes
Jesus to the Holy City and sets him on the Temple parapet and tells him
"If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. Saying that God will bid
His angels to take care of you, and they will support you so that you will
never stumble on a stone."
Again Jesus gives a reply to the devil, saying that "scripture also says,
You shall not put the Lord your God to the test."
But the devil is not about to admit defeat just yet. He takes Jesus to a
high mountain and show Him all of the magnificent kingdoms of the world,
telling him that he will give them all to him, if He would but only
prostrate himself in homage to him. At this point in the narrative, I get
the sense that Jesus is becoming tired of these empty promises, and tells
Satan to get away. And once again Jesus quotes Scripture to the devil,
saying "You shall do homage to the Lord your God; Him alone shall you
adore"
With this powerful statement Jesus sends the tempter on his way, and he
knows that he has failed and can do no more to entice Jesus to follow
him.
The last sentence of the Gospel states," At that the devil left him and
angels came and waited upon him."
I am sure that there is much more to this story, that the Gospel writer
does not tell us. The main thing is that Jesus, like we are, was
tempted. He passed the test. Do we always pass the test? I know that I
have failed in many respects, as do we all. But the essence of the story
is to always be aware of how the devil works, of how he may tempt us as
individuals, and as ministers of Christ's' church. The tempter seems to
always know when we may be at a low point, and comes in when we are at our
weakest, trying to subvert our allegiance from God over to himself.
Let us always pray that God will give us the strength to overcome the
tempter, and remain true to our Father who created us, and loves us
dearly.
With my best wishes, and blessing to you all
+Bill Quinlan
OFFICE OF THE BISHOP OF THE
DIOCESE OF ST. MICHAEL
The Most
Reverend Patrick Batuyong, DD
RCC Spring 2008 Synod
Atlanta, Georgia
April 23 – 26, 2008
Tuesday April
22(Travel day)
Wednesday April 23 - 9am Opening Mass
Saturday April 26 - 2pm - Closing Mass
Synod Theme
‘TAKE AND
EAT…………[This is my body]”
[God’s Greatest Gift for Body and Soul]
Reflect for a moment
upon the spiritual, emotional and physical healing that is available
through the transforming power of this sacrament. Each of us can recount
miraculous, healing and stories with respect to Holy Communion.
Each time we celebrate Mass,
each time we as a priest, religious brother or sister, postulant or novice
or lay person carry out the Corporal Works of Mercy in our ministry and
daily lives, we bring to God’s children a transforming power, God’s greatest
gift for body and soul – His Body and Blood.
We have “Taken and Eaten” and
now we MUST become …”The Christ to all…… “
Ø
More information forthcoming on available accommodations and
rates………………….
Ø
Each parish, parish mission and oratory is authorized to have
a Lay Representative to vote the voice of the people.
Ø
Synod cost remains unchanged from previous years ………$125 per
person.
Fee should be sent to the Office of the
Presiding Archbishop no later than
March 15th, 2008.
Ø
The Local Diocesan Office is the POC for all clergy &
religious
attendees
St. Patrick Archdiocese
Diocesan Bishop: Most
Reverend William Quinlan RCF
From the Office
of the Chancellor Monsignor Michael Baremore RCF
Announcing the Birth of St Anthony's RCC!
San Antonio, Texas -
A new Reformed Catholic parish has been formed in San Antonio,
Texas. The Reverend Monsignor Mike Baremore pastor of St. Anthony Reformed
Catholic Church.
"For
the people of San Antonio, this represents a new
community living in hope and reconciliation. We seek to be a community of
relevant progressive followers of Christ, while celebrating the Sacraments
of traditional to our Catholic faith. This is a place of encouragement, of
acceptance, forgiveness and a real place to belonging,
This
community has "caught" the vision created by the RCC mission and are running
with it. New local and global initiatives are springing up every week as
people follow their passions by taking on service projects of every
description. The bottom line is that people with many kinds of unique needs
in the community are being served. The parish council is being formed. The
community will be researching and praying as to whom, in what capacity and
in what locations we are being most called to serve at this time.
