News
and Events.....
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
On Christmas Eve, the Parish
of St. Sebastian will hold a Christmas Midnight Mass, beginning at 11:30 pm,
with the St. Luke Choir singing selections. Merry Christmas to you
all; every wish for a prosperous new year!
LARGEST TABLE PROGRAM UPDATE
Volunteers from the St.
Sebastian Community have been actively involved with St. John Protestant
Church Largest Table Program and provides meals to the homeless of our city
every third Wednesday of the month. Our community provided 300
Thanksgiving meals on Wednesday, November 22. Our next scheduled meal
is on the Feast of St. Stephen, December 26, 2007.
The Interdenominational Health Initiative, Faith
Works, a community outreach program sponsored in part by the
Columbus Public Health Department, has invited Archbishop Phillip
Zimmerman to serve as Chaplain to the organization. Archbishop
Zimmerman has accepted this invitation as he is committed to the
mission of this organization.
Faith Works is a health care program designed to help church communities
improve the community's health through advocacy, awareness,
education, diet and preventative measures/healthcare.
Please keep this important outreach effort in your prayers.
Membership in Metropolitan
Area Council of Churches
On September 11, 2007,The Reformed Catholic
Church Parish of St. Sebastian and her Missions were accepted as a member
of the Metropolitan Area Council of Churches. This membership gives
our community greater explosure to the Columbus faith community, and
provides our clergy with a number of benefits, including membership in a
id badge program that gives our clergy access to no-charge parking at
local participating hospitals and clinics. As our clergy have a very
engaged hospital/nursing home ministry, this is a welcomed blessing!
Partnership with Peace Lutheran
Church
On September 9, 2007 Archbishop Zimmerman was
invited by the pastor and people of Peace Lutheran Church, Gahanna,
Ohio to share in the celebation of the Eucharist and to speak about
the impact of HIV/AIDS on the community, both local and global, and the
need for people of faith to engage in ministry/outreach to those affected
by HIV. Reports from Peace Lutheran have been very favorable.
In part of this new ecumenical
outreach and partnership, Archbishop Zimmerman was asked to celebrate the
Eucharist on September 29 2007 at Bicentenial Park during a special meal
delivery program for the homeless.
Partnership with the Old Roman
Catholic Church - English Rite
In August, 2007 Archbishop Zimmerman entered
into an informal concordat with Bishop Milne, of the ORCC-ER of
Canada, and welcomed Fr. M. Colombiere Morgan as an associate of the RCC.
Fr. Colombiere celebrated a traditional Latin Mass at St. Sebastian on
Wednesday, September 5, 2007.
Partnership with St. John's
Evangelical Protestant Church
Since June, 2007, St. Sebastian Reformed
Catholic Church has partnered with St. John Evangelical Protestant Church.
Our community had made a commitment of time, talent and treasure to the
Largest Table Program, which is a lunch program for the homeless of
Columbus. Archbishop Zimmerman has shared in in the celebration of
ecumenical communion services, offering the homily at several services.
We thank our parish volunteers for their commitment to this important
program.
Morning Manna Program:
Small communities can make a big difference!
Columbus,
Ohio:
Since April, 2006 St. Sebastian Cathedral volunteers and clergy host a
weekly community breakfast, with a regularly changing menu, for the
residents of the Hilltop District of Columbus. An average of 300 meals per
event have been served each Saturday Morning, with approximately 4,000 meals
provided to those in need. This includes eat in breakfast & food bags that
are handed out to each person that comes to the breakfast.
Volunteers
begin preparation at 6:00 am and open the doors at 9:00 am, usually to a
large crowd of people waiting outside. In addition to the breakfast meal,
which consists of both hot and cold foods, beverages etc, St. Sebastian
volunteers also provide to-go meals and grocery bags for those who are in
need.
St.
Sebastian's Morning Manna program is the only breakfast meal delivery
program in the immediate area, as other churches discontinued their
programs. As such, St. Sebastian is very active on Saturday mornings!
St.
Sebastian welcomes volunteers to assist in the Morning Manna Program, and
welcomes financial support to expand the program. For more information or
to make a contribution, please contact Archbishop Zimmerman, in residence at
St. Sebastian Cathedral, at 614-272-5995. If you would like to volunteer,
please contact Rodney Redd (program coordinator) at the same number or email
him at
webmaster@reformedcatholicchurch.org.
