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The
worldwide daily communication newsletter of The Reformed
Catholic Church |
October 2007 Articles
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDING
BISHOP
Most Reverend Phillip
Zimmerman DD ThD RSJ
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Oct. 31, 2007
On Saturday, October 27, Bishop William Quinlan,
RCF, Bishop David Frazee, RSJ, Brother Danny Evans, RSJ and I travelled
to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to share in the celebration of the Mass of
Priestly Ordination for Reverend Michel-Paul Holland, who is the
founding pastor of Holy Redeemer Reformed Catholic Church.
The Mass was celebrated at Grace St. John UCC,
which is the host church for our new parish. The day was truly special
and beautiful, with family, friends and supporters -- and musicians --
joining Michel and his partner Gayle and his son, Stephen. We also had a
very special blessing of Michel singing Con Te Partiro as a
reflection after Holy Communion. What a gift to those
attending... Thank you, Fr. Holland!
Please keep Fr. Michel-Paul, his partner and
their family, and the community of Holy Redeemer in your thoughts and
prayers. Monsignor Marcis will provide Fr. Holland with an RCC email
address so that you may communicate with him. Congratulations!
Bishop Ken Denski of Pennsylvania, has stepped
forward to assume duties as Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of St.
Katherine Drexel. This new diocese will include the states of
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and West Virginia. I will
promulgate this new diocese on November 11, when I travel to
Philadelphia. Bishop Ken's email address is
rev.ken@verizon.net Monsignor Marcis will be assigning him
a new RCC email address for the Diocese. Congratulations Bishop Ken!
Bishop Barry Ferguson, OSB, of Lubbock, Texas has
shared some wonderful photographs of his community's anniversary
celebration. You may view the photos by going to the St. Benedict Chapel
website address
www.stbenedictstx.com Congratulations and
Happy Anniversary to Bishop Barry, his wife, Anne, and the family of St.
Benedict Chapel!
I am seeking to build up an RCC presence in the
Boston area. We have had requests to start communities there, but we
are in need of vocations in that area. If you know of any possible
candidates for Holy Orders who live in Boston, please let Monsignor
Shawn Smith, Chancelor of St. Teresa of Calcutta Diocese know. His
email address is
frshawn@mysaintjoes.com
God bless you and keep you!
Oct. 29, 2007
I would like to share what I
consider to be a defining moment in the ministerial outreach of the RCC
in Columbus, Ohio.
On Sunday, October 28, the
combined St. Sebastian/St. Jude volunteers arrived at a local mission to
provide the Sunday meal. Upon our arrival, there was another church
group offering a meal with a minister delivering a sermon that was
filled with fire and brimstone and mentioned, more than once, damnation
and punishment.
Not but a few seconds after we
passed by the long line of people listening to this sermon, the people
recognized our vehicles and immediately made their way
towards Bishop David's van. Not one person remained in the other
church's line... Not one! When I said to the people in our line, "what
a blessing to have two churches helping today", a young man said to me,
"Father, we all came over here... YOU guys really care about us."
Then, I was asked by another man, "Father, what does your church think
about homosexuals?" I replied that God loves everyone, that no one is
unworthy of His Love and every person, no matter who they are, deserves
the love and respect of the Church . The young man smiled, and said
thanks to me... "I feel better now, I really believe what you say... I
am gay and I just want to know that God does not hate me." I told him
that God never hates any of His children, and that any minister or
church that says otherwise is dangerous and seriously misguided. He
shook my hand and asked me to pray for him.
From a distance, I watched the
preacher become increasingly aggitated, standing with his hands on his
hips, with stare of intense hatred on his face. He angrily threw the
box of food he had into the back of his sports utility vehicle, made a
gesture with his hand, shook his head in disgust, got into his car and
quickly drove off.
What today's situation makes
clear to me is this: People will NOT tolerate bigotry, hatred or
discrimination. Even when they are hungry, most people will not
allow ministers or anyone else to use food as a weapon or a
bribe. People know those who genuinely care. As scriptures remind us,
"by their fruits you shall know them".
I am very proud of Bishop David
and the many volunteers of the RCC who show through their ministries,
missions and outreach programs that they truly do care about the people
in our community who are in genuine need. Truly, the fruits of our
labors are blessed.
Also, the fruits of that other
church have been made clearly known, and I pray that they will
understand the powerful message sent from above and seek to have a
conversion of heart. As St. Paul reminds us, in the end there are three
things, Faith, Hope and Love, and the greatest of these is LOVE.
LOVE! May we continue to reach
out to all of God's people in a Spirit of Love and Charity.
Oct. 24, 2007
It is my pleasure to inform you
that we have welcomed Brother Richard St. Clare, OSB of Seattle
Washington, Bishop Barry Ferguson, his wife Anne, and the community of
St. Benedict's Chapel of Lubbock, Texas and Brother Tomasz Puchalski and
the two communities of the Church of Christians that are located in
Poznan and Wroclaw, Poland into the RCC Family!
Please join me in welcoming our
new family!
Oct. 22, 2007
Dear Family In Christ,
I want to congratulate Fr. Warren
Taylor, RSJ of St. Michael the Defender Parish in Atlanta, GA on the
occasion of his ordination to the presbyteral office on Saturday,
October 20, 2007. Mr. John Harry was received into Postulancy by Bishop
William Quinlan, RCF on Sunday, October 21, 2007 at St. Sebastian in
Columbus, Ohio. On Saturday, October 27, 2007, Deacon Michel-Paul
Holland of Ft. Wayne, IN will be ordained into the presbyteral order
and celebrate the first Mass of Holy Redeemer Reformed Catholic Church
on Sunday, October 28, 2007.
Please keep our brothers in your
prayers as they continue to discern their calling and enter into new
ministries.
