Celebrating A Wonderful Way To Be A Catholic | | |
Emmaus ECC Newsletter
December 27, 2025
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Feast of the Holy Family
A Blessed and Happy Christmas season!
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Preparing for Mass over Zoom: If attending by Zoom create a sacred space for yourself and your family. It is helpful to light a candle and put down a small cloth where you will place your bit of bread and wine. Download and print the worship aids. We gather at 10:00 am and mass begins at 10:30 am. Request Zoom link HERE.
Come to Church: All are welcome! When you ask people how they found us, the answer is often that they heard about us from a friend. Be that friend. Invite them to come with you to mass in our Sacred Space. We encourage you to come in person if you can. Advent is the best time to bring newcomers to church. We can all begin the new year together!
Remember, it is Christmas all the way to Epiphany!
Community Business: This Sunday, December 27th. I expect this will be a short meeting!
Modern Mystics Book Group. Our next discussion is Sunday, January 4th, at 1:45 pm by Zoom. We will be discussing chapter seven of the book, Tears of Things by Richard Rohr. Contact Deacon Connie or Bishop Kedda if you want to join the group.
Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center magazine is now HERE. The focus is on Immigrants and our response to them.
Interfaith Alliance: Interfaith Alliance is working alongside faith leaders, organizers, and partners across the country to confront these abuses and to make it clear: this is not just an immigration issue — it is a moral issue that goes to the heart of who we are. They put together a short video message HERE. Choose Love not ICE.
Food Bank: Our support is crucial! Please bring canned goods and other non-perishables to church with you on Sunday and put them in our food bank bag. To donate to the Thurston County Food Bank, go HERE. Your generosity means families in our community will have the resources they need, even as our food bank lines continue to grow.
Synaxis: During this difficult time in our country Bishop Kedda recommends prayer time based on the readings of the day. One opportunity is Synaxis that takes place every day at 3:00 pm Pacific time and is sponsored by the Franciscans of Reconciliation. Use link HERE. Come join us for prayer.
Dispute Resolution Center: Online Training on January 27th. "Impactful Conversations -- Giving and Receiving Feedback." 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Go HERE to find out more. Cost is $75.
Old Catholic Theology Summer School in Utrecht: July 5-10; 12-17, 2026. Plan ahead! See the information HERE.
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Websites to visit often: Bookmark our community website HERE and also our diocesan website HERE.
Follow Interfaith Works on Facebook HERE.
Facebook Page: Stay in touch! Visit our Emmaus ECC Facebook page for news during the week HERE. Visit the PNW Diocesan page HERE.
Bishop Kedda's blog: You can check it out HERE. Right now, she has started a series of reflections on her book All Creation Waits. Much has happened as the years have gone by -- how much of what she wrote is still relevant today.
If you have suggestions for how our community of Emmaus could be reaching out into our neighborhood to make a difference, contact Deacon Connie and share your ideas.
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The
Hebrews
long ago, eons,
were led out of exile
into Egypt.
Joseph and Mary,
off to Egypt
and then back again,
a salient dream, then another.
Refugees escaping at night with the babe.
Jesus,
did your father
give you to us as our brother
to rescue us from exile of sin and death?
Our Brother, Our Father,
Our Holy Family.
In our exile you bring
such love to us,
more than
we can
bear!
The Sunday Website at St. Louis University
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Feast of the Holy Family
Welcome Refugees
While our society is ready to move on from Christmas, we are still celebrating the Mystery of the Incarnation. We will read from the gospel of Matthew for the feast of the Holy Family this year. Both Luke and Matthew knew that Jesus must be born in Bethlehem to fulfill the prophesy from Micah, chapter 5, verse 1. “But you Bethlehem, Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me the one who is to be ruler in Israel.” But he also had to grow up in Nazareth, to fulfill the prophesy that “he would be called a Nazorean.”
Gospels are not biographies. They are testaments of faith, or theological reflections. Therefore, we are not scandalized by the discrepancies we find in scripture. What both Luke and Matthew reveal is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promises of God. As we continue to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation, we read stories that show that Christ, God, became one of us – human as we are human. He was a Jew born among Jews, and his parents were faithful Jews, and brought him up under the Law of Moses.
Jesus was fully human. His humanity – growing, learning, and developing just like us – has often been a stumbling block for people. Many don’t want him to be just a baby, but want a super baby, a super child, a superman. People even came up with a heresy called docetism, the idea that Jesus had a human body, but inside he was pure God. His humanity, they claimed, was only a shell. The early church leaders came together and created a statement we call the Nicene Creed, affirming that Jesus the Christ is both human and divine.
