"A compassionate, spiritual community in the Catholic tradition."
Emmaus Celebrates Liturgy on Sundays at 6:00 pm

(See Upcoming/Calendar of Events for weekend of Feb. 4-5, 2012).

Our Worship Site is:

137 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh, WI

(First Congregational Church)

Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community of Oshkosh Worshiping at First Congregational Church
137 Algoma Blvd.
P.O. Box 422 (Mailing Address)
Oshkosh, WI 54903-0422
ph: 920-410-5877
emmaus@new.rr.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the ECC believe and teach?

The ECC affirms the following articles of faith.

Christ - We affirm the faith of the ancient Christian Church that the person of Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God who through his life, death and resurrection brings salvation to the whole world.

Church - We affirm that the Church of Jesus Christ embodies all who follow

Jesus and are joined with Christ and one another through baptism. This Body of Christ is one, catholic, and apostolic and is entrusted with continuing the saving work of Christ in the world through the proclamation of the Gospel and the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries, commonly called the Sacraments.

Scripture - We affirm the Sacred Scriptures that have been handed on to us through the Apostolic Tradition and are held in common with the historic Catholic Church.

Sacraments - We affirm that the Church in her very nature is Sacramental. The Sacraments are grace-filled moments of encounter with the Divine. Through our participation in the celebration of these Divine Mysteries we are renewed by the saving presence of the Resurrected Christ.

Creed - We affirm the Nicene Creed as the foundational profession of catholic faith as it was originally promulgated by the Ecumenical Councils of Nicea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. We realize that this profession does not preclude further development in our theological understanding and expression.

The Declaration of Utrecht - We affirm that the Declaration of Utrecht (September 24, 1889) is consistent with the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church in its rejection of both universal papal jurisdiction and the infallibility of the papal office.

Affirmation of Faith:

We affirm the dignity of all human persons regardless of race, national origin, religious affiliation, gender, or sexual orientation. We strive for justice within the universal Church and the whole world. As a Community of Communities we follow the ancient wisdom of the Church as expressed in the words of St. Augustine, "in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

What does the ECC believe and teach with regard to marriage, divorce & remarriage?

The ECC regards marriage as a sacrament. The ECC maintains that divorce is a tragic situation for all involved, but due to human imperfection, at times unavoidable. For many, divorce is one of the most painful and difficult time in their lives. The ECC seeks to reach out in compassion and healing to all concerned at this most difficult time. The ECC does not require an annulment in order to enter into a subsequent marriage. Those who have divorced and remarried are not excluded from the Eucharist or other sacraments.

Our Presiding Bishop, Peter Hickman, has written a pastoral letter entitled Marriage & Re-Marriage in the Church Today. What follows are a few excerpts from this pastoral letter, to provide a flavor of the pastoral approach of the ECC in this difficult situation:

The school of marriage teaches valuable lessons which can be applied to all relationships in life. Sometimes that school provides hard lessons in the painful tragedy of divorce. Divorce is a major trauma for all who experience it, whether we speak of the spouses or the children of a family. . . St. Paul, in his epistle to the church at Rome, asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" Too often, however, it is the church itself which provides the answer. At the precise time when we have been broken and made vulnerable by the experience of divorce, our misery is compounded by a sense of condemnation by our Christian church. It is not the healing voice of Jesus we hear, like the Samaritan woman at the well in John's gospel, but rather it is the voice and weight of law and the judgment of church leaders which confront us and add to our grief . . .

It is apparent that those who have divorced and remarried are still in need of the sacramental life of the Church. We join our Eastern Christian brothers and sisters in an ancient tradition of supporting those who have remarried by counseling them to reflect upon all that has passed and to grow in all that will come during their new marriage. Such growth can only be successful in union with the sacramental life of the Church and in the Church's teaching on the life of prayer and the excellent way of love as taught in the Holy Scriptures and practiced by faithful families.

The interested reader can find the letter in its entirety at:

http://www.ecumenical-catholic-communion.org/eccpdf/marriage.pdf

What does the ECC believe and teach with regard to birth control?

The ECC affirms the basic human right of freedom of self determination, particularly in matters of conscience. As a consequence, the ECC believes that all adults have the right and responsibility to follow their informed consciences in all matters, and thereby have the right and responsibility to: a) determine in conscience the size of their families, and, b) determine in conscience appropriate methods of family planning. Matters of contraception and artificial birth control as a way of responsibly limiting the size of one's family are issues of conscience to be decided by couples. Contraception and artificial birth control, when used responsibly, can be positive goods as a means of increasing the frequency of the gift of sexual union, reducing the incidence of abortion for unwanted pregnancies and limiting the spread of sexually transmitted disease.