Every blessing to you all,
Oct. 11, 2007
Dear Sisters and Brothers in
Christ,
Over the last several days, I had
an opportunity to speak with a number of our clergy, both in the United
States, Pakistan and Ireland. It is truly exciting to learn about the
many outstanding ministries, outreach programs and services that our
communities share with the people we serve.
I want to thank you all for
the incredible work that you do, and encourage you to continue to reach
out, develop new programs, and "get involved" in the life of your
community! What makes the RCC stand out head and shoulders over other
independent catholic communities is that we have REAL, RELEVANT, ACTIVE
ministries, programs and parishes. This is a blessing, both to those
whom we serve and to this church.
We are a pilgrim people. That
means we are on a journey. Part of that journey necessarily includes
changes in how we operate and communicate. In recent months, we have
seen some incredible changes in communications, with the addition of
Spiritual Reflections, Paxpress Daily News, Paxpress On-line News,
Paxpress Newspaper, The Daily Word Podcast and the Rainbow Faith Podcast
offered by Sr. Meg in Australia. All of these innovations and changes
have been a blessing to the community. I thank those who have worked so
diligently on these projects.
Another aspect of being on a
journey is that there are time when things just don't work as well as we
would like. As such, your patience and kind notes are appreciated, as
they help alert us to potential problems and errors. But more
importantly, YOUR INVOLVEMENT, is greatly appreciated AND desired! It's
easy to criticize someone else's work -- but it is much more important
to help us with this effort! Certainly, your words of support, your
encouragement can make an overworked person know that they are
appreciated!
It is my hope that you lend your
talents to this ongoing effort.
The Reformed Catholic Church is
an emerging church, taking a very important and visible role on the
world stage. While, at this time, we do not have the resources to have
our own brick and mortar buildings, formal seminaries, or stockpiles of
financial resources, we do have what is important: FAITH, that is
unshakable; HOPE, that is infinite; LOVE, that is unconditional! For
me, this is what is truly important. Because without these three
things, we have NOTHING.
Our Church exists because it must
exist. Far too many churches are closed to people because of their
lifestyles, their divorce status, political affiliation, and other
discriminatory reasons. We must willingly dedicate (and constantly
rededicate) ourselves to be another face of Christianity-- of our
Catholic Heritage --that welcomes all people without demands,
limitations, or provisos. May we all seek to respond to the teaching
found in Micah 6:8 He
has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of
you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Please consider sharing your parish/ministries
achievements/activities with the communications department so that we
can share this news with the greater RCC! May God continue to bless you
as you work in the Vineyard!
Oct. 8, 2007
Dear Family in Christ,
I would like to recognize the following clergy on the occasion of their
anniversary to Holy Orders/Consecration:
Monsignor Shawn Smith, RSJ
Monsignor Michael Baremore, RCF
Deacon Matthew Bailey, RSJ
Bishop Joshua Alekzandor, DD OSI
Bishop Patrick Batuyong, DD
Bishop David Frazee, DD RSJ
Bishop Peter Posthumus, DD OPJB
Tom Martin
(Transitional Deacon Ordination October 4, 2006)
Mother
Superior Mary Grace, DMF (Transitional Deacon Ordination October 4,
2006)
Friends, we ask you to honor those leaders
who work so hard for you, who have been
given the responsibility of urging and guiding
you along in your obedience.
1 Thessalonians 5:12
Please keep our brothers and sisters in your prayers as they continue to work in the
Vineyard of our Lord!
Congratulations and may God continue to bless you!
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Oct. 1, 2007
The Reformed Catholic Church continues to
grow!
It is my office, honor and great privilege
to announce to you that Monsignor Niall Sheridan, RSJ is hereby
appointed Bishop-Elect and will be consecrated Bishop of Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and England in May, 2008 when I make a pastoral
visit to Dublin Ireland. Please keep Bishop-Elect Sheridan in
your prayers as he prepares for his new ministry.
I will be traveling to Ireland on May 2,
2008, with a return to the United States on/about May 16, 2008.
Please join me in congratulating
Bishop-Elect Sheridan!
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From The
Diocese of Ireland, Scotland, England
and Wales
Monsignor Niall Sheridan, Bishop Elect
of the new diocese
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Oct. 13, 2007
In the name of Our Lord Jesus
Christ. Amen
My sisters and brothers in
Christ, Greetings in the name of the Lord from the newly created Reformed
Catholic Church Diocese of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, under the
patronage of Saint Patrick. I’m Monsignor Niall Sheridan, Bishop Elect of
the new diocese.
So what is this new diocese
and what is the backdrop we face at this moment in history as we begin our
outreach to the people?
Our new diocese is truly a
missionary outreach of our church. Many of our churches, parishes and
missions throughout the world already have congregations, groups and peoples
and became members of the church through a mutual exploration of their
spiritual needs and desires, through listening to the call of God in their
lives in their spiritual hunger. The church here, with the exception of Fr.
Guye Gemechu and the flock he leads in London, England, is totally
missionary in that we are going out without any peoples, any communities and
any groups. We begin with absolutely no-one in most places.
We begin in our diocese with a
backdrop of a place ravaged by the sexual abuse scandals of the Roman
Catholic Clergy, and often even more by the scandals of their Bishops’ who
simply moved their problem priests instead of dealing with them as they
arose. I have been most surprised at how much this has struck at the hearts
and minds and psyche of so many people I meet. The diocese is experiencing
what the USA has known for quite some time – a new affluence and much
poverty. Ireland for example has the second highest number of millionaires
in the world second only to Japan. And yet, it not only has a deep spiritual
poverty and paralysis but considerable poverty in terms of material needs
and wants for the basics of living a decent life for many. There is a
comparatively high level of drug taking and quite literally not a day goes
by without some reports of persons gunned down in the streets for various
reasons. There is a high level of suicide and death from various traumatic
causes amongst the young – 8 such deaths alone in one week in the small
rural neighbourhood of a thousand or so, in which I live myself.
