I know some people will wonder why I joined the American Catholic Communities – the American Diocese for the Communion of International Catholic Communities. I want to provide a brief explanation for those interested. Perhaps my story will benefit others considering making a similar move. Perhaps my journey can illustrate what is important to me and help others looking at ISM communities formulate what is important to them.
Why the American Catholic Communities? https://amcathinfo.blogspot.com/
First, I contacted several jurisdictions as I was designing this website for additional information. Several jurisdictions appealed to me and I wanted a sense of who they were beyond what was featured on their websites. Some communities were very open and forthcoming, though a few were not. I wanted to be honest of where I was and see if I could fit in their structure. I reached out to the American Catholic Communities shortly after a change in bishops and they contacted me after my initial contact. In fact, I missed the first email response. I spoke with Bishop Rob for a couple of months. As time progressed, we felt more comfortable with one another and I was invited to the annual conference. The annual conference gave me a better understanding of the community and helped me make this decision. In the paragraphs that I follow, I will explain what is important to me and why I incardinated with the American Catholic Communities.
I want a relationship with a bishop that is both friendly and pastoral. In the RCC, the relationship I had with my bishop was strained at best. I wanted someone I could work with and respect. I wanted to be challenged but respected and valued. Upon my first discussions with Bishop Rob, I felt he was a true spiritual father. He showed concern and listened to my experiences without judgement. During the discernment process, I felt that he was more than a bishop, but also a friend.
Moreover, I knew I wanted to be in a community that had multiple bishops. One of the things that appeals to me about the American Catholic Communities is that it is part of a wider structure of the COICC. There are bishops for different areas in the world. This makes me feel comfortable as apostolic succession does not depend upon one or two individuals. Having valid apostolic succession spread throughout the world provides a bit of a safety net for the ability of the American Catholic Communities to continue its mission.
My relationship with brother priests is also important to me. Prior to incardinating, I met brother priests at the annual conference. I saw a great sense of community and how I could easily fit in with others. I had a lot of laughs amid so much study and prayer. Even though we are scattered throughout the country, there are quarterly calls to foster community and an annual conference to gather.
The seriousness and the structure of the American Catholic Communities appeals to me. They are not simply accepting anyone off the street and ordaining them the next day. There is a structure to ensure people are properly formed before they can serve in the community. We do not simply want warm bodies, but desire people properly formed who know and love the tradition and want to build up the faith of people in the tradition.
Additionally, the American Catholic Communities has actual parishes and ministries. Are we a large jurisdiction? No, but we do have active parishes and ministries. We have a couple of parishes with physical locations. We have a community involved in homeless ministry. We have a priest actively serving as a pastor of another faith community. We have priests actively involved in hospital and hospice chaplaincy. Our priests are involved in real ministry. The priests of the American Catholic Communities do outstanding work; I am proud of their efforts and want to be a fellow co-worker.
The American Catholic Communities is serious about liturgical worship and prayer. We do not want to simply take the texts of other communities and change them. The American Catholic Communities develops their own liturgical texts rooted in the Western Christian tradition. I went to the liturgies of a jurisdiction where they used the Roman Missal but made a couple of minor modifications to the text. I remember thinking how a community should have a text of their own. The American Catholic Communities and COICC created their own missal which I believe is very well done. This ensures that the law of prayer is the law of belief. We do have distinctives from the RCC and our prayers should reflect those differences. Is there more work to be done? Yes, while we have a Missal and what one might call a Breviary or Liturgy of Hours, we need a lectionary (which is in process) and a ritual book for the other sacraments.
Moreover, the American Catholic Communities has a more conservative theology in that we want to preserve and live the tradition of the church. We look at the early church as a model for what we believe and how we practice. I want to take women’s ordination as an example. My wife is a strong supporter of women’s ordination whereas I am unsure. I read numerous books on the topic of women’s ordination. I even met several authors on the topic and had conversations with the authors. I strongly support the ordination of women to the diaconate as this is a historical practice and there are several Orthodox churches that brought this tradition back in more recent years. Ordaining women as deaconesses has historical precedent and is practiced by other communities whose orders are not in doubt. I am conservative in that I would not want to ordain women as priests or bishops if it places doubts on apostolic succession. The ordination of women as priests or bishops a decision that I believe requires an ecumenical council and ecclesiological consensus. I know many would disagree with me, but I do not want to cause any doubts on apostolic succession. At the same time, I firmly support the role of women in the church and will actively promote the vocation of deaconess. I want women to be active participants in the church including having authority at the local, diocesan, and international level. Women should be represented in all ministries of church including reading, singing, teaching, and administering. In the RCC, I actively supported women servers, women as trustees, and women in leadership roles on parish and finance councils and will continue to foster the role of women.
I also wanted a community that is rooted in the tradition but is pastoral in practice. One of the things I detested in the RCC church was a lack of pastoral understanding. Are you divorced and remarried? No Eucharist for you! Do you feel called to the priesthood and marriage? No priestly vocation for you! The American Catholic Communities navigates between a strict rigid belief and a belief that anything goes. It is a fine line to walk, and I do not expect us to always walk it perfectly in every instance.
Do I feel that I gave up some things to join the American Catholic Communities? Certainly, no community is going to be perfect in anyone’s eyes including my own. I wish the American Catholic Communities was a bit larger with more local clergy so we could gather in person and support one another. I wish we had a ritual book with all the other sacraments ready to use. I wish we had more faith formation resources available. And I wish we had Eastern and Syriac liturgies approved for community use. Despite these, I feel like I gained far more than what I gave up. I am proud to be a member of the American Catholic Communities and would encourage others looking at ISM communities to consider us. I know that people have different values for what they are looking for in a faith community. If your values are different than the ones I hold, I hope you can find a spiritual home as there are many out there. If what I say appeals to you then reach out to different communities including the American Catholic Communities.
Peace,
Ben
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