ECC Report Summer 2018

Official News of the
Ecumenical Catholic Communion

Issue: #51

Summer 2018

Stir us up, O God! Stir up our anger at the unrighteous separation of parents from children! Stir up our passion for justice to reunite the families that our agents broke apart! Stir up a love for beloved children made in Your image, that they may be healed from the trauma that invaded their lives. Heal our nation of its spiteful madness. Open our eyes to Your larger family, that embraces people of all colors, and especially those most vulnerable. Crack open petrified hearts to embrace the wounded souls fleeing violence, as You did. Show us the way to make a new home for those driven from their homelands, that together we may enrich each others' lives. Show us the way to love one another, as You have loved us.

News from Office of Presiding Bishop

Presiding Bishop Report

from Bishop Francis Krebs

ECC Report Summer 2018

Dear Sisters and Brothers may the peace of Christ find a place in each of your hearts, homes, and communities!

Here are some things I would like to share with you.

Bishop Peter

I visited Bishop Peter and his family and St. Matthew's community the weekend of July 7-8. Peter, as everyone probably knows by now, suffered a couple of strokes at the end of April and the beginning of May. He had to have surgeries to remove blood clots. He has been in rehab for all this time and came home just before my visit. I had a wonderful conversation with him for about 15 or 20 minutes; against the background of where he is in his rehab, I understand that 15-20 minutes is quite good. Rehab is a lot of effort, I'm told. It's too early to tell much about how things will progress, but apparently Peter is going to be convalescing for a good while, now fortunately in his own home with his family. Let our prayer be that our good and gracious God will accompany Peter's healing journey every day, leading him to restored health and returning Bishop Peter to all of us who love him. (While I was writing this Father Tomasz from Poland told me that he and Peter had a great conversation via Skype recently!)

Bishop Peter with his wife Mirella

National Council of Churches

On April 23-24th, I attended the Governing Board Meeting of the NCC in Washington, DC. The focus of the meeting was to debrief after our Rally to End Racism held at the beginning of April. The Rally was intended to be a kick-off for a multi-year effort at "truth and reconciliation" around racism in the US. The next phase will be an attempt to shine a light on the truth of our nation's and the US Christian Church's racial past as a prerequisite to reconciliation. This is the confession, acknowledgement, or "owning up" part of the reconciliation process. Not pleasant, but necessary. We have a corresponding Truth & Reconciliation Committee headed up by Deacon Joan Crawford, which I have told you about before. Joan will be telling us about the team's work at the Synod.
Pastoral Visit to Mexico

Bishops Denise and Armando and I visited burgeoning communities and their pastors in Mexico on May 14-17. We had a wonderful time bonding with each other and learning about the growing communities in Mexico, which have been associating with the ECC. There are communities in Mexico City and in Puebla to the south of the capital about an hour and a half by car. Puebla is the site of a famous gathering of Latin American Roman Catholic bishops with the pope in 1979. We stayed in some of the same housing, a retreat facility run by an amazing group of women religious. These Roman Catholic nuns were most hospitable to us! The trip was an opportunity to soak up the beautiful Mexican culture a bit and to begin to get to know some Mexican clergy who are cooperating with Bishop Armando in providing pastoral care for many people. There are two communities forming in Mexico City and one in Puebla. One of the Mexico City communities works extensively with the gay population of the "Zona Rosa" (Pink Zone or gay area) of Mexico City. What a beautiful group of committed people we met!

Here is Denise showing off a bottle of sipping tequila that we dare not forget the name of.

Here is Armando participating in a program to buy a cow for African villagers served by the nuns who hosted us.

Incardination of Rev. Don Sutton Bishop Denise had a great visit to the Rocky Mountain Region June 2-4 . We're very pleased to have incardinated Fr. Don Sutton and received his community the Catholic portion of "St Paul's Lutheran and Catholic Community of Faith." They are a community that is comprised of both Lutheran and Catholic members, that celebrates both a Lutheran liturgy and a Catholic Mass each weekend. The weekend also included an episcopal visit to Church of the Holy Family in Aurora where Bishop Denise presided and preached on Sunday morning. Finally she enjoyed the opportunity to gather with the clergy of the region for a couple of hours!

Pastor Penni and Rev. Don Sutton

Youth Immersion Trip; Mary Magdalene Donations at Work!