There are many encouraging
signs in the area of human relations. Ireland and indeed the whole diocese,
has accepted many new people of various races and creeds with little or no
racism and no such attacks as we have seen elsewhere. There is what I see as
a genuine level of simple acceptance – not tolerance – amongst ordinary
people of BGLTG people; although not so sadly among the churches here. The
President of Ireland, Dr. Mary McAleese, has spoken out consistently
particularly in support of young persons who are gay, in their pain and
difficulty of coming out, in their pain and difficulty of seeking to live a
full, open and honest life. There is now an understanding of divorced
persons that didn’t exist here in the past and it is not now seen as some
terrible stigma anymore.
It is with that kind of
backdrop that we go out to preach the Gospel to the people of the diocese.
We have some enquiries but almost no commitment from people so far.
Please ask the Lord to bless
us with open and listening hearts for ourselves and amongst the people.
Pray for Fr. Gemechu and myself as we preach the Gospel of the Loving Lord
in this corner of the vineyard. May the Lord bless our efforts with success.
Some future plans; I hope to
celebrate the Mass of Christmas Midnight with Fr. Gemechu and his
congregation in London this year. I will be working with Monsignor Heckman
on a press and publicity outreach in the diocese. His work is outstanding
for the church worldwide. It is my hope that I may be invited to the
Worldwide gathering of the Anglican Communion in Lambeth, England next year
as an ecumenical observer. I hope to visit Rome in 2008 and will write to
Cardinal Kasper, The Roman Catholic Church Prefect for Christian Unity in
order to meet him when I visit. I shall also request that I may simply bear
our greetings in visitation with the Bishop of Rome also. ++Archbishop
Phillip has given me to understand that my Episcopal Ordination will take
place next May when he makes a Pastoral Visit to inaugurate the Diocese at
that time. Please know that you are all very welcome to come here at that
time in particular and share in this historic moment for our diocese and for
our church. Simply let me know if you can come through my email on the
Reformed Catholic Church Website. I am also slowly beginning to make contact
with other denominations here. I am also looking for a physical home for us
and for also for the ‘physicalia’ – the church things, vestments etc., which
goes to making such a building usable for us as a church if we find one, as
we begin with literally nothing.
Remember us in prayer and may
your God go with you.
Monsignor Niall Sheridan
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICAR FOR
FORMATION
Most Reverend H. Eduardo Gonzales DD
OSF |
Oct. 2,
2007
This past weekend I co-directed a
retreat in New Mexico for regional prayer groups from New Mexico and
Colorado. There were about 300 in attendance. I just want to let you all
know how good God was in blessing our efforts. I returned home drained
and exhausted but we had a lovely event. The music was wonderful with
most of it being in Spanish. I won't deny that I danced to a few of those
marvelous tunes. We experienced some profound Liturgical events and much
healing was felt.
I spoke of various aspects of prayer and the core of all
prayer, being the Eucharist. I stressed that without the Eucharist we are
nothing but noise and that it is Jesus in His Bread and Wine that feeds
us, heals us and yet continually calls us to Himself. I stressed that all
prayer begins, stems from and returns to the Eucharist and that if we pray
properly, it is Jesus who actually prays with us to the Father. I gave
emphasis to the theology that all prayers are united at each Mass when the
Eucharist is raised and the church prays,
...Through Him, With Him and In Him in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory is yours Almighty Father forever and ever..."
What a
blessing to be reminded of that gift. Oh, and I passed out 325 rosary's.
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Office of the Bishop of the Diocese of The Divine Mercy
The Most Reverend David A. Frazee, DD RSJ |
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Oct. 7, 2007
A Pastoral Letter from Bishop David to St.
Joan
Dear Family in Christ,
It is with great
pleasure and anticipation that I write to the St. Joan of Arc. Community.
The Gospel for today is fitting for what is happening in New Orleans,
faith in action.
Luke
Chapter 17
5
And the apostles said to the
Lord, "Increase our faith."
6
The Lord replied, "If you
have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry
tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.
7
"Who among you would say
to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the
field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?
8
Would he not rather say
to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me
while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'?
9
Is he grateful to that
servant because he did what was commanded?
10
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable
servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"
As you begin to build
the community of St. Joan of Arc you are showing your faith and showing that
by putting it into action you can accomplish much. It is up to you to take
the gospel of the Lord and live it so others can see your faith, can see the
love that God commands us to share one with another.
Plant the seed of faith
for others so they can see the miracle that faith can bring about. Live
your faith so others can see Christ in your face and in your actions and
words. We are Christ’s hands to reach out to those in need, the feet to
take the Gospel to them, the eyes to see the hurt, the suffering of those
around us. We are his arms to hold them in their time of need. Let your
faith be a healing touch to those you come in contact with.
In James chapter 2
verses 14-17 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith
but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister
has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to
them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the
necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it
does not have works, is dead.
I was always taught that
faith is like a muscle and that if you do not exercise your faith it will
not grow. The gospel tells us it does not take much faith to accomplish
miracles, for the mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds on earth. So
use your faith and let it grow, let it be the light on hill that shines in
the darkest night.
New Orleans
has suffered much and its people even more, let your good works be an
inspiration to all who come in contact with you. Grow a community based on
Trust, Hope, Truth and most of LOVE.
May almighty God give
you strength, determination and most of all fruit for your labor+
+David Frazee DD RSJ |
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OFFICE OF THE BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF ST.
PATRICK
The Most Reverend
William
Quinlan, DD
OSI
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Greetings my friends,
This past week I was pleased to attend Mass celebrated by Fr. Michael
Tigner ,pastor of Sacred Heart parish, at St. Sebastian in Columbus.
