House of Pastors

NEWSLETTER

September 2023

Here's What is Happening in the ECC!

Hello from Teri and Trish

Hello from the House of Pastors!

It is a good time to be part of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, and we will celebrate our 20^th Anniversary this month on September 19^th. Plan to attend the Zoom gathering for our All ECC 20^th Anniversary and Ritual. Make sure to bring a candle, bring something to drink, and bring a friend.

This month’s newsletter looks at some of the activities we found happening around the ECC this past summer, as well as a few stories and prayers. The HOP offers blessings to all throughout the ECC and beyond. May we welcome fall like a wise old friend.

Blessings,

Teri Harroun, HOP Chair

Trish Vanni, HOP Vice Chair

CELEBRATING 20 Years of ECC!

This year is the 20^th anniversary of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion and we are celebrating with a Zoom service presided by our Presiding Bishop Paul Burson. You can join from home, your campsite, or maybe host a watch party and invite new friends to this celebration of our last 20 years, and how we are the church of the next 20 years.

Rev. Robert Chung

CELEBRATING

20 Years of ECC!

Join us for the para liturgy celebration

via ZOOM

(link to be sent out soon!)

September 19, 2023

5 pm (PT), 6 pm (MT), 7 pm (CT), 8 pm (ET)

HOP Zoom Gathering

Saturday October 21, 2023

1pm Eastern

The next HOP gathering on Zoom will be on Saturday October 21, at 1pm Eastern time (Noon Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific).

All clergy and HOP delegates are invited.

Our topic of discussion will be All Saints and All Souls Rituals.

We invite everyone to bring examples of how your community celebrates these Feast Days including rituals, prayers, songs, litanies, readings, etc.

We will verbally share with each other and get new ideas from each other.

Watch your email for the Zoom link later in October.

Extraordinary Catholics Summer School:

We Were There!

Most of us are aware that the ECC is among a number of inclusive Catholic jurisdictions that serve Catholic in the U.S. Almost all trace their episcopal lineage through to the Old Catholics of Europe in one or more settings. Many representatives of those groups have been in active dialog over recent years, coming together for learning, support, and collaboration. This effort owes a great debt to Fr. Jayme Matthias of Holy Family Church in Austin. Jayme’s organizational efforts have coordinated seminars, a monthly magazine, research projects and more cross-jurisdictionally.

A highlight is the “Extraordinary Catholics” Summer School, which produces two weeks of intensive learning opportunities for all who are interested at a very modest price. Many use this for CE efforts; others of us to continue to deepen our understanding of the issues we are collectively grappling with and the opportunities for growth and development as pastoral and organizational leaders.

This year’s summer school had an outstanding level of participation by members of the ECC. 21 of the 87 registered attendees were lay and ordained members of our communion.

Among the 90 faculty members and panelists were:

Fr. Brian Ashmankas (Charis ECC) on hybrid liturgy;

Fr. Frank Quintana presenting a moving ritual of baptismal renaming

that he has developed for trans persons;

Fr. Don Pachuta on the critical importance of the words

we use in liturgy;

Fr. Michael Nicosia on the Stations of Justice;

Fr. Michael, Deacon Tammy Fuqua, Fr. Mir Plemmons,

Br. Peter Veatch

on reaching the marginalized;

Fr. DeWayne Messenger on the Anglican-Rite Mass;

Fr. Gianni Passarella on his books;

and

Rev. Trish Sullivan Vanni, Diana Rohlfsen, and Karen Goon

on fostering collaboration.

The House of Pastors Leadership Team thanks all of our colleagues, lay and ordained, for their incredible representation of the depth and breadth of the creativity and thinking in the ECC. If you haven’t as yet, consider connecting to the world of resources of Extraordinary Catholics by visiting the www.extraordinarycatholics.faith website.

TENDER TENDING

Although we are in many locations, the House of Pastors is a strongly bonded circle of ordained leaders.

When life happens, whether a joy or a loss, we want to let you know that we are aware, that we celebrate or care. This support takes the form of cards sent to folks at a moment of concern or interest, and we call it Tender Tending.

You can contribute funds towards this by sending a check to the ECC National Office or you can make a donation through PayPal:

Ecumenical Catholic Communion

Office of the Presiding Bishop

10 W. Lockwood Ave.

Webster Groves MO 63119

PayPal Link

https://paypal.me/synod2020?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

In either case, please make a note that the money is for the Tender Tending Fund.

Money is used for cards, flowers, gifts for ordinations, etc.

If you know a clergy person who would benefit from the care of a card from the HOP Steering Committee, please let Teri Harroun know at pastor@lightofchristecc.org.

Father Fred Ball

The House of Pastors grieves the death of our own Fr. Fred Ball this past summer on July 14^th. Fr. Fred founded San Damiano in Little Rock, Arkansas and has served the ECC in many roles.

Fr. Fred followed the Franciscan Order. In his memory, let us all pray these words of St. Francis:

¨Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

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;

where there is sadness, 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."

- St. Francis of Assisi

HOLY SYNOD 2024

Your ECC Leadership Council is heading to Colorado this month to begin planning the ECC Holy Synod of 2024. The Leadership Council will start gathering volunteers to help with this Synod after their immersion weekend of planning and visioning.

Save the dates and start finalizing who your community’s House of Laity and House of Pastors delegates will be. Then plan to go to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, October 11 – 14, of 2024.

The 800-acre venue is surrounded on three sides by the majestic Rocky Mountains. It will offer us a wonderful group meeting space as well as hotel room accommodations. The property also includes a Chapel for our use that seats a large group. The property is fully handicap accessible, and we will be managing transportation to the site from the Denver airport.

Finance Report from June, 2023

Click here for June Financial Summary 2023

AROUND THE ECC

Summer of 2023

Mary of Magdala, Fort Collins, Colorado

Emmaus, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Community Garden with St. Paul’s UCC

Charis, Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Camping

Holy Angels, Santa Ana, California

Visiting the Catacombs in Italy

Rocky

Mountain

Region

Denver

Pride

St. Matthew's,

Orange,

California

Citizenship

Training

Social

Justice

Ministry

St. Thea Bowman, Little Rock, Arkansas

Holy Questions, Seattle, Washington

Some California Clergy enjoy a meal together

Light of

Christ,

Longmont,

Colorado

Pride

Fr. David Gerardot of the Pacific Northwest was invited by Interfaith Works Community to participate with Indigenous elders and local clergy to bless this totem carved by members of the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi nation .