Jennifer Reyes Lay, our ECC Administrator, led a group of ECC Hispanic and Anglo youth in an immersion experience with Lourdes Talamantes on June 17-24. Jennifer describes the trip in this report. But I want to thank the youth who participated, the adults who accompanied them, and especially Jenn, Lourdes, Chelsie Thompson (who chaperoned), and Mothers Martha and Jetty from St. Junia's House (who provided "hospitality plus" for the group). The youth paid for their own transportation, Holy Trinity helped with food, St. Junia's provided housing, and the Mary Magdalene Society paid over $3000 for various expenses. Jenn and Lourdes were primarily responsible for program planning. The participants reported that they had a terrific experience; here are some samples:

"Thank you for financing for us; and that was really appreciated. Hopefully we do something like this in the future, but maybe even in Iowa." Jorge

"Thank you so much for making this retreat possible! Your strong belief in involving kids in the church means a lot to me! I am so glad that I had this amazing opportunity to travel to California and meet new people. The friends I have made are now important relationships that I hope to keep in the future....Being here has helped to reinforce the idea of all are welcome. We are a beautiful family despite the fact that we have all come from different backgrounds..." Kate

"Thank you...This trip has taught me to see all sides of a story and to live each in the present with faith and love. Thank you for blessing me with this trip." Jackie

[I received more thank you's than I can print here. The kids loved it. +F]

Deacon Trish Vanni Ordained as Priest in Minneapolis

Bishop Francis, Trish and Pete Vanni with Charis members at Pride after First Mass

I had the pleasure of ordaining Deacon Trish Vanni to be an ECC priest the weekend of June 23-24. I'm guessing that there were 150-200 people at the ordination, which was a beautiful and well planned celebration. Trish, ever focused on the connection of the gospel and the streets, took a busload of us to the Twin Cities Pride Day once mass was over. I thoroughly enjoyed being with the wonderful members and friends of Charis Community in Minneapolis. Trish is a very talented, energetic, and loving woman who brings a lot to our Communion. You will have a chance to welcome her at the Synod.

Looking Forward

This week I go to Colorado to accompany four of our communities on an historic meeting with their four ELCA Lutheran host churches to explore ways we can move closer to each other ecumenically. Please pray for this important gathering!

And of course the Synod is on my mind. How I long to assemble this "sacrament" of the Communion (it represents the whole ECC and generates its life). See you in Phoenix on September 17 where we will celebrate our 15th Anniversary!

Your brother,

+Francis

Benedictines of Holy Wisdom

An Invitation to other Monastics

We are the Benedictines of Holy Wisdom, a newly reconstituted monastic community in the ECC. Our community was founded to embrace and practice monastic spirituality based on The Rule of St. Benedict. Our quest is to be a renewing witness to contemplative living and to initiate a new kind of spiritual resurgence within the Communion. We are reaching out to other "former" Benedictines who are members of the Communion and who once were in temporary promises or perpetual vows within a monastic community. We welcome and invite you to consider joining our community. Please contact either one of us for further information. We hope to hear from you soon.

Michael Kieran Seger, OSB+

Prior

Email: benedictinesofhw@gmail.com

Richard Joseph Klaich, OSB+

Email: jklaichosb@gmail.com

Synod 2018 Update

There are only a few more weeks to register for the Synod to receive early bird prices. Please go to https://eccsynod.com/ and fill out the registration. Reserve your hotel room under the 'Place' tab. Remember to bring your bathing suits and your yoga equipment, as we have time built into the schedule for both. We will have a yoga instructor in the evenings so that you can wind down and get ready for the next day. Legislation will be coming out in the next few days.

We are excited to announce that our two major liturgies will be held at Guardian Angels parish, which is less than two miles from the hotel. We will have access to the hotel vans and dedicated volunteer drivers. The liturgy on Wednesday , September 19 , will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the ECC. You won't want to miss it!

Attached here is the re-ordered constitution that we will vote on at our Synod and here are the two amendments to that constitution that we will vote on separately at Synod. The parts of the current constitution that aren't part of the re-ordered constitution will remain as statutory matter but be separate from the constitution itself. If you need further explanation or have any questions, contact: Bishop Rafe Adams at bishoprafe@rcn.com or Tom Wilding at wilding@uta.edu

Have a Display Table at the ECC Synod

Share the good work your community or ministry is doing with a display table at the 2018 ECC Synod! Tables will be up throughout the Synod for attendees to view, and there will be a designated time during the program to give a short announcement about your table and engage with attendees. This is a great way to inspire one another and share ideas and resources. If you are interested in having a table display please contact Jennifer Reyes Lay at opbadministrator@ecumenical-catholic-communion.org or call 314-918-2767. Deadline to reserve a table is August 3.