During this Christmas season we celebrate that Jesus was truly human. We are asked to accept the humanity of God in Jesus because God still comes to us in plain and ordinary ways. God comes to us through people just like us, and through bread and wine. We believe that God desires us to learn to see the face of God in one another. But this is hard. If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that often what we want is supernatural magic. We want a God who will magically make all our problems disappear. We want miracles, signs, and wonders. But God doesn’t always give us miracles, signs, and wonders. God sent us Jesus, who was so human that no one suspected that he was God. God has penetrated our ordinariness and is still Emmanuel, God with us in our ordinary lives.
Jesus was like us in everything except sin. Remember, sin is “missing the mark.” In other words, though he was severely tempted to take a different path then the one God laid out for him – tempted by power, prestige, and worldly goods – Jesus was obedient, even unto death. Most people allow themselves to be molded by the systems of the world, to give in to the temptations the world offers, and fail to become what God intended. However, through Christ we can get back on track. As the Body of Christ, we can take on the ministry of Christ and go out our doors to create communities of justice, peace, and love.
In the gospel of Matthew that we read this Sunday, Joseph leads his little family into Egypt to escape violence. This holy family experienced what so many are experiencing in our world today. They experienced the kind of desperation that brought them to leave their home as refugees. Even when they were able to return, they did not feel safe but instead settled in a place that was strange to them and had to start over. When we witness the struggles of refugees around the world today, let us think of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, and do what we can to be welcoming to the strangers in our midst. Let us show that we are a people who welcome Christ unawares.
Mother Kedda
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Smile at strangers and you just might change a life.
~Steve Maraboli~
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On Being a Different Kind of Catholic Church
I received this message from Bishop Tomasz Jordan Puchalski of the Reformed Catholic Church in Poland. I ask you to take time to read it. We all need to know our faith tradition. As you are aware, we are in full communion with the Reformed Catholic Church in Poland, and we too are rooted in the Old Catholic faith tradition:
My dearest sister,
I wrote a reflection on today’s sad commemoration. Maybe you can share your thoughts about this:
On July 18, 1870, during the First Vatican Council, two dogmas were proclaimed: the dogma of papal infallibility and the dogma of the pope’s universal jurisdiction. This decision, expressed in the constitution Pastor aeternus, declared the Bishop of Rome infallible ex sese, non autem ex consensu Ecclesiae – by his own authority, not by the consent of the whole Church. For many, this marked a turning point, dividing the path of the ancient, undivided Catholic Church from the newly emerging vision of the Catholic Church under the leadership of the “new papacy.” For this reason, this date is also particularly significant for our Old Catholic community of the Reformed Catholic Church in Poland.
Although our Church is not formally a member of the Union of Utrecht, it fully embraces the Declaration of Utrecht from September 24, 1889, which states:
“We hold fast to the faith of the ancient Church, as expressed by St. Vincent of Lérins: We hold that which has been believed everywhere, always, and by all; for that is truly and properly Catholic.” This principle forms the foundation of our position regarding the papacy.
Read the whole message HERE.
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Interfaith Works Homeless Services: Donation drop offs can be taken to our admin office 110 11th Ave SE 10am-4pm, Mon-Thurs
Thanks so much!
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The Emmaus ECC Statement Against Racism
Our faith calls us to racial justice. We recognize that our faith demands that we transform our beliefs, values, systems, and commitment to racial equity. Scripture has given us the way for such healing to occur, and the responsibility to pursue it.
Our faith calls us to lives of charity, advocacy, and action on behalf of marginalized people. In the Pacific Northwest, we are especially committed to justice for Indigenous, Latina and Latino, African American, and Asian communities, whose oppressive histories and realities are well-documented.
We value the voices of people of color in this calling and in these efforts. We believe all people are loved equally by God our creator. We commit to partnering with ecumenical, interfaith, and civic initiatives to pursue racial justice in our local communities. We will seek solidarity with broader initiatives but will not wait on them in order to act. “The time is always right to do what is right” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King).
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ECC Statement on Race:
Our nation is in desperate need of racial healing and transformation. The healing process cannot begin until the truth of our country's past and present sins are confronted. As people of Christian faith, we acknowledge and renounce both past and present dehumanizing, oppressive, abusive, enslaving, violent and lethal actions and inactions against African American communities. We proclaim that it is time for metanoia – turning away from evil and turning toward God's liberating love.
As members of the ECC, we believe in the power of communication to heal and that the search for truth can lead to justice. As such, we pray that our country will begin a process of truth-seeking that will lead to long-term reconciliation. We in the ECC pledge to begin a deliberate and transparent truth-telling process within our own faith communities.
Jesus, the heart of our faith, lived and died for love. He showed no partiality. God's community is diverse and totally integrated. We pray for God's guidance and mercy as we work to attain racial justice and build the beloved community, walking together the path paved with truth, love, equity, and justice. In the prophetic tradition, we boldly proclaim, "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream." (Amos 5:24)
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Good
Shepherd
Ministry
Contact Fr. David Gerardot HERE.