The Special Ministry
Department is pleased to announce a new program:
THE AGAPE
COMMUNITY PROJECT
The Reformed Catholic Church
has launched a new ministry entitled THE AGAPE COMMUNITY PROJECT (ACP).
This new ministry will reach out to the various ministries, programs,
missions, parishes and diocese of the church, seeking to ensure that each
RCC community is a welcoming community, inviting all people to share in
the sacraments of the church. The motto of the Agape Community Project
is: Caring, Compassion, Committed: ALL Are Welcome!
These are three very important qualities that makes our communities
successful in their outreach efforts.
The application that can be
completed online and transmitted to the ACP Officer. Once the application
is received, the ACP Director will send you, FREE OF CHARGE,
a certificate of membership and good standing in the Program.
As clergy members of the Agape
Community, we simply affirm the following:
1. The Tenets of Faith
2. The Constitution of the RCC
3. The Canons of the RCC
4. Your vows of ordination
5. The eight essentials of the
RCC
6. Contribute to the National
Church
Importantly,
this is an RCC Ministry, and it is open to ALL RCC
communities, large and small, long existing or newly formed. There are no
lengthy applications or reviews, just the need for a commitment from you
to ensure that you make every effort to be a welcoming community.
This is a voluntary project
and you may absolutely choose to not participate. It is not the purpose
or intention of the Agape Community Project to interfere with the local
parish/mission/ministry or the local diocesan bishop, but to offer
support when called upon. To terminate
participation in the ACP, simply send a note to the Director.
The following is an update of recent
innovations within the Vicariate:
The Web Site,
the “mother” of our communication strategies and development moves
diligently forward with continued expansion of online resources. Continual
updates, work in the process of refining the website for smooth and
effective navigation and content organization.
On this note, the Vicariate of Communications
is continuing to update parish and clergy information and to develop a
cross-reference directory of the RCC. We have integrated the Global
Directory in the RCC E-mail Server. When entering the RCC E-mail Server, be
sure to update your profile with your current information as this will be
automatically update the RCC Global Directory. This will assure that the
Global Directory is up-to-date, and all RCC members will have your current
information. Furthermore, this will allow the RCC E-mail Users to view the
RCC Global Address List, displaying all email addresses and users at the
domain-level. This adds increased functionality to the auto-complete
features, speed communication and reduces the number of misdirected emails
due to mis-addressed emails.
Email is an absolutely crucial communicatory
tool for the whole of the Church.
It is supposed to take communication, organization and resource-sharing to a
higher level. The New – full featured - RCC E-mail System is designed
to help achieve that. It comes with advanced features such as account
statistics, content filtering, variable inboxes, calendar, RSS feeds and
much more. The system affords us a trouble-free sharing of contacts,
calendar events, tasks and notes as a resource for communication and
collaboration, allowing the RCC members to view and share email folders. You
can set “Read and Write” or “Read Only” permissions for these folders. The
password that was assigned will be used to gain assess to the secure parts
of the web site, and share files.We hope you are finding these upgrades
helpful and welcome your input as to your experience working with the New
System.
We are very pleased to announce the two most
recent services which have been added, as well as the two projects we look
to next. The new IM Chat service and Inter- Office Memo has
been installed to the RCC Website. These services can be found under the
Clergy Resources area. The New Library Service will be added soon.
This will allow RCC members to check out books from the lending Library.
And, lastly, soon to be open is the RCC Internet Store. Msgr. Michael
Baremore has taken on this wonderful project.
Confidentiality
Memorandum The information contained in each issue of the Pax Press
Express is private and confidential to RCC members, and associates only.
Should anyone wish to re-print anything submitted, contact the Vicariate
of Communications at 419-517-6762, or E-mail
Communications@reformedcatholicchurch.org
Click the picture above to
dedicate a memorial mass
Disclaimer:
The Unauthorized use of
the name The Reformed Catholic Church is a violation of copyright &
trademark laws. Federal Trademark #77377344.
Only those individuals or
communities included on this website are officially recognized as validly
ordained clergy, lay leadership or authorized member parishes of
The Reformed Catholic Church.
If you want to use
any art on this site, please ask first!
Contact the Webmaster
.JPG)
My family in Christ,