"When the alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Leviticus 19:33-34

...Nada nos separará...Nothing Can Separate Us...

R eport from the ECC Finance Committee

Report from the HOL Finance Committee

(the balance sheet and the IE statement are linked in the sidebar)

The second quarter reports for 2018 were available shortly after the end of June. These reports continue to show a deficit for this year, at this point amounting to approximately $5,600. Only 32% of the budgeted tithes income for the year had been realized at the halfway point; 41% of the budgeted expenditures for the year had been made. The HOL Finance Committee will be discussing the impacts of these figures on ECC finances.

We will be making a general appeal to all ECC communities in the fall, shortly after the Synod, and we hope to be able to engage all communities in the effort to close the budget gap.

As we drafted the proposed budgets for 2019-2020, which will need to be approved at the Synod, we used the best estimate of actual income for these years. In order to avoid further deficits, though, the budgets for many operational things have been eliminated or reduced severely. As a result the committee recommended to the HOL Steering Committee that the tithe percentage be to 5.5% in 2019 and 6.0% in 2020. This would allow us to restore budget lines so that the ECC can continue to function at the same level as in the recent past. Even with those increases, we will need to undertake a general appeal for supplemental support in both years.

The committee has also been working with the Mary Magdalene Society to ensure that sound financial administration and planning are in place for it.

--Tom Wilding, Acting Chair, HOL Finance Committee

News from House of Pastors

House of Pastors (HOP) Report Summer 2018

The HOP is seeking candidates for Vice President. Anyone who is interested should contact Fr. Mike Bober ( mikejamesbober@gmail.com) or Rev. Kate Lehman ( revklehman@gmail.com). The individual elected will serve from 2018-2020 as Vice President and 2020-2022 as President. Time commitment is relatively minimal and includes membership on the Leadership Council, which usually meets for one hour per month, and membership on the HOP Steering Committee, which meets for one hour per month. In 2020-22, this person will serve on the Presiding Bishop Nominating Committee.

Rev. Kate's musings:

In our monthly HOP meetings, one thing that has struck me is that we are a diverse group in terms of what seems to feed us liturgically. We have talked a bit about the concept of clericalism in liturgy. However, I wonder if we all mean the same thing. Granted, there is a dictionary definition of the concept, but I get the sense that our constructs are different. For some, past experience in another form of Catholicism informs our meaning. In others, it may be culture that informs us. Still, if we are to have a conversation, we must acknowledge our innate biases related to the concept. We have to get past the injuries of the past. As children of the Light, we can rejoice in our diverse theology and ecclesiology. In September, at Synod, we will be speaking much about the forces in the world that attempt to separate us. Our pronouncement is that Nothing Can Separate Us. Let us ponder what that means until we meet in person to explore.

Blessings to all,

Rev. Kate Lehman, OSB

President of the HOP

News from House of Laity

House of Laity (HOL) Report Summer 2018

Summer Greetings from the HOL!

After a busy springtime we have slipped into an easygoing summertime. We will be meeting next week to finalize details of the Synod. We will then share more specific information with all of you. There will be some legislation for all of you to read through and discuss so that we will all be up to date in September during the Synod.

As some of you may know I will be stepping down as Chair of the HOL and Tom Wilding will then step into that role. Tom has been such a great support for me these past two years and I have no doubt he will continue to do great work as Chair of the HOL. We have had one volunteer who has offered her time and talents to serve as the new Vice-chair of the HOL. Paula Hayford (more info below) is a talented woman from the Emmaus Community in Oshkosh WI. She has graciously served on the HOL Steering committee and I'm sure will be a great asset as Vice-chair. Please take the time to read through her bio and don't hesitate to reach out to Tom or me if you have any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you all in Phoenix!

Peace, Therese Michalski Gabriel

HOL Chair

Hi, my name is Paula Hayford and I am a candidate for the Vice Chair position of the HOL and I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am a daughter, mother, grandmother, wife and recently retired much to my happiness.