Bishop Peter Posthumus of Grand Rapids Michigan, and Msgr. Marcis
Heckman of Holy Cross Parish in Toledo, Ohio were also in attendance.
+Peter gave a very moving homily on the gospel of the 10 lepers who
were healed by Jesus.
+Peter is a great inspiration to all of us, as he continues with his
ministry, while coping with his physical illness. Let us all keep him
in our prayers and Masses, asking God to grant us the same strength
and courage to preach the love of God, as +Peter does, in spite of
great physical difficulties.
On October 20th Dcn. Warren Taylor will be ordained to the
priesthood. Due to my work schedule I was not able to attend this
joyous occasion. We pray for him as he enters a new stage of his
ministry. Dcn. Warren is to be commended for the outstanding work
that he does with our Reformed Catholic Church podcasts, which air
daily.
I will be making some pastoral visits in the near future. On the
weekend of October 26th and 27th, I will be traveling with Archbishop
Phillip to Ft. Wayne Indiana for the ordination of Dcn. Michel Holland
to the priesthood. On November 10th and 11th I will be visiting Holy
Cross Parish in Toledo. On Nov 18th I will visit Sacred Heart parish
in Reynoldsburg, Ohio for confirmation.
Archbishop Phillip has asked me to accompany him to Dublin, Ireland in
May to consecrate Fr. Niall Sheridan to the Episcopal office of
bishop. Bishop elect Sheridan will be the bishop of Ireland,
Scotland, Wales and England. This will be a great help as our church
continues to grow. We will have an Episcopal presence in those
countries to ordain new priests for the RCC.
In just a few short weeks the church year will be drawing to a close.
And as the new church year begins with the 1st Sunday of Advent, we
again begin a new year of hope and anticipation. Let us look back to
see what things we could have done better, ask for forgiveness of the
things we did not do, and ask God to watch over, inspire, and lead us
in the path he would have us travel. Let us pray for strength to
follow the example that Jesus has shown us, fill us with the Holy
Spirit and let us become better fishers of men.
I look around and see the changing of the season, as we see the leaves
on the trees changing color, falling off, and taking us once again to
a new season of our lives. May God grant us his continued blessing,
his forgiveness, and the grace to bring his message to a troubled
world.
I wish you all peace, love, Gods blessing and joy, as we strive to do
His Will
+Bill Quinlan
Diocesan Bishop of St. Patrick
Oct. 4, 2007
Feast of St Francis of Assisi
Today we celebrate the feast
day of St Francis, so it is appropriate that we pray this prayer, and
seek to emulate the joy that he had in living on Gods beautiful
earth. Let us strive to see as he did, the face of Christ in all that
we meet.
"Lord make me an instrument of
your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is
hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is
doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness,
light; and where there is sickness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I
may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as
to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we
receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying
that we are born to eternal life."
Francis came into the world at
a time when the church was very corrupt, and he tried as best he
could, to bring it back to the true meaning of Jesus' life. To teach
the message that Jesus gave during his lifetime. Jesus told the people
to follow the commandments, but that there were two commandments that
were the most important. That we love God with our whole hearts and
minds, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. If we could do
this, all the other commandments would be taken care of.
By doing this we would negate
envy, anger, jealousy, pride and all the evils of the world. This in
its simplest form was what Jesus sought to do in his ministry during
his lifetime.
In our world of today, I think
this message of love and caring is needed more now, than it ever was
at any time in the past. We live in a time when people have forgotten
Jesus message. When we look around we see, anger, hate, strife over
religion, which country is the best, which political system is the one
that will cure all the ills of the world, etc. But until we can all
live remembering the two important commandments of Jesus, this message
will not come to fruition.
With my best wishes and blessing to you all.
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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF ST. PATRICK
From the
Office of the Chancellor Monsignor Marcis Heckman RSJ |
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Oct. 31,
2007
Priestly Ordination for
Reverend Michel-Paul Holland and the Celebration of
Holy Redeemer Reformed Catholic
Church in Ft. Wayne Indiana First Public Mass
On Saturday, October 27, was
the celebration of the
Mass of Priestly Ordination for Reverend Michel-Paul Holland.
Sharing in the
celebration of the Mass
was Archbishop Phillip
Zimmerman RSJ Presiding Bishop, Bishop William Quinlan, RCF
Diocesan Bishop of St. Patrick Diocese, Bishop David Frazee, RSJ , Brother
Danny Evans, RSJ and Monsignor Marcis Heckman RSJ.
On Sunday , October 28, Holy Redeemer Reformed
Catholic Church celebrated their first public Mass.
Monsignor Marcis
Heckman RSJ Chancellor of the Diocese of St. Patrick share
in the celebration of the Mass. Reverend Fr. Michel-Paul Holland, who is
the founding pastor of Holy Redeemer Reformed Catholic Church in
Ft. Wayne, Indiana delivered a wonderful and inspiring message to
the people of Ft. Wayne.
The evening was truly blessed and beautiful, what a
wonderful gift to those attending... Please join the
Diocese of St. Patrick in welcoming our new parish.
Fr. Michel-Paul
Holland RCC E-mail is
FrMichel@reformedcatholicchurch.org
Please keep
Fr. Michel-Paul
Holland, and the community of Holy Redeemer in
your thoughts and prayers.
Ad
Maiorem Dei Gloriam!