What does the ECC believe and teach with regard to the use of condoms?

There has been some controversy about the appropriateness of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The ECC affirms the basic human right of freedom of self determination, particularly in matters of conscience. As a consequence, the ECC believes that all adults have the right and responsibility to follow their informed consciences in all matters. The ECC regards the responsible use of condoms a positive good as a means of preventing sexually transmitted disease.

What is the ECC's understanding of same-gender sexual relationships?

The ECC is an open and affirming communion recognizing the value and dignity of every person, in our God given diversity. The ECC promotes the education and development of the People of God in their understanding of the natural diversity of sexual orientation among our brothers and sisters. All sexual relationships are to be guided by the Christian moral principals of love and fidelity. The ECC upholds the ideal of committed relationships blessed by the sacred rites of the church. The ECC believes that all questions of sexual morality are best addressed through pastoral care and counsel. All are welcome within the ECC!

Our Presiding Bishop, Peter Hickman, has written a pastoral letter entitled Human Sexuality: The Sacred Body. What follows are a few excerpts from this pastoral letter, to provide a flavor of the pastoral approach of the ECC in this situation.

. . . We regard the teaching of Jesus, and of the whole New Testament, as overpoweringly in favor of love of neighbor and concern for the welfare of others. We recognize that in the past whole groups of people, gay and lesbian persons among others, were often compelled to give up personal wellbeing (or even to suffer) on behalf of supposed moral principles. The arguments that led to such sacrifice are not consistent with the gospel of Christ. Therefore, the Christian community must acknowledge that gay and lesbian persons should be accorded the same dignity and freedom that is the gift of our Creator. . . The community of faith continues to develop its understanding of the truth that the love of God is present in all creation and therefore in every human being irrespective of race, gender or sexual orientation. Love is measured by the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5: 22-23). The moral issue for Christians is not whether love is homosexual or heterosexual, or on a continuum between these two. The moral issue is the extent to which love is characterized by the fruits of the Spirit. This applies to all people, whatever their sexual orientation . . . We joyfully welcome gay and lesbian individuals and couples fully into our faith community. We have been graced by their presence among us, have seen the fruits of the Spirit in their lives, and have witnessed their dedication to a life of faith and faithfulness. . . We offer gay and lesbian couples the support given to others in our community. We embrace these couples, welcome them into the household of faith and provide a context in which to live out the Christian ideal of love, fidelity and commitment to one another. In order to strengthen their shared life together in Christ we offer, to those who desire it, the graces of a holy union blessed by the Church.

The interested reader can find the letter in its entirety on this website at the link: "From Our Bishop: The Sacred Body."

What is the ECC's understanding of clerical celibacy?

Evidence from Scripture and early church history suggest that many of the apostles and early church leaders were married. Clerical celibacy, although optionally practiced, was not a requirement in the Roman Catholic Church until 1274. It was enforced at that time for relatively practical reasons: a) to protect church property from the threat of hereditary/inheritance claims by the children of clergy; and b) to ensure that clergy would not be hindered in their ministry by the responsibilities of a family. Prior to this, many Roman Catholic priests, bishops and popes were married. Clerical celibacy has never been required in the Eastern Orthodox or other apostolic churches (e.g., Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, etc.) The ECC follows the teachings of Jesus, the first 1300 years of Christian tradition, and the continuing experience of most major Christian denominations and allows individuals to respond to God's call to ordained ministry freely; therefore, the ECC believes that marriage and ordination are not mutually exclusive.

Does the ECC support the ordination of women to the ministerial priesthood?

Yes. Evidence from early church history indicates that women were ordained as deacons and priests at least through the first four centuries of Christianity; there is also some evidence that there were women bishops. In the ECC, women are encouraged to respond to a genuine call to serve and to participate in all levels of ministry - lay or ordained. Currently in the ECC there are a number of women priests. As St. Paul writes: "...there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female; all are one in Christ Jesus."

What does the word "ecumenical" mean?

The ECC understands the word ecumenical in several ways:

1. The body of Christ, the universal church, includes all baptized Christians. All those who have followed the Lord Jesus in baptism are regarded as members of the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church."

2. The ECC is engaged in promoting Christian unity. We seek to join with all Christian sisters and brothers in the proclamation of the Gospel, the celebration of the liturgy, and the realization of the life of Christ.

