Welcome to Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community

Sunday Mass: 11:00 am in the Sacred Space at First Christian Church in Olympia.  All are welcome!  Once again we enter Ordinary Time.

Watch this space for any notices about mass.

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In response to the letter that the Archbishop of Seattle sent to the parishes in Lacey and Olympia WA, we make the following statement:

There is more than one way to be Catholic:

The Roman Catholic Archbishop Peter Sartain sent a letter to parishes in Olympia and Lacey, claiming that only faith communities in union with the Pope can properly call themselves “Catholic.”  He mentions our Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community by name so we believe it is important to clarify who we are. 

We make no claim to being Roman Catholic. Rather, we are a parish in the international Ecumenical Catholic Communion. We share theological and liturgical tradition with them as part of a wider or “universal” Catholic Church. We consider our clergy successors of the apostles, as do the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Old Catholic Church, and others.

We follow the Old Catholic tradition of refusing to accept the infallibility of the Pope as proclaimed in 1870 by the First Vatican Council.  We honor the Pope as the first among bishops, but not as having final authority in matters of faith and morals.  Because of this decision all Ecumenical Catholics participate in selecting our bishops and in making decisions for our Communion.

We are an inclusive, welcoming, equalitarian faith community.  We welcome anyone to worship with us, particularly those who have left the Roman Catholic Church and are seeking a spiritual home.

A Statement from our presiding Bishop:

Although the Roman Church can be properly called a Catholic Church it is one among many. Historically, there have been many Christian churches that have identified themselves as “Catholic” for nearly two millennia that are not in union with Rome. The various Eastern Orthodox Christians, the Coptic Christians of Egypt, the Syriac and Armenian Christians of the East, as well as the Old Catholics to name but a few. The original use of the term “catholic” by ancient churches meant that a so designated faith community was trinitarian, apostolic, creedal, and sacramental. It would be more precise to say that “only those faith communities that are in union with the Roman Pope can properly be called “Roman Catholic.” Catholic is too general a term to be applied to only one church exclusively especially since many Christians use that term in reference to themselves. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all church leaders who use the term catholic in their name to employ a modifier such as Roman, Syrian, Old, or Ecumenical to avoid confusion among the faithful.

Bishop Peter Elder Hickman

The Ecumenical Catholic Communion is a Communion of Communities:  men, women and children baptized in Christ dedicated to the call of the Holy Spirit.  Emmaus ECC is a Catholic Community affiliated with the National Ecumenical Catholic Communion.  We bear witness to the Gospel message of liberation and justice and offer refuge to those who suffer prejudice.  We are a safe harbor.  We stand in open dialogue with others and try to conform our lives to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  

The Ecumenical Catholic Communion shares a common theology and liturgical tradition with the universal Catholic Church.  Our bishops, priests and deacons participate in the same apostolic succession as does the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches and other apostolic sacramental churches.

Distinctives:  Although we share a common theology and liturgical tradition with the Catholic Church, we have, and will continue to develop Distinctive Teachings to express our growing understanding at the implications of the Gospel message of Christ in our time.  These teachings include -- that each baptized person is an equal member of the Catholic Church and this equality must be evident in Synodal and local governance and ministry; that all the baptized, irrespective of marital status or sexual orientation and relationship, are welcome to celebrate the sacraments; that the ministerial priesthood in the ECC is open to all the baptized, regardless of gender, sexual orientation and relationships, or marital status; and that in intimate affairs, such as the decision to divorce and the use of artificial birth control, the ECC follows the primacy of an individual's conscience.

All members participate in selecting bishops and pastors.  This practice has historic precedence in Catholic tradition.  "He is to govern all and should be chosen by all."  (Pope Leo I in 450)  

Emmaus ECC seeks to provide an inclusive and welcoming Catholic Community, sharing the richness of the Catholic faith tradition, open to a progressive Catholic theology, available and accessible regardless of age, race, national origin, religious affiliation, gender or sexual orientation, and welcoming all regardless of differing abilities.   We desire to provide a source for deepening an individual's personal commitment to the life, teachings, and spirit of Jesus through prayer, study and mutual support.  We also seek to be engaged in social justice outreach rooted in Christian gospel values, interacting with the wider community. We are a gay friendly community.

What gives us great joy is to welcome people who grew up Catholic but feel they no longer fit in or belong in their Church.  We also welcome people who grew up in other traditions, or in no faith tradition; those who seek an inclusive and diverse community.  

Celebrate your Catholic faith with us