Msgr. Marcis Heckman RSJ
Oct 22, 2007
Holy
Cross Reformed Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio
Up Coming Events
for November 2-4, 2007
The Shower of Stoles
The Shower of Stoles is a collection of over
a thousand liturgical stoles and other sacred items representing the lives
of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith. These religious
leaders have served in twenty-six denominations and faith traditions, in six
countries, and on three continents. Each stole contains the story of a GLBT
person who is active in the life and leadership of their faith community in
some way: minister, elder, deacon, teacher, missionary, musician,
administrator, or active layperson. This extraordinary collection,
currently housed by the Institute for Welcoming Resources in Minneapolis,
celebrates the gifts of GLBT persons who serve God in countless ways, while
also lifting up those who have been excluded from service because of their
sexual orientation or gender identity. Approximately 600 stoles will
be available for viewing at a series of events November 2-4 of 2007:
Friday, November 2nd
7-9:30 PM
Benefit Concert at the University of
Toledo Student Union, featuring Spectrum, David Lohman and other local
musicians
Free and open to the public.
Saturday, November 3rd
9AM -5:30 PM
Display Of Stoles in the Wintergarden Gallery of the Toledo-Lucas County
Main Library
Free and open to the public
Sunday, November 4th
The Stoles will be displayed at Worship Services
in 16 Area Churches
Join us Sunday, November 4, 2007
Ecumenical Service of Celebration at 4:00 p.m.
Guest speaker
Very Rev. Tracey Lind, Dean of Trinity Cathedral in
Cleveland, Ohio and candidate for Episcopal Bishop
Hosted by
Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Church and Monroe St.
United Methodist Church
3613 Monroe St. Toledo, OH
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Holy Cross Reformed Catholic
Church in Toledo, Ohio
3613 Monroe St. Toledo, OH
Is hosting a greet and meet gathering
5:30pm
What it means to be an Open and Affirming Denomination.
A Church that Welcome All.
Special guest
The Presiding Archbishop of the Reformed Catholic Church
Most Reverend Phillip Zimmerman DD ThD RSJ
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Oct. 19, 2007
Ordination Announcement
Rev. Deacon Michel Holland priestly
ordination will be Saturday October 26 at Grace St. John UCC in Fort
Wayne. Holy
Redeemer Reformed Catholic Church will celebrate their First Mass
Sunday October 27 at Grace St. John UCC in Fort Wayne at 6 pm, Grace
St. John, 4120 S. Webster St., Fort Wayne, Indiana.
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Most Rev. Peter Posthumus
OPJB
Bishop of Ecumenical & Interfaith
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Holy Cross Reformed Catholic Church in Toledo, Ohio
Bishop Peter Posthumus OPJB visited
the Parish of Holy Cross in Toledo, Ohio the Oct. 11-14, 2007. Bishop Peter
celebrated the Mass on Sunday Evening Oct. 14th. The Parish was very blessed
and honor to have Bishop Peter here to share in fellowship.
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A Week of Fellowship with Bishop G. Peter
Posthumus, OPJB by Fr. Michael Abair Pax Press
Editor |
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Our community in faith was marked over the
course of the week with a true blessing with the visitation of one of the
most innovative and dedicated men of the episcopate the Reformed Catholic
Church has been blessed to call her own. Bishop G. Peter Posthumus, OPJB,
assigned to the work of ecumenical outreach and inter-religious affairs was
able to be with us – making quite a number of visitations over the course of
his time in the Diocese of St. Patrick’s and in Ohio – and his spirit, as it
always has a way of doing, has left its mark with each of us able to have
been with him during his visitation.
A man consecrated Bishop and
yet ever a pilgrim; traversing the many paths of the Spirit manifest in
sister Churches of our own Christian Tradition and in those of paths which,
touched by the hand of God, take a radical spiritual sensitivity to explore;
Peter was paradoxically “right at home” moving about during the course of
his stay. From his place of primary ministry in Michigan, the Bishop began
the course of his stay with Monsignor Marcis Heckman RSJ, who, in the midst
of his many ministries was able to find rest in the presence of a dear
friend to us all, as +Peter celebrated the Sunday Eucharist – the Gift of
Thanksgiving – a Gift of thanks unto God and a gift for each of us in the
presence of such a dear friend at Holy Cross parish in Toledo. Monsignor
Heckman and the Diocese of Saint Patrick will remember this very special
visitation of one our beloved – speaking so appropriately to the name of the
Bishop’s own parish of Saint John the Beloved – in the tenderness and gentle
love Our Lord bestowed upon those beloved gathered round the table which we
recall as a people of the Eucharist.
Bishop Posthumus brings the
reality of the Holy Mass to Life in his ministry; of the God who so loves us
that He manifests the ALL of His very Self in the simple gifts of bread and
wine. The coming together of ALL as One is the core of an inter-religious
dialogue centered in Christ in the Eucharist and we would be so very remiss
not to draw attention to the uniqueness of this ministry of this Bishop
Posthumus. On this very note, given his very full schedule for the week of
visitation there was no question for the Bishop to set to work; and at none
other than the Cathedral of Saint Sebastian’s. Bishop Peter was greeted in
the loving arms of Archbishop Zimmerman the Presiding Bishop and Shepard of
the Reformed Catholic Church, Bishop Quinlan the Diocesan Bishop of St.
Patrick Diocese, and Bishop Frazee Rector of St. Sebastian and co-jour of
the Church. Bishop Peter spent time in Columbus; the heart of the Re-formed
Tradition of which his ministry is so very much a part: taking that which is
formed and surrendering to the Spirit in whom all things are continually
made new. A man of great courage, in the ministry of seeking Christ even
beyond both the grounds of the RCC and moreover in those faiths of the
explicitly non-Christian faith Tradition, the Bishop’s time at St.
Sebastian’s provided a space for both reflection and dialogue.