3. The ECC recognizes the presence of the Spirit at work in every human heart, believing that all people are the beloved daughters and sons of God. We seek mutual understanding and respect with those of other religions through dialogue, and mutual cooperation in the endeavor for peace and justice in our world.

Are the sacraments offered to individuals from denominations other than catholic?

Yes. The ECC regards the sacraments as special experiences of God's grace, alive and active in our midst. The evidence from Scripture, and early church history, is that Jesus' mission and ministry welcomed all. He did not exclude anyone; in fact, he reached out to the poor, the sick, the marginalized and the outcast. As Jesus stated: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Matthew 9: 12-13). Accordingly, the ECC does not withhold the sacraments from any baptized Christian based on their denominational preference, faith tradition, or personal behavior. The ECC believes that the sacraments are God's gift of grace. Jesus is the host of the Eucharistic celebration. As Jesus welcomed all, the ECC believes that all are welcome to the table of the Lord!

How is the ECC authentically Catholic if it is separate from the authority of the Pope?

The ECC practices the original understanding of Church which existed universally for the first 1000 years of Christianity, and still exists in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. In this understanding of Catholicism, each local faith community (i.e., diocese) was led by its bishop and pastoral councils. The people of each local faith community participated in the life of the Church by electing their bishop and taking an active role in the ministry of the faith community. The Pope, who was the bishop of the community of Rome, was regarded as a spiritual leader, but he did not exercise authority, or jurisdiction, over other local churches. Each local church (diocese) upheld the autonomy of its own life and governance. Approval from Rome was not required in the decision making processes of each local church. While it is commonly believed that the Pope has been regarded as infallible, and with universal jurisdiction, since the early days of the apostles, in fact infallibility and universal jurisdiction were not instituted within the Roman Catholic Church until the First Vatican Council, in 1870. Rev. Bjorn Marcussen, a theologian, has expressed it as follows: "The fullness of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church resides in the local church, understood as the local diocese. The local church does not need a "super structure" or a "super bishop" to complete anything, for nothing is missing in its catholicity and apostolicity. The local church is the church in one specific place under one specific bishop. This pre supposes that there cannot be several local churches with several bishops in the same place (overlapping jurisdictions). Neither can a bishop from one local church interfere with or invade the jurisdiction of the bishop of another local church.

How is the ECC organized?

Currently the ECC consists of one diocese in the United States. The Presiding Bishop of the ECC is Peter Hickman. The diocese is divided into 6 regions. Wisconsin is in the Midwest region. The Vicar of the Midwest region is Rev. Frank Krebs, who resides in St. Louis, MO, and is pastor of Saints Clare and Francis parish in St. Louis. Recently, because of the continued and relatively rapid growth of the ECC, there has been some discussion of elevating some of the regions to separate dioceses. Procedures for such a process are currently being developed.

The ECC is governed by the Synod of the Communion, comprised of the Presiding Bishop in collaboration with the House of Laity and the House of Pastors. The House of Laity (HOL) consists of two individuals elected from each faith community, according to election processes determined by that community. Members of the HOL are elected for a term of two years; term limits may be set by each local faith community. Members cannot be ordained clergy. The House of Pastors (HOP) includes two members from each community. Typically the delegates would include the Pastor and one Lay Pastoral member or Associate Pastor. Pastors serve on the HOP for the term of their pastorate; others are elected by the local faith community. Term limits may be set by each local faith community. The Presiding Bishop is elected by a combined vote of the House of Laity and the House of Pastors. The Presiding Bishop is elected for a term of 4 years, and if re-elected may serve up to 3 consecutive terms.

The ECC explicitly supports the autonomy of each local faith community. Pastors, lay pastoral associates and associate pastors are called to ministry by the local community, then if necessary, ordained by the bishop; they are not appointed by the bishop. All local faith communities are independently incorporated in their respective state. Community property and assets are held in sole ownership by the local faith community, in accordance with its own constitution and laws of the state in which it exists. Neither the ECC nor the Presiding Bishop claims any rights to the assets or properties owned by the local faith communities.

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Emmaus Ecumenical Catholic Community of Oshkosh Worshiping at First Congregational Church
137 Algoma Blvd.
P.O. Box 422 (Mailing Address)
Oshkosh, WI 54903-0422
ph: 920-410-5877
emmaus@new.rr.com

"A compassionate, spiritual community in the Catholic tradition." ﻿ Emmaus Celebrates Liturgy on Sundays at 6:00 pm

Frequently Asked Questions

"A compassionate, spiritual community in the Catholic tradition."
Emmaus Celebrates Liturgy on Sundays at 6:00 pm