Daughters of St. Mary in need of help

Since 1994 Mission St. Paul supports the social and diaconal work of the Daughters of St. Mary, a sister community of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt. The nurses provide education and maintain a retirement home, nursery schools and kindergartens. Furthermore, the sisters run a supervised institution for the mentally disabled: "Home of Progress." The sisters also take education and information to women about the dangers of female circumcision. It is important that their work serves Christians and Muslims.The nuns gear their social servers toward the disadvantaged groups within Egyptian society. For example, their medical facilities are often less expensive than government sponsored facilities, and the nuns provide better care for their patients. Furthermore, their services often reach groups marginalized by social taboos, such as mentally handicapped children who cannot find adequate care in Beni Suef.

The goal of The Daughters of St. Mary is to practice monasticism while serving the Coptic community by combating poverty, sickness, and furthering social justice. Their community service allows the nuns to interact with the secular world, unlike other Coptic nuns, who spend most of their time cloistered in convents, praying for the world. Their dress is less constricting then other Coptic nuns, which allows them maneuverability to carry out their social projects. Their clothes are also gray rather than black, to symbolize their participation in the secular world. Although called nuns - the Daughters of St. Mary are officially Deaconesses, and are usually called 'Tasooni' - which means sister in Coptic.

In 2008, the Vastenoffer of the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands went to the 'Home of Progress' and to provide food parcels among the poorest of the village of Beni Khalil.

Following the recent uprising in Egypt, the schools run by nuns and women's centers were temporarily closed. As a result, there was no money for teachers and drivers in February and March.
To give an idea of ​​the amounts at stake: an average monthly salary is $37. For $1,472 twenty two teachers, drivers and janitors receive a  full salary for February and March. Furthermore, funds are needed to support the women's centers and nurseries: for materials, coloring books, swings and a day out for children.

The sisters and the children they care for request our generosity to help serve the needs of the vulnerable members of society.

The Mission St. Paul's aims to raise at least $4,000. For this amount we meet the current needs of the Coptic sisters.

The Collegiate Board is counting on you in this mission collection, which is held in May.

The Hague wins the Old Catholic Volleyball Tournament 2011

This year, nine teams participated in the Old Catholic Volleyball Tournament: an older and younger youth team from The Hague (the OJE and JOJO), two teams of Camp Leadership (The Winning Team and the Beer and Bitterballen Team), Vita Nuova from Hilversum, two teams Kop van Noord-Holland (Smashing Danger and Doortikkers), Birds of Paradise from Rotterdam and from Egmond Wind 8.

The Hague had organized the tournament and kept the tournament well in hand. In addition, parishioners provided cool drinks, fresh fruit and real Kakker Hague!

The tournament was close, but ultimately OJE, the older youth team from The Hague, narrowly beat the Camp Leadership Team. In a thrilling finale ended the Old Catholic Volleyball 2011 at 11:19 p.m. in a victory for The Hague!
..

Old Catholic "updraft" in the German News

In an interesting film report on the situation of the Roman Catholic Church in Bonn and its crisis, the press contrasts the down shift of the Roman Catholic Church with the updraft of the Old Catholic Church.
The crisis and the backlog of reforms in the Roman Catholic Church are causing dedicated members of the "core communities" to consider the modern alternative, the ironically named, Old Catholic Church. To see the German news report click: Media Coverage in Bonn for a 3:16 news story.

Old Catholic Church is Growing!

Netherlands
In the past three months, the Old Catholic Church in the Netherlands (OKKN) bought two church buildings in Eindhoven (in February) and Groningen (last Thursday). Each parish of the diocese now has its own church building.

Groningen and Eindhoven purchased former Roman Catholic and Apostolic Catholic churches. The Eindhoven community are now in a former Roman Catholic building: St. Paul's, build in 1995. In Groningen, the building was purchased from the Catholic Apostolic Church.


The Catholic Apostolic Church used the building for some time and looked forward to a more suitable destination. The sale to a sister church in the faith was preferable and it was therefore agreed to a very reasonable price. The coming months will now be spent on renovating the upstairs rooms to make it ready for occupancy by the family of the pastoral workers.The parish now has a home in the city.