The
Rev. Fr. Michael
B. Tigner, OPE, Rector of Sacred Heart Parish Pickerington, Ohio
celebrated the Holy Eucharist Emergent Rite, for a part of the Bishop’s stay
in dialogue as to the ongoing work of the Dominican and Anglican presence in
the RCC; both of which Bishop Posthumus embodies and has particularly sought
as aspects of his efforts in ecumenism. The ongoing connection and
development between these two aspects of the Catholic faith as they relate
to the RCC will, no doubt, springing from the efforts of Bishop Posthumus,
continue to flower with Fr. Tigner on board. In addition international
developments of the Anglican contingent are well underway to the delight of
the Bishop; presently developing in
Australia as the parish of
St. Flora Reformed Catholic Church,
ministered to by Sr. Maggie Leigh Britton. The
seeds planted by the Bishop he delights to witness flowering globally and
the wisdom of his vision continue to nurse those who live into it and
partake in its further growth.
The Bishop’s visitation to Columbus could not be complete
without gathering amongst all who have come to know and love him. The
Beloved Shepard’s visitation could not have been complete without a warm
welcome and time of fellowship with Bishop David Frazee, RSJ, and Reverend
Mothers Susan Orlos, RSJ, and Molly Wilcox, RSJ, in faith; and yet, the
spirit of Bishop Posthumus, while well familiar with the language of the
Church, has never been a man to draw lines of distinction in the sand. His
time with his fellow Bishop and Reverend Mothers were hardly formal; rather
were they all the more simply time with family. Bishop Peter celebrated the
Mass at St. Luke Jesuit Mission, with Reverend Mothers Susan Orlos, RSJ, and
Molly Wilcox, RSJ and the community of St. Luke.
Before the return trip to Michigan, Bishop Peter spared in
the Holy Mass of the Feast of St. Luke at the
Cathedral of Saint Sebastian’s. Celebrated
by, Monsignor Marcis Heckman RSJ. This was the very special time shared
with Bishop G. Peter Posthumus during his visitation, a week spent with his
family. This is the spirit of a man who enlivens our sisters and brothers
with the spirit of our family – a family without lines of separation or
distinction. We celebrate this wonderful time with our beloved Bishop, a
Father of our Family in Faith, we celebrate in thankfulness the continued
fruits of his ministry and we look with joy to the harvest, borne of his
vision, which continues to enliven so many of us in the Church today. Until
the Bishop’s next visitation, we – who have come to understand what it
really means to be family through him – embrace him and look forward to the
day when we shall be together again. |
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The
Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi - Columbus Ohio |
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On Wednesday, October 3rd, Brother Stephen Wilson, RCF led the assembled
community of St. Sebastian RCC in a solemn celebration of The Transitus of
St. Francis of Assisi. Brother Stephen led the community in prayer,
meditation and gave a brief homily about St. Francis of Assisi. This was
an historic event, as it marked the first time that the St. Sebastian
community celebrated the Transitus.
Some photographs of the celebration
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NEWS
FROM THE DIOCESE OF THE DIVINE MERCY
From the Office
of the Chancellor Monsignor Michael Baremore RCF |
The birth of a
new RCC parish here in San Antonio, Texas.
St
Anthony Reconciliation
A
Reformed Catholic Community
San
Antonio, Texas
The local community has deemed it important
to name this new emerging parish -- -- after the patron saint of San
Antonio. We seek your prayers and blessings in this journey. Our community
has started meeting together, learning, praying and will start gathering for
public mass towards the beginning of November. However, it is the First
Sunday of Advent we will officially (and publicly) begin regular
services to our community. Pray for us. Must admit a bit of trepidation, as
well as excitement of an impending birth, as we move forward. Mainly
my personal lack of skill adept enough for the task at hand. But trusting
the One we follow. Besides, the Creator loves using fools to confound the
wise. "Here am I, Lord!' This will be a journey of Faith for sure.
The journey will be a indeed be a real
adventure. I hope to visit all our parishes within Divine Mercy very
soon. We will talk very soon of course. Naturally, I will be in Mexico as
soon as possible too, but traveling more through out the greater country,
sharing more about the RCC there, while home based in San Antonio. We will
be planning several short term mission trips into Mexico later in the spring
too. I hope to be in Guadalajara and Mexico City soon. Better get your
passports ready! Much love to our global RCC family, surely we will be
in just about in every continent very soon. Let us utilize our excellent RCC
communication tools. Stay in touch! We lift each of you daily and looking
forward to hearing of your growing communities.
Reconciliation, diplomacy, open and
prayerful patience are virtues necessary tools for our lives. What an
amazing Faith walk. Each of us walks here, let us pray for each other
rejoicing. Much peace until we all can gather together soon.
Each of you enjoy the day and week. Much
Grace!! Fr. Mike
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NEWS FROM THE DIOCESE OF ST. MICHAEL
On behalf of The
Cathedral Of St. Michael The Defender Reformed Catholic Church, and The Most
Reverend Patrick Batuyong; |
Oct. 6, 2007
 Greetings To All RCC Clergy
And All Orders of Franciscans;
It is our extreme pleasure to
announce Brother John-Philip Of Jesus as being received into the
Franciscan Community . Service was held on October 3, 2007, at
7:00pm, St. Michael The Defender parish Chapel House in Atlanta, Georgia .
Please extend to the new brother
warm wishes and join with us in welcoming him into his new walk in
the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi.
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE FATHER GUARDIAN OF RCC
FRANCISCANS |
Today we observe the Feast of Our
Holy Father St. Francis. This is a day of blessing and great joy for us
and we fondly remember one another in prayer and celebration. All over
the world, the Church celebrates the life and faith of the simply man of
Assisi. What an honor and blessing it is to walk in his footsteps.
Francis died at sunset on October 3,
1226. That evening was a very sad night for the Friars and Sisters who
had embraced Francis and his way of life. With great affection they said
goodbye to their mentor and to their beloved brother. Born into a fairly
wealthy family, young Francis was reared in very comfortable
surroundings. Always the life of the party, young Francis drew people to
himself and easily made friends.
When he was young, a war broke out
in his home region and Francis was eager to participate in the fighting.
