Celebrating A Wonderful Way To Be A Catholic | | |
Emmaus ECC Newsletter
January 16, 2026
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The Second Sunday
Behold the Lamb of God
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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!
Community Meeting: We will meet together after mass this Sunday and start our discussion about how we will celebrate Lent this year. Ash Wednesday will be here before we know it!
Modern Mystics Book Group. Our next discussion is this Sunday, January 18th, at 1:45 pm by Zoom. We will be discussing chapter eight of the book, Tears of Things by Richard Rohr. Contact Deacon Connie or Bishop Kedda if you want to join the group.
Compassion Meditation: Next gathering is January 27th. They are meeting at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd this winter. Please arrive at 7:15, meditation begins at 7:30 pm. 1601 North St SE
Olympia, WA 98501
Faith Action Network has published its 2026 legislative priorities. Go HERE to see what these priorities are. "We seek to advocate for and implement policies that advance our values grounded in faith and spirituality: belonging and human dignity, justice and equity, interconnectedness, collaboration and pluralism."
Food Bank: Our support is still 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.
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.
Go Hawks!
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John said,
“I did not know him.”
So the Spirit showed
the Christ to him.
And John
replied,
“behold,
the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world.”
Spirit, come,
shine through our clouds.
Teach us your love.
Let us know
Jesus.
Let us tell everyone about
the Lamb of
God.
The Sunday Website at St. Louis University
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The Second Sunday of Epiphanies
Love Casts Out Fear
We are still celebrating Epiphanies on this 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time. With every epiphany we learn something more about God, about the Christ, and about ourselves in Christ. This Sunday we hear from John’s Gospel. This gospel doesn’t have a scene with the baptism of Jesus but instead we have this moment when John the Baptist, who has been “a voice in the desert crying out: Make straight the way of Our God” – we have this moment when he recognizes that Jesus is the One he has been preparing and waiting for. He shouts out and points at him, so all those around him can see Jesus.
The words John shouts are the same words we say together at every mass – “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Around our sacred tables we call this out with yearning in our hearts, because human sin still poisons our world. In every news cast we witness the sin of our world. It has erupted with extraordinary vigor in our own country showing up as greed, brutality, and cruelty. We call out and ask that God have mercy on us and grant us peace. Humanity needs to be lifted out of selfishness, greed, violence, hatreds, fears, petty meanness, despair, stinginess, unforgiveness, and narrow-mindedness. We need the Lamb of God to take away the sin of this country.
Each one of us, every baby, comes into this world ready to be loved, and ready to learn how to love. This is our starting place. We are created to love and be loved. But something goes wrong, and we lose our identity as desirable beings worth loving. When we lose ourselves, we fall into the realm of sin. The essence of sin is the loss of our true selves, our true center. We put something else, some false thing, where love is meant to be. In the past I’ve said we become self-centered, but I don’t want to say that anymore. Because it is not our true self in our center. It is this other, false thing, enthroned in our hearts. I begin to think its name is fear.
It is love that has the power to cast out fear. When we encounter the Love of God through Christ Jesus, we can be healed – if we let the love in and put it at our center. As the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus is the whole burnt offering of God, totally offered to us by God, with nothing held back, who comes to us as servant, not master. Jesus put flesh on God’s love. There is nothing held back.
Through Christ God comes to love us, and to teach us how to love – taking us back to our starting place. Through Christ we learn how to cast out fear and put love back in its proper place – at our center. When we do that, and discover that we are desirable beings worth loving, we begin to discover our true selves and can shed the false selves that the world has encouraged us to become. We become free – liberated – to become the unique and sacred persons we are created to become. Only by letting God’s love heal us can we become the persons we are meant to become. Only love can take away the sin of the world.
The sacrifice that Christ made was to give up his whole life in doing God’s will. His task as Savior was to transform our world so that the will of God would be done on earth as it is in heaven. He came to start a revolution of change. At his death, people could say he failed. They could say he was just another false Messiah. After all, he left just this small group of disciples in a world filled with violence, selfishness, greed, and every kind of injustice. But he stunned us by his resurrection, and as the Holy Spirit came rushing into our world, his ministry continued in ways never dreamed before and spread to the ends of the earth. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are formed in the womb of God’s love, birthed out of our baptismal fonts, and sent out as servants to continue the ministry of Christ. We are the light for the world, and that includes our own nations. The work that God started in Christ Jesus continues in us.
And so, each week we return to our faith community to celebrate mass so we can encounter the love of God in the sacrament of Eucharist, and we can enkindle the light of Christ in our hearts, that we may go out our doors to change the world. Little by little, God’s work is being done, and we know that the light will overcome the darkness, if Christians are Christians in fact, and not just in name.
At times like this we need each other and our faith communities are essential. If you have lost the habit of attending the gatherings of your faith community, this is the time to return. Come back to God with all your heart. Don’t let fear keep you apart. (Hosea on YouTube)
Mother Kedda
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You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like there's nobody listening,
And live like it's heaven on earth.
~William W. Purkey~
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Prayer of the New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop, Rt Rev Bob Herschfeld:
Live without fear.
You have been created holy in the image of the divine.
Whatever race, whatever gender,
whatever orientation,
straight, queer, trans -
You have been made in the image of the divine.
God has always and will always protect you
no matter what happens.
So live in that fear.
God supports you, protects you
and loves you with a power
and a presence that is stronger than death.
That is how we live free or die.
And may the Creator,
the anointed and the Holy Spirit uphold,
give you courage and strength
and compassion to live these days.
There is a new day ahead.
It is coming.
We can smell it.
It is on its way.
Let this light shine.
The darkness, the shadows of our lives will not overcome it."
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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
When driving long distances or not in stop-and-go traffic, use your cruise control. You could increase fuel mileage as much as 15 percent, which will reduce carbon emissions.
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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 meeting: January 18th after mass
Modern Mystics Book Group: January 18th at 1:45 pm by Zoom.
Ash Wednesday: February 18th
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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