Week of February 1, 2026

Dear friends in Christ,
I want to begin this week’s column with a word of humble apology. Last weekend, while celebrating the liturgy, I mistakenly celebrated the wrong liturgy. The Sunday should have been the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, and I regret this oversight. Thank you for your patience and grace, and for walking together as a community that understands both the beauty and the humanity of ministry.

Compounding this, my wife and I have been battling the flu through part of the past two weeks. We would be grateful for your prayers that sickness may subside in our household. I also ask you to join me in praying for all who are suffering from illness and infirmity, especially those who are hospitalized or homebound and have no one to tend to their needs. May Christ the Healer draw near to them in compassion, presence, and peace.

New Video Released: What Is Old Catholicism?
This weekend, we released a new video offering an introduction to Old Catholicism and its claim to continuity with the ancient Christian Church. The video is structured as a five-part lecture, exploring biblical foundations, the witness of the Church Fathers, the role of canons and councils, the historical development of the Old Catholic movement, and the sacramental life of the Church along with common objections.

The presentation emphasizes that the Church is a living, visible community entrusted with the deposit of faith, grounded in Sacred Scripture and expressed through apostolic ministry, conciliar governance, and sacramental life. Drawing on figures such as Irenaeus, Cyprian of Carthage, and Vincent of Lérins, the video highlights the early Church’s understanding of apostolic succession, episcopal collegiality, and catholicity defined not by juridical centralization, but by fidelity to what has been believed “everywhere, always, and by all.”

The lecture also traces the Old Catholic story from the Church of Utrecht in the eighteenth century through the crisis following the First Vatican Council, culminating in the formation of the Union of Utrecht in 1889. Finally, it addresses common objections—such as accusations of Protestantism or claims that communion with the Pope is required for catholicity—by pointing back to the ancient Church’s criteria: apostolic faith, sacramental life, ordained ministry, and conciliar order.

I hope this video serves both as an introduction for newcomers and a source of clarity and encouragement for those already familiar with the Old Catholic tradition.

Entering a New Season: Shrovetide / Septuagesima
This weekend, we enter a new liturgical season known as Shrovetide, traditionally beginning with Septuagesima Sunday. Though largely unfamiliar today, this season has deep roots in the Western Church.

Septuagesima marks a pre-Lenten period of preparation, historically lasting three weeks (Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima) leading up to Ash Wednesday. During this time, the Church begins to shift in tone: the Alleluia is set aside, readings emphasize humanity’s need for grace, and the faithful are invited to begin examining their lives in anticipation of Lent’s call to repentance and renewal.

Rather than plunging abruptly into penitence, Shrovetide offers a gentler threshold—a spiritual slowing down that allows us to prepare our hearts for the disciplines of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. It reminds us that conversion is not a moment, but a journey, and that God’s grace meets us even before we take the first deliberate step.

As we enter this season, may we do so thoughtfully, honestly, and with hope—trusting that the same Christ who was transfigured in glory also walks patiently with us in our weakness and longing.

With gratitude for your prayers and your companionship on the way,
In Christ,
Rev. Ben