Before he went to battle, he had a dream of himself standing in a large
hall filled with swords and military shields. Looking at all the items of
Knighthood, Francis heard a voice telling him that one day he and his
followers would have a similar room of honor and bravery. The day
Francis went into battle, he was noticed wearing a beautiful silver
armor. Recognizing a Knight in simple attire, Francis immediately removed
his armor and replaced it with the simple clothing of the Knight. While
at battle young Francis was captured and held in prison for a lengthy
period of time. It was while in prison that Francis spent his days in
spiritual reading and prayer.
When released from prison, Francis
returned home ill. He almost died during that lengthy illness and when he
did return to military service, he heard a voice instructing him to return
home. While at home he filled his days in prayer and abandonment to
Jesus. Recognizing Our Lord in the poor, Francis soon gave his belongings
to those individuals. Eventually, he gave his father's possessions as
well. In a rage of anger, Francis' father demanded before the bishop that
Francis cease his spiritual quest and return all that his father had given
him. In a very dramatic gesture and before everyone in the village,
Francis removed all his clothing and placed the pile of garments at his
father's feet. From that day forward, he referred to God as his father.
Francis began living as a hermit and
wearing the clothing of a beggar. Soon he found an abandoned church and
when entering it faced a large crucifix. The crucifix now hanging in
Assisi spoke to Francis and instructed him to rebuild the church.
Immediately Francis began building the first Franciscan House of Prayer.
One can still enter the small chapel known as Our Lady of the Angels.
Eventually, Francis had followers of
both Friars and Nuns. Many people were drawn to his life of
simplicity
and joy. Laughter and simplicity were always essential to the little man
of Assisi. There are many tales to share about Francis. I urge my
readers to search the Internet for: The Wolf of Gubbio; Francis of Assisi
and the Leper; The Stigmata of St. Francis, St. Francis and Preaching; St.
Francis and Brother Leo; St. Clare and Palm Sunday; If you but read one
of those stories today, you will be blessed.
In his latter days Francis became
severely ill from the harsh way of life he gave to his mortal body.
Always identifying with Jesus on the Cross, Francis lived simply and loved
much. Even the birds came to listen to Francis preach. One day while
praying on the Mount of La Verna, Francis had a vision of a Seraphic Jesus
on the Cross. When the image unfurled his wings, Francis received the
Stigmata of Jesus. Just before he died, Francis also went blind and his
followers cared for him every second of every day. Moments before he
died, he asked that his holy habit (the garment of a beggar) be removed
and that his naked body be placed on the ground. There surrounded by his
Friars, at sunset with all of nature praying for his passing, Francis
Bernadone gave his earthly spirit to God. The Angels rejoiced and opened
the gates of heaven to our beloved Father.
So perfect was the life of Francis
and so closely identified with Jesus, the Church formally declares Francis
the Mirror of Christ. No other saint in the Church except Mary can boast
such a title.
So today, smell the flowers, visit
with animals, sing a song, laugh and above all pray. Today, ask Father
Francis to bless your way and remember always preach the message of Jesus
and only when it's really essential, use words.
Today all Franciscans clerics are
ordered to celebrate the Holy Mass in Honor of Our Beloved Father
Francis. All Deacons, Sisters and Brothers are ordered to pray the
Liturgy of the Hours at Evening Time on October 4, 2007.
With all my love and blessing,
i remain your Father Guardian and
servant,
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FROM THE OFFICE OF THE VICAR OF
COMMUNICATIONS
The
Very Reverend Marcis Heckman RSJ
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Oct.
2, 2007
I
hope that you had an opportunity to read the
Spiritual Reflection section by Fr. Michael Abair in the Pax
Press Online this week.
Fr.
Michael Abair has a wonderful 'gift with
the pen'.
Fr. Michael
will be taking over as RCC Quarterly Newspaper Editor in addition to becoming the new Blog Administrator. He can be reached by phone (917) 579-5733
or by email FrMichaelAbair@reformedcatholicchurch.
The Deadline for your Articles for the Fall Newspaper is Oct. 15th.
Be sure to share the news and Event in your parish and ministries.
Fr Michael can be reached by phone (917) 579-5733 or by email FrMichaelAbair@reformedcatholicchurch.
Sister Maggie-Leigh Britton, of St Flora RCC Mission in
Glasshouse Mountain, Queensland, has joined with the RCC
Communications. Sr. Meg has a podcast that is linked to our
communications system so that we can have a Christian perspective
from "down under".
Take time and listen to her
podcast "Rainbow Faith Cast", the link is located on the
Web Page.
The Pax Press On-Line gives the RCC many wonderful ways of sharing
the news, reflections, and events across the RCC worldwide, you can
read the current news, and articles from the Pax Press On-Line, the
Blog site, and the Quarterly Newspaper of the RCC. Now you can even
listen to it by the Reformed Catholic Radio Podcast. Coming soon
you will even be able to watch though video.
Remember to
share your Parish and Ministry news and events with all of us around
The Reformed Catholic Church Global Community we want to hear form
you.
We have made it much easier for you to send in your events, news,
and articles. All from one location on the web. To submit your
news, events and article, go to the
Pax Press On-line page
you will
find a tab
Contact us. There you will find our
e-mail addresses and phone numbers, and best of all a simple form
you can just fill out on line and click the send button we will
receive your information and publish it.
We hope you will enjoy this new process and find it much simpler to
send and receive the news of the RCC.
I recommend that you put the
Paxpress On-Line link on your favorites for easy assess to
the Daily News. By doing so, you avoid having to make multiple
click to get to the news site.
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A Letter From Fr. Abair in
Communications |
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Oct. 11, 2007
Behind the Cleric’s Collar is the Voice
of the Church!
All must therefore be heard!
