Our Statement of Faith

Our faith is deeply seated in the historic Creeds and Sacraments of the Church. The clergy and laity have no doubt that our faith, as confessed in the Creeds, is real, true, and accurate.

We also believe that the Church must nourish and sustain the faith by its devoted defense of that Creedal faith.

We believe that the instant the Creedal faith is compromised we enter into a new age of distortions and blasphemy. There can be NO compromise in the belief in God or in His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, or The Holy Spirit. There can be no doubt as to the importance of the Holy Spirit's role in our lives.

We will teach our children not only that our Lord was crucified, died, and rose from the grave; but that He did all those things for them personally. Had they been the only ones ever created as sinful man, He would have died for them.

We believe that we must rejoice in the knowledge that our Lord, Jesus Christ, reigns in Heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father and that He will come again in Glory to judge both the living and the dead; those covered by the blood of Christ into eternal bliss and the lost into eternal separation from the presence of God.

We rejoice that we are truly members of the communion of saints, that we can be forgiven, and that one day the dead in Christ Jesus will rise and have eternal life in Christ.

We further believe that our seven sacraments were instituted by our Lord through His Person and His Holy Word (Scripture). We believe that the sacraments are life-giving life-comforting expressions of love by God for His people.

The sacraments are the visible vehicles of the Holy Spirit discernably active in our lives. Through the action of the sacraments, sacramental grace, the grace of the Holy Spirit, is given by Christ to us and by His grace we are sealed as Christ's own, fed, forgiven, cleansed, and made victorious in Christ.

We recognize that the sacraments are equal in importance, but a very special devotion to Baptism and the Holy Eucharist is embraced by all.

We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins.

The Holy Eucharist is based on the absolute faith that when Christ said, "This Is My Body" and "This Is My Blood", He told us that He would be physically with us and given for us to feed upon. He sacrificied Himself for His own.

We believe that faith is very personal. We believe it is paramount to our faith that we develop a personal relationship with our Lord, not simply a theoretical or intellectual understanding. We must build on our relationship with Christ Jesus; the Church is our primary dispenser of nourishment for that relationship.

We accept the responsibility to ensure that the children of God are instructed in the faith and fed and strengthened by instruction in the scriptures and in the sacraments.

OUR RELATIONS WITH THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 

Recognition by the Roman Catholic Church

The Most Rev. Barry A. Ferguson, OSB, is an "Old Catholic" Bishop who is recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as a "validly ordained minister of Jesus Christ". At present all of our liturgical expressions are contained in the 1928 and 1979 editions of the "Book of Common Prayer". 

When members of the Roman Catholic Church encounter us for the first time, they are often surprised to learn that Catholic denominations exist apart from Rome. Understandably, questions are raised about the validity of Orders and Sacraments administered by the "Orthodox or Old Catholics."

We hope the following information will be helpful. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dominus Iesus

At the Vatican, 16 June 2000, Pope John Paul II ratified and ordered the publication of Dominus Iesus. This Declaration of the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith was signed and published by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) in August of the same year.

In this Declaration, the Roman Church recognizes the validity of Orders and Sacraments of Old Catholic denominations.

"The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches."

"Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such...have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church." IV. Unicity and Unity of the Church, 17

Other Citations

Catholic Almanac - 1974

" The Roman Church recognizes the Validity of Old Catholic Orders and other Sacraments." (Felican A. Roy, OFM, page 368)

The Pastoral Companion - A Canon Law Handbook for Catholic Ministry - Third Edition by John M. Huels, JCD, page 335

" The principal condition is that these sacraments can be received only from validly ordained ministers. These are ministers who belong to "churches that have preserved the substance of the Eucharistic teaching, the sacrament of orders, and apostolic succession." This would include all Eastern non-Catholic Churches, the Polish National Church, Old Catholics, and Old Roman Catholics.

Especially applicable are the provisions as stated in Canon 844 of the 1983 Roman Catholic Code of Canon Law.

Separated Brethren

"We have no reason to doubt that the Old Catholic Orders are valid. The Apostolic Succession does not depend on obedience to the See of Peter, but rather on the objective line of succession from Apostolic sources, the proper matter and form, and the proper intention...likewise Old Catholic bishops are bishops in Apostolic Succession... The Old Catholics, like the Orthodox, possess a valid priesthood." (William J. Whalan, pp 204, 248) Rights and Responsibilities: A Catholic Guide to the New code of Canon Law

(Anyone ordained by Bishop Ferguson will be ordained as an "Old Catholic" deacon or priest)

The Sacred Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (circa 1920s)