Phone: 360-789-5149
For a description of Good Shepherd Ministry go HERE.
For the news and information on Good Shepherd Ministry go HERE.
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Joe's Environmental Tip
Consider replacing all incandescent bulbs in your home with more efficient CFL or LED bulbs. Replacing just one incandescent bulb can eliminate hundreds of pounds of climate pollution each year.
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Elevator speech: An Ecumenical Catholic is someone who wants to engage deeply with the example of the early Church, when congregations were small, inclusive, participatory, and centered on Christ’s message of love, collaboration, and service. Ecumenical Catholics believe that God is present in all things, and that to know and care for all the people, the earth, and all the living things around us is how God wants us to serve Them. (Submitted by Beverly Marshall-Saling).
ECC YouTube Channel: Go HERE for videos of the 2022 ECC Synod. You can also catch the "Parade of Parishes" which shows off what various ECC communities are doing to be churches in action. It is awesome to see other ECC communities around the country.
ECC Ecclesiology: HERE.
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ECC Diocese of the Pacific Northwest
Vision Statement
Ecumenical Catholics of the Pacific Northwest
Restoring relationships of justice, peace, and love
with God, with one another, and with all of Creation
by living out our baptismal ministry as the Body of Christ.
Mission Statement
We are the Ecumenical Catholic Church of the Pacific Northwest embracing a network of sacramental communities in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. As authentic Catholics we celebrate our continuity with the undivided Church of the first millennium and believe that salvation is offered to all. Our unity is built on scripture and the Nicene Creed, and Eucharist is the visible sign of that unity. We are in communion with the association of Churches known as the Ecumenical Catholic Communion and function within the generous parameters of the ECC Constitution.
We Believe
We are the People of God, baptized in Christ – bishop, priests, deacons, and laity – who believe that all people are unique and sacred. We believe that all people possess valuable gifts and talents to be shared. Participation of all the baptized in the work of the Church is essential to our call as the Body of Christ serving in this region. Therefore, we are a synodal Church.
We Offer
The ECC Diocese of the Pacific Northwest offers a joyful way of being Catholic focused on love, not guilt. We welcome all people and offer unity with diversity. We commit ourselves to dialogue and cooperation with others. We believe we have a responsibility to be open to ecumenical dialogue with all the baptized, and we support interfaith cooperation and understanding.
We do
We join together as Church to follow the messianic call of the Holy Spirit to form sacramental communities, to preach the good news of salvation and liberation to all, to offer a refuge in Christ for those who suffer prejudice, and to conform our lives to the example and teachings of Christ Jesus. The setting in which we live fosters an awe of God’s majestic creation, and respect for the land, water, and mountains, as well as the diverse animal life, and all the people who lived on this sacred ground before us.
Distinctions
We are the people of God who seek to dive deeper into the Catholic faith handed down to us by our ancestors from the teachings of the early Church. We believe that anyone who is gifted and called by God, qualified for ordination, and is called by a community, may present themselves for ordination. We believe that marriage is a partnership for the whole of life, and if two adults intend to commit themselves to such a union, they may celebrate a sacramental marriage. We believe that persons have the right to follow their sincere and informed consciences in moral decision making. We recognize that only the Holy Spirit possesses infallibility. No human or institution can claim this.
The Diocesan Constitution may be read HERE. See Website HERE.
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Contemplative Prayer/Scripture study: noon on Thursdays at St. John Episcopal Church. Contact Fr. David for more information.
Sundays we gather at 10:00 and mass begins at 10:30. All are welcome to join us! You are also able to join us by Zoom. Email Bishop Kedda for a link.
Thursday study group: 6:30 pm by Zoom with Oregon Episcopalians.
Synaxis: Every day at 3:00 pm. Sponsored by Franciscans of Reconciliation. Use link HERE. Come join us for prayer.
Community Business: December 27th after mass.
Modern Mystics Book Group: January 4th at 1:45 pm by Zoom.
Epiphany: January 4th.
Get to Know a Muslim: First Fridays of every month. Open invitation to join them 1:00 to 3:00 pm. For more information read their flyer HERE.
Enter into Friday Stillness: Fridays. Contact Rev. Kathleen Bellefleuille-Rice for more information.
| | Emmaus ECC | Member of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion | www.emmaus-ecc.org | |
NOTICE
The Sacraments of Marriage, Reconciliation and Anointing, are available upon request. Contact us about Funerals and grave side services. Preparation is required for Baptisms -- for parents when children to be baptized are below age seven; for those over age seven, our community supports the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Our priests are also happy to meet with you individually, and confidentially, to discuss any spiritual or pastoral concerns you may have.
Bishop of the ECC Pacific Northwest Diocese
We Support Marriage Equality
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