The
Evangelical Catholic Church is well aware of the existence of many
fine inactive Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Religious who have been
pastorally orphaned, discarded or forced into inactive status. Not
only has such shameful unprofessional behavior and attitudes
deprived our sisters and brothers from experiencing the grace of
their vocations, it has also robbed the People of God of highly
qualified pastoral care and support.
We, the
Bishops of the Evangelical Catholic Church, wish to extend an
invitation to those Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Religious, who are
without a sacramental and vocational home, to consider continuing
their sacramental and vocational life with us. Such institutional
malpractice must not be permitted to deny our sisters and brothers
their sacramental and vocational lives. This
Catholic jurisdiction was consecrated and mandated to reach out to
all who have been pastorally disenfranchised and this includes
inactive Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Religious.
If you are an
inactive Deacon, Priest, Bishop or Religious who is currently
inactive for reasons other than being convicted
of felonious sexual abuse or sexual assault, our Catholic family
would like to talk with you.
Our Catholic
jurisdiction receives calls from people asking us to please
establish new parish missions in their communities and we simply do
not have enough qualified clerics or religious to respond to their
pastoral needs. Maybe you are currently living in a community that
would welcome a reformed Catholic jurisdiction establishing a
mission right there. You could once again be that pastoral or
religious presence uniting or reuniting the People of God with the
gift of the Sacramental and Liturgical Life of Catholicism in an
unconditionally welcoming environment.
The standards
of this Catholic faith community are high and non-negotiable. We
are totally serious about our vocations and we expect our candidates
considering our formation program or our program for Incardination
to be equally serious.
We have no
money for stipends. Our "compensation" comes in the form of our
bonds with one another and with the People of God. We have no
opulent cathedrals. Our vocations and our Liturgical and
Sacramental lives radiate within the hearts of our mission
communities. We have no pension plan. We trust in the promise of
Life Eternal. We have borne the dysfunctional and have come out as
healers. We are simply worker priests responding to Jesus'
invitation to "Come, Follow Me."
It would be
wrong for us to fail to acknowledge those inactive Deacons, Priests,
Bishops and Religious amongst us who chose to suspend their
vocations. In recent years, the Evangelical Catholic Church has
been contacted by inactive Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Religious
who left of their own choosing, but who now once again feel called
to re embrace their vocations. Many of these people have either
married, entered into committed relationships or are at a place in
their lives which now precludes them from return to their former
homes. To these inactive Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Religious -
we also invite and welcome you to consider our Catholic family for
your vocational homecoming.
So please
permit us to extend to each of you an invitation to share the gift
of your vocation and the gift of your spirituality and the dignity
of yourself with us.
Always know
that you are in our prayers and we would be most grateful if you
would please remember us in yours.
Come,
follow me
Canon Law and Formation Policies
of the ECC
The
Diocesan Deaconate
The
Diocesan Priesthood
Process for
Clerical Incardination
Religious Orders and Religious
Societies
Welcoming Women to
the Deaconate and Priesthood
Welcoming Back Inactive Deacon, Priests, Religious and Bishops
Sample Application for the ECC
Secular Formation Program
and
Saint John the
Evangelist Seminary
†