My journey with the Ecumenical Catholic Communion began with skepticism in 2009. I had heard that Tom (now Bishop Tom) and Carla Altepeter were starting a new church In Oshkosh, WI that was catholic but not Roman Catholic. I was not among the first to join but many of my friends, whom I admired, began joining. After many invitations, David (my husband) and I went to a dinner and Mass. We were instantly hooked. We felt loved. We heard what made the new church different and felt that we had found our home.

Currently, I am a member of Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community of Oshkosh, WI and very proud of it. The joy I feel being a member of this community led me to ask my fellow parishioners to consider me to be their HOL representative in 2014. I was energized and impressed with all the people I have had the pleasure of connecting with these past 5 years, both nationally and internationally. At the last Synod, I felt called to join the Steering Committee of our HOL. I wanted to know more of how the ECC operated in a synodal manner and to contribute to the HOL. It has been one of my best decisions.

I was asked by Tom Wilding to consider becoming the next Vice Chair of the HOL in late 2017. I did not say "no" immediately but that I would pray about and consider this opportunity. After much deliberation and prayer, I was excited to accept Tom's nomination for the Vice Chair position this past May.

My goals would be to listen to our delegates concerns or needs. I would like to assist the HOL Steering Committee in developing a better communication system so all HOL delegates and their parishes know what is happening between Synods. I want to work with everyone to make the ECC a more solvent institution. And mostly I want to serve the Lord as best I can for the betterment of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion.

1st Annual ECC Youth Immersion Trip

6 brave youth ranging in age from 11-18 from two ECC communities in Colorado and one in California spent a week in June building relationships with one another, sharing and listening to stories, deepening their faith, learning more about the ECC, and sharing their time giving back to local communities around the Orange County, CA area.

Trip facilitators and chaperones included Jennifer Reyes Lay from St. Louis, MO, Lourdes Talamantes from Long Beach, CA, and Chelsie Thompson from Aurora, CO. The theme for the week was "Sharing Stories, Building Community" and time was spent listening to one another's stories and experiences as well as the stories from ECC clergy and communities including St. Matthew, Holy Trinity, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission in Perris, CA.

The youth also spent a day in Los Angeles where they visited Homeboy Industries and listened to the stories of former gang members, and later gave out purses filled with personal hygiene items to unhoused women living on Skid Row. They spent one morning doing beach clean-up and then the afternoon at the aquarium appreciating God's beautiful creation. They also enjoyed a day at the Orange County Catholic Worker, learning more about Catholic Worker spirituality and houses of hospitality and preparing and sharing a meal with the women currently living there. Overall it was a wonderful week of building relationships, deepening faith, and expanding the stories we hold about different groups of people.

We are grateful for all who donated to support this program, and especially to Revs. Martha and Jetty for opening up their home, St. Junia's, to the group for the week! We look forward to continuing this experience for ECC youth well into the future!

News from Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community of Oshkosh, WI

We are truly a blessed parish.

On Pentecost Sunday, Father Mike Bober, commissioned parishioners Mary Hartjes (candidate for Priesthood) and Mimi Maki (candidate for the Deaconate) as they begin their journey. Also, not present, Deacon Jake Czarnik-Neimeyer has begun studying for the Priesthood.

Emmaus of Oshkosh gave the new Rev Trish Sullivan Vanni of Eden Prarie, MN this garment with a Celtic cross on it as well as hand embroidered alter clothes to celebrate her ordination into the ECC. "How did they know I'm Irish?" she asked her congregation, to much laughter.

"To remain silent, is complicity." This was the charge Emmaus members received from Activist and founder of FIT Oshkosh, Tracey Robertson, when she visited our faith community. Her homily was revealing and challenging. Tracey shared with us that Wisconsin rates dead last in the country on racial inclusiveness and acceptance. And, as followers of Christ, we are commanded to LOVE, as today's reading from 1 Corinthians 12: 12-26 reveals. Emmaus also donated funds to FIT Oshkosh.

A note from the editor: This is my last ECC Report. It has been an honor to put together this newsletter for all of you. I'm so grateful to Rev. Rosa Buffone for showing me the ropes. Please contact me if you are interest in being our new editor! Love, Rev. Sue Ringler

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son. Matthew 2:13-15