The Groningen parish has about 150 members in Eindhoven there are slightly more Old Catholics. The parishes are so small, but in the last few years they have seen growth. Still, the management and maintenance of their own church building for small parishes is difficult and time consuming. The national church would therefore represent an overall property management setup. It must provide relief for small parishes, particularly those where there is a  lack of time and knowledge. The national administration is not mandatory.

The OKKN has a total of 27  parishes in the process of being established. These parishes do not have their own church building. The denomination has about 5500 members in the Netherlands.

Germany
Augsburg 
The 117 year old Old Catholic Community of Augsburg broke ground for their new church building on March 25th 2011. Germany also created a norther Deanery this year because of their expansion.

United States
New Jersey
The parish council of the Community of St. John the Baptist, a parish whose doors were closed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, has requested to join the American National Catholic Church, an independent Catholic denomination in America. 

As the parish embraces a new identity, they have adopted a new name: Our Lady of Guadalupe American National Catholic Church. Since their building was taken by the Diocese of Trenton, they have been gathering in local halls. The hundreds of members of the community are very excited over the donation of land that they are working to acquire and which will allow them to soon begin construction of a new church building. OLG will be the first brick and mortar church constructed from the ground up in the American National Catholic Church. 


This parish community is vibrant, full of energy and is growing. We ask your prayers for the community of Our Lady of Guadalupe as well as for their priest. May the good works we see here continue to inspire others who feel called by God to embrace this new and exciting journey within this branch of Christ's Church!

Rhode Island
The Church of the Holy Paraclete in Providence Rhode Island is about to open it's doors as it finishes its restoration of a 101 year old building. This Mission Style Church has a chapel, kitchen, gathering space, and an outreach center. Presently, Fr. Jakob Lazarus and Fr. John Reardon lead the parish as an independent parish without a bishop or denomination, but with the hope of greater Catholic unity. 

Ego makes it difficult to accept the faith

"Modern man is obsessed with his image. Our culture's  usual focus on the ego that makes it difficult to accept the faith", said the Old Catholic Archbishop Joris Vercammen on Wednesday evening in the cathedral Gertrudis church in Utrecht.


"Faith is a property of the interior. In this sense it is at odds with your ego and a worry for your image."Vercammen said in his sermon on the occasion of the consecration of oil, which annually takes place Wednesday in Holy Week.


God does not ask us to proceed by appearances. It is about faith: "God calls us. This is the beginning of all faiths. And who allows changes to take shape from the inside. Your attention is directed otherwise: away from one's own ego to be given to other people."


The sermon of the Old Catholic Bishop Dick Schoon reflects the words of Vercammen. Schoon held the Chrism Mass in Haarlem on April 18. He says that the followers of Jesus expelled them devils. Even now it is still relevant: "We do find that people are obsessed with certain images or ideas which they can handle and keep them off of an open future." He refers, inter alia, fashion images.


The consecrated oil plays an important role in the Catholic tradition: it serves with various sacraments: baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. 


The Chrism Mass in Utrecht was attended by a large delegation of French Old Catholics. Given the small size of the old Catholic church in France they fall under the responsibility of Archbishop Vercammen.

Meeting of the Union of Utrecht with the World Council of Churches: role of small communities

The chairman and the secretary of the International Old Catholic Bishops Conference released on Friday, April 8 an official visit to the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Revd. Dr. Olav Tveit Fyske. They were accompanied by a priest Ioan Jebelean, the IBC representative who maintains daily contact with the World Council.

Role of Small Churches
The Secretary General discussed the role of small churches in the WCC, especially with a decline of financial resources. It is important that the smaller churches on the fringes do not disappear. The Union of Utrecht has taken  leadership on this issue and wants to continue working for these smaller communities. The meeting also emphasized the contribution that the Union of Utrecht, the smallest among the Christian World Communities. It was particularly evident that universality, which represents the Union and that can be described as conciliar, synodal and episcopal. The Union is still of great importance in the ecumenical movement in its attempt to bring churches closer together. Our theological contributions are greatly appreciated at this point. Moreover, the attempt by the Old Catholic bishops conference to make connections with two other churches that identity with the Union of Utrecht and not affiliated with any other Christian World Community: Thoma Church in India and the Independent Philippine Church. It is considered a real contribution to ecumenical cooperation.