Beloved Family in Christ,
I preface this entry by commending
those who have given much time to the mission of this Community [far more
than myself!], growing by leaps and bounds, on national and international
levels. I furthermore take note that recent growth is in great part
vis-ŕ-vis the ongoing work, time, dedication and innovation of those in the
Vicariate of Communications and the ardent RCC members who regularly support
the various works of this ministry. For those who issue feedback – in
whatever form – we acknowledge you and thank you in all sincerity. Let us
all be gracious to one another for each of the particular ways we bring the
message of freedom in Jesus Christ throughout the world today. I write,
however, specifically as regards the technological media made available to
us.
On this note give thanks to God, for
the tireless work of the Vicar of Communications and certainly not least of
all, to our Presiding Bishop who has, and continues to, invest a great
deal of time and energy in support of the ministries of the Vicariate and –
at this present juncture – most specifically in the work of the RCC Radio (Podcast):
the greatest technological means of evangelization made available to us. As
to the podcast, I would be completely remiss not to – with the Archbishop
and on behalf of the whole of the RCC- give thanks to God for the nothing
short of miraculous (given the resources he works with) efforts of the
Reverend Deacon Warren Taylor, RSJ, who singularly and tenderly nurses
each and every day our podcasts. To quote the Archbishop Directly with
regard to the efforts of Deacon Taylor and the ministry of the RCC Radio
(one of many commendations of this ministry):
I hope that you have been enjoying the
Reformed Catholic Radio Program that Deacon Warren and Sister Meg have been
providing to our community. I am writing to to you get YOU involved in this
very important outreach program, by calling into the RCC Communications
Department to post an audio statement for the Podcast. You may call in your
podcast information to:
Reformed Catholic Church Radio
Record your podcast by phone:
206-202-1261
E-mail your broadcast and suggestions to:
Radio@reformedcatholicchurch.org
In less than 10 days, we have noticed
a remarkable 500% increase in the number of hits on the podcast page, and
have noticed a marked increase in downloads of the podcast! This tells me
that, besides being a great addition to our site, the Podcast is working as
an evangelism tool! As such, we want the podcast to be a teaching
instrument as well as a public relations opportunity for the many ministries
of the RCC. *** We would like for you to call in,
or at a minimum, to
write in to inform Deacon Warren about what is happening in your ministry,
your parish or your hometown community.*** This is your forum for
FREE ADVERTISEMENT! I hope that you will take advantage of this wonderful
gift!
We have a lot to be proud of... Let's
spread the good news that is the RCC to the ends of the world!
The Archbishop clearly takes this
ministry very seriously because it is our most innovative and far-reaching
means of connecting the Church’s homeless to a Community in which All are
Welcome! The Archbishop’s words are not suggestive; he, along with the
Vicariate wish to see this ministry utilized to its full potential for the
overall good of the Reformed Catholic Church. To have a tool that has in so
short a time had an impact of this level, it absolutely essential that we
all make full use of it.
Upon ordination, we made no promise to
don clerics daily, to return to parishes with hundreds of parishioners
awaiting us and by no means to architecturally structure monuments built
more on a mentality of “lace over grace” than on the foundations of our
Catholic faith. The commitments we have made were those of fidelity to the
service of Christ in his Church. The collar seals the place through which
the voice of the Gospel is proclaimed– and proclaimed within our own RCC
Tradition when ever possible-particularly when it can touch the lives of
masses.
Pastorally, it is implicitly
understood that the time a particular clergy member or parish in the RCC may
have to devote to local/Church-wide ministry does vary dependent upon the
pragmatic factors of making a living, etc. The Church – and certainly the
Vicariate of Communications – is most sensitive to the fact that for many
clergy time, etc. may limit the ability to produce statements and so forth
to the degree each would like; HOWEVER – we are not asking for lofty
Reflections (although if you have a knack for this, we welcome it),
poetry (although we’d love to air what you’ve written), or even those
particular pieces Deacon Taylor has proposed but been given little feedback
as to (even while these are priorities; specifically features such as
ministry in action –and we remain steadfast in pursuing agreeable parishes
as focal points for these segments). The podcast is in need of
material, period. This is not a “DJ Deacon’s baby,” it is an
evangelical tool for the Reformed Catholic Church. Materials sent in
any form, length, etc., are all helpful insofar as they enhance the content
of the Program and speak to the public about the breadth of the Church
(i.e. the Voices of this Church are heard; Many - not just one of them –
even if in the form of the Deacon relaying announcements sent in initially
in written form). The work of preparing “blocks” of so little time
(and there is no specific time indicated) should be - even for the busiest
of clerics in the secular world – a very simple task of a few paragraphs and
the click of a button. For others who – for whatever reason – would
like to submit any other material – reflections, meditations, poetry, etc.,
Deacon Taylor welcomes these all the more and is hardly the editorial
stickler as yours truly.
We simply cannot allow this incredible
opportunity to pass us by for a moment longer. In closing, and on a more
personal note, I thank those who are submitting to the Newspaper
and it is coming along. I, with great humility, also thank many for the
feedback on the Reflections Section which I author. However,
these are pieces which I have a handle on. As to the RCC Radio, this
is by its very nature, a Church-wide endeavor for it to make sense.
Deacon Taylor continues as faithful gardener to till the soil of this rich
ministry but we are the ones who must plant the seeds for its fundamental
and ongoing success.
Faithfully Yours in Christ,
Father Abair
The Reverend Father Michael J Abair,
M.A., R.Y.T. |
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RCC Quarterly Newspaper
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Oct. 3, 2007
A Note From Fr. Abair Regarding the
Pax Press Quarterly Newspaper
My Dear Friends in Faith,
Grace and peace be with
each of you, in Jesus the Christ! I write with regard to a pragmatic (albeit
important issue). As newly appointed Editor of the Pax Press Newspaper: This
note is to kindly remind all RCC cle | |
