Week of August 3, 2025

My Sisters and Brothers in Jesus Christ,
Updates from the past week.  A second video analyzing Cardinal Avery Dulles’s book “The Resilient Church” was released over the weekend.  We also published several shorts on Youtube reflecting on several topics including the Eucharist.  Why are we now releasing Youtube shorts on top of the full-length videos?  I am opposed to simplifying complex theology to soundbites.  In prayer, I rediscovered how the desert fathers only a few words to radically impact lives.  Perhaps a short word is all someone needs or can accept at the moment.  If we start where people are, maybe God can lead others where they should be as God's beloved.  I will pull some shorts from full-length videos but most will be a brief word and standalone video.  Going forward, I hope we release a full-length video and a short per week.
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This week, we also recorded two videos on the book “Renewal Pains in the Orthodox Church” which reminds us that faith is a living tradition.  Our churches not only must be faithful to the Scriptures and the Tradition but also must be enlivened by the Spirit.  Without the Spirit, we will truly be fulfilling the mission of Jesus.  These videos will be released in January 2026. 

I also participated in the first clergy gathering for The Old Catholic Ordinariate for Specialized Ministries - U.S.A.  It was a brief meeting focused primarily on the clergy getting to know each other.  We spent time concentrating on how we can be a healing presence especially in a wounded church.  Please pray for our newly formed jurisdiction that we can be signs of God’s love in this world.

Finally, I registered to attend an upcoming conference on polarization in the church.  While we are not in the Roman Catholic tradition, I believe we need to be aware of how fragmentation within the church mirrors the fragmentation we see in society.  Division is truly a scandal in our churches.  People are no longer speaking across ideological lines.  Paul could boldly proclaim the unity Christians have in Jesus Christ.  Sadly, the barriers are being erected.  We should strive to recognize the dignity each person has in being a child of God.  I look forward to attending the conference and finding ways to maintain common ground and charity.  If this sounds interesting to you, please consider registering for the conference.  It would be great to have the presence of Old Catholics and Independent Catholics at this event.  More details are available here: Conferences | Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology
May God bless and keep you now and forever.  Amen.
Peace,