Faith and Order
On the occasion of the visit was to be an interview with the director of "Faith and Order" ("Faith and Order), Revd. Dr. John Gibaut. The delegation was pleased him a brief response to the document 'Nature and Mission of the Church.' This reaction is included in the new version of the document that is currently being prepared. Furthermore, Dr. Gibaut, impressed by the special meeting of bishops ecclesiology, the IBC prior to the Old Catholic Congress 2010 was organized for Old Catholic, Filipino and Mar Thoma bishops. He pledged to cooperate in the publication of the lectures were held during this meeting.

Catholicity and Globalization
About the project "Catholicism and Globalisation", in which Filipino, American and European theologians of Anglican and Old Catholic collaborated in a joint attempt of globalization theological approach. The delegation had a meeting with the head of the Executive Program Committee of the WCC, Dr. Guillermo Kerber. Dr. Kerber expressed his gratitude for this initiative, which-precisely because of the theological approach, a valuable contribution which the World needs now. He had been otherwise well-prepared for the interview by reading the publication that summarizes the result of reflection "Globalisation and Catholicity" (Special edition of the TQM) There were also agreed for a continuation of this project, partly because the World will be financed.

Finally, were the employees of the Executive Secretary to further discuss organizational matters such as the Czech cooperation of our sister church in the work of the world and the question of the membership application of so-called "independent Catholic churches."

Consultation IBC
The visit of the Archbishop to Switzerland on Saturday followed by a consultation with representatives of the IBC of the Synodal Councils of the member churches, the Netherlands, the Treasurer and mrs. C. Brouwer behalf of Collegiate Directors present. Subjects were the International Old Catholic Congress (frequency, purpose, content and programming) and the restructuring of the finances of the International Episcopal Conference itself. The IBC is now running even with particular contributions from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany but also other churches. This was a clear agreement on the basis of a budget.

USA: House churches deepen community, provide intimate hospitality

Regular Thursday evening worship involves "the Lord's Supper in three courses" at Holy Spirit Episcopal Community, a house church in Silver Lake, California, in theDiocese of Los Angeles.

House churches, or small groups of believers who gather and worship in homes, sometimes by necessity and other times independent of mainstream religious institutions, are considered to emulate the earliest Christian community, and more recently are growing in popularity as a way to reach out to the unchurched.


At Holy Spirit, Fabian Rodriguez serves up the evening's first course, arranging crab-broccoli dip and other appetizers, salads and freshly baked chicken pot pie.


He'd spent much of the day in court, at the trial of the accused murderer of his best friend. And for Rodriguez, 38, a chef, it felt comforting to offer a homemade meal to "a community where I feel accepted, where I feel so comfortable that even when I'm uncomfortable I'm allowed to express it in a safe environment.


"It's hard, when somebody is taken for no reason," Rodriquez told the gathering March 3 during the evening's "second course" -- Scripture readings, reflection and Eucharist.
"It's hard to listen to all the animosity, the emotions ... then to find myself opening the door [after the testimony] for the sister" of the accused. "There is a lot of fear and struggle to be present with God. It's really challenging."


For Larry, another of the group of about 20 worshippers, the Exodus story (24:12-28) of Moses on Mount Sinai, enveloped in a cloud while speaking to God, recalled his past year "of fighting cancer.
"I can relate to Moses walking into the cloud. I did not know what was in store for me," he said. "When I was first diagnosed they told me I had three months to live. It's now been 15 months and the cancer has disappeared, as far as they can tell. I had no choice but to walk through the cloud, but experiencing the unknown is not always a bad thing, at least in my case. God was there, waiting for me."
Holy Spirit and other house churches can offer intimacy and a deepened sense of community, said Randy Kimmler, associate for vocations for the Los Angeles diocese and a founder of the five-year-old alternative community.


"It grew out of a Lenten study group meeting at my house in Silver Lake five years ago," recalled Kimmler during a telephone interview. "There is no Episcopal Church in Silver Lake; our goals are hospitality and community."