We can all
make a difference!
St. Sebastian Parish
Festival
Saturday, August 26, 2006:
St.
Sebastian Cathedral announces that it will hold a parish festival on
Saturday, August 26, from 12:00 noon till 8:00 pm on the church
grounds. Games, information and merchandise booths as well as a variety of
food and snacks will be available for festival attendees. For more
information or to reserve a booth or table space, please call St. Sebastian
Church Office at 614-272-5995.
St. Sebastian Dedication
November
20, 2005: The new National Cathedral of The Reformed
Catholic Church will be dedicated and consecrated on Sunday, November
20, the Feast of Christ the King. Reformed Catholic Clergy from across
the country and local clergy from various denominations in Columbus,
Ohio will participate in the mass of consecration.
Everyone is welcome to attend this historic moment, not only in the life
of the St. Sebastian Parish and The Reformed Catholic Church, but that
of the Independent Catholic Movement.
For more information, please contact the St. Sebastian church office at
614-272-5995. Click on picture to view invite or click
here to send email to RSVP for event.
New Outreach Program Begun
Announced with a kick-off January 20, 2005, St. Sebastian's, a new HIV
Support/Educational/Social program that we developed called "Positive Peers".
The goal of this project is to provide an affirming, open, safe, supportive
place for people who have recently been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS to meet others
who prove that you can live with the virus. Our primary objective is to educate
people about HIV and how to live with the virus, to give participants a sense of
empowerment and responsibility, and to provide a social outlet that is affirming
and non-judgmental for those who participate in this program.
Positive P.E.E.R.S. provides the following services for its participants:
◊ Social Gatherings
◊ Peer Support Groups
◊ Guest Speakers
◊ Educational Forum
◊ Contact with Health Agencies and Doctors
◊ Resource and Agency Referrals
◊ Phone hotline
◊ Informative Website
◊ Newsletter
If you are interested in participating in the program or volunteering your
time/talent to this important project, please contact Fr. Phillip Zimmerman,
Director of Pater Noster House, at (614) 870-6460 or at
info@paternosterhouse.org
All are welcome!
Ordination of Robert Olexo
On October 23, 2004, Bishop Zimmerman
ordained Deacon Robert Olexo to the order of
Priests at St. Sebastian Chapel.
Annual Victims of Hate Crimes Service
On October 15, 2004 Bishop Zimmerman
represented the Reformed Catholic Church and
Pater Noster House at the Shepherd Inititiative
sponsored Annual Victims of Hate Crimes
Interdenominational Service held at St. James
Episcopal Church, in Columbus. Bishop Zimmerman
participated in the service and was asked
to present the Gospel reading.
Summer Synod News
On August 6th,2004, the Synod of the
Reformed Catholic Church, which convened in
Columbus, Ohio from August 4 though 7, 2004
unanimously elected Bishop Phillip Zimmerman as
the Presiding Bishop of the Church.
Columbus
Health Care Center
The outreach ministries of our community are growing! Monsignor Zimmerman,
on behalf of St. Sebastian Catholic Community, has agreed to serve as the
Volunteer Catholic Chaplain for Columbus Health Care Center, a nursing home
located on the West Side of Columbus. The Mass will be celebrated every 1st and
3rd Thursday of the month, beginning in June, 2004. Monsignor Zimmerman will
also provide other sacraments of the church to the residents upon request.
Elevation to Bishop
Monsignor Zimmerman was ordained to the office of Bishop on Saturday, April
24, 2004 at Holy Cross Priory in New Orleans by Archbishop Robert J. Allmen, DD
OP. Among Bishop Zimmerman's parish and other responsibilities, he will serve
as National Director of Evangelization for the Reformed Catholic Church.
Pater Noster House
In February 2004, Monsignor Zimmerman and Rev. Brother McNamara assumed
responsibility for the operation of Pater Noster House, an adult group home for
people living with HIV/AIDS located on the West Side. At any given time, Pater
Noster House serves five residents, providing them with temporary to long-term
housing. For those interested in volunteering time, services or would like to
make a financial contribution to Pater Noster House, please contact Monsignor
Zimmerman.
