February 24, 2025

Beloved,

In preparing for Synod 2024, I asked this question of our Ecumenical Catholic Communion communities:



As I shared in my State of Communion presentation on Friday evening of Synod, my heart was very moved and encouraged to learn about all the ways our Communities are reaching out to others.   A special display was created in the Chapel (which was located in the lower level of Longs Peak Lodge) so everyone could read, learn and get ideas from each other over the days we were gathered.

I realize not everyone had the opportunity to view and read these during Synod so we decided to create a series of Newsletters to offer to all the opportunity  to learn more about the wonderful work being done within our Communion.   

It is a joy to highlight the goodness happening

in our Ecumenical Catholic Communion

and I encourage you to read,

to learn,

and to connect with one another

about continuing this important work

in our Communities.

If your Community did not have the opportunity to answer this question before Synod, please feel free to do so now. You can email your response to Carolyn Sue Cecil at admin@ecumenicalcatholics.net), so our sharing and growth can continue!

Pax & Amor

Bishop Paul "Pablo" Burson, M.Div., L.P.C.

Presiding Bishop, ECC

BishopPaul@ecumenicalcatholics.net

This week, in our ECC Service and Ministry Outreach Series, 

we will feature the wonderful ministries

happening at:

Church of the Holy Family

Denver, Colorado

and



St. Francis Ecumenical Catholic Church

Largo, Florida



For 22+ years, Church of the Holy Family has been a support congregation to, Family Promise of Greater Denver. This organization serves homeless families in the Denver metropolitan area.

We assist Christ the Savior Lutheran Church when the families are "in residence," typically four weeks per year.

One of our longtime members, Linda Garrity, operates Heart to Heart, providing household and personal care items to families who are transitioning into stable housing.

During Advent, Holy Family collects gift cards which Linda distributes to families so that they may do their own shopping.

We provide food and dry goods for Friends of St Andrew,

a foodbank in downtown Aurora.



Here at St. Francis ECC in Largo, Florida we concentrate on two outreach ministries: the Interfaith Food Pantry in Seminole and the Largo Elks.

We are one of 10 local churches which helps to sponsor the food pantry. We donate food and financial contributions on a monthly basis.

The main donations we encourage our members to supply are items which the pantry does not purchase for their clients, like cereal, coffee, tea and condiments.

We also staff the pantry with volunteers, one day per week. While St. Francis is one of the smaller churches in the group, we are one of the larger donors.

We work with The Food Pantry that reaches out to supply food to homeless, and poor families in the community. We do a collection at the church and also help supply the information to those who wish to help with monetary contributions.

We have just started meeting with local Food Chain Grocery Stores to schedule food drives in front of the stores for collections in support of the Food Pantry, and also to share information about our church and who we are and what we are about and to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how we can provide community support where needed.



We do hospital and rehab facilities visitations for the sick and infirmed to those who have recently received surgery.

Visiting and bringing communion and providing spiritual support and prayer where we are asked, for our church family and their families are some of the services we offer.



We also work with a local agency, and this past year participated in adopting families for Christmas.

We have discussed a community outreach to attend community meetings, to get involved in the support of community celebrations, to help make our presence in the community more well known. We are also interested in

attending town meetings to keep updated on the pulse of the community.



We have started a mid week communion service, that takes place every Wednesday at 12:30 pm, in addition to our weekly Mass.

We have also briefly discussed how we can go about putting together visits with the homeless camps and the marginalized, and the possibility of a Mass for the homeless maybe once a month if we can get approval and or permits.

The homeless are denied so very much in their lives, and the most of them will not come to a church for service because of their appearance. As such, we believe that having a Mass, and inviting them share in communion, to bring Christ to them where they are, would help let them know that they are not forgotten but loved by God and help them find hope in their lives as well.

Synod 2024:  Our Family Photo Album:

https://conta.cc/4ethWMF



Synod 2024: Links to all of our Amazing Speakers and Presentations:

https://conta.cc/4hkiibb