The service draws as many as two dozen worshippers and outgrew his living room. It is held in an apartment clubhouse and incorporates a rotating schedule of: clergy who preside over the Eucharist; lay and ordained people who offer meditations and hosts who provide the evening's refreshments, all of which are placed on the altar. After the initial meal, the altar is cleared for communion and later it is cleared again, for the third course, dessert and coffee and additional fellowship, he added.
At St. John's Church in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the Rev. Joe Parrish said the congregation is exploring a return to its historic roots and possibly meeting in homes again.


"Our church is 306 years old; it was the second building in the same place over three centuries," he said during a recent telephone interview from his office. "The first building was an Anglican church founded in 1706 and it was British property. When the revolution came, General Cornwallis took the church and didn't allow any worship services so the people went to house churches.


"We had seven to eight years in house churches and when [George] Washington recaptured the building in 1782 we got it back ... and perked right along as if nothing had happened."
Fast forward to 2011 and one of the congregation's most pressing challenges is to heat the 8,000-square-foot structure with a 750-person seating capacity, Parrish said. "The oil company has run us out, not General Cornwallis. We can't afford to heat the place. We have to have midweek activities outside the church. It's forcing us to consider meeting at people's homes."
Heating costs average about $1,200 for Sundays alone during the winter, he added. "We bailed out in the winter by going to the parish hall and converting it to a sanctuary and worship space. This year, we saved $20,000 on our oil bill."


Parrish said that, at least for the present, simple economics dictate seeking alternatives for the socially active congregation. "We're knee-deep in social service issues. We feed about 120 people weekly, operate a day shelter and do major outreach but we're doing this out of necessity; we can't afford to do it in the church on weekdays."


Recently, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Pearland, in the Diocese of Texas, gave new meaning to house churches and also invented a new name, "Andy2Go." Via Andy2Go the congregation hosted 12 services at 11 venues, mostly parishioners homes, over a three-day weekend from March 4-6, that "was far beyond anything we could imagine. It was incredible," according to the Rev. Jim Liberatore, rector.
Part of the inspiration for the event happened because "God says, in so many places in the Bible, to go. He doesn't say 'stay' very often," Liberatore said. "We normally have about 210 on an average Sunday. We had 393 at our venues and over 80 were visitors."


Locations and participants may have varied but there was one commonality: "we were out in the community in people's homes," he added. "People had a chance to talk with each other. On Sundays we all usually have a job to do, or a ministry and we don't get a chance to just talk with each other."
About 43 people attended the 11 a.m. March 6 outdoor service at the Pearland home of Katie Cordes, 33. "We had a bounce house, sandwiches, chips, fruit drinks and popsicles. The food was in the driveway and the kids brought scooters, bikes and rode around and played together. It was wonderful, very kid-friendly and unique. I actually met a couple from my church that I didn't know, that was really neat," she said.


"It was nice to eat together, too," she added. "Usually after church the kids are starving and cranky so we have to rush off." Debbie Allensworth, 42, said she knew about two-thirds of the 27 people who attended the 4 p.m. March 6 at her home in Pearland, a Houston suburb.
"We had all ages come to our house, and we worshipped in the backyard. Fr. Jim was on the porch and we sat on the grass," she recalled. "The worship was a lot more laid-back than in church. It felt more intimate and it was nice having the kids incorporated in parts of the service, like chalicing, where they normally wouldn't get a chance to do that. We had a great time."


The casual atmosphere included "kids on a trampoline, the swing set, a dog in someone's lap. We had music and a 20-minute worship service. When it was over we ate appetizers and sandwiches and for the next hour everybody hung out and got to know each other while the children played."
Allensworth, a mother of four, said she wasn't sure what it would be like hosting the event, but it helped that another family organized refreshments. "I've known them a long time but it was my first chance getting to work closely together with them," she recalled. "It was nice to get to talk to somebody I don't see very often. Many of the families I've know for a long time but we never had any interaction before this."


She added that it "really filled a need people seemed to have that we didn't necessarily expect. We discovered people really have a need to make a closer connection and maybe in the church building we're not giving them that opportunity." The event, while intended to be evangelistic "turned out to be fellowship and a lot of other things," Liberatore added. "There are going to be more of these, but the benefits have already been reaped in how they created fellowship," he said. "Even a lot of fellowship activities don't have the soul this one had. It just opens people up."

-- The Rev. Pat McCaughan is a correspondent for the Episcopal News Service. She is based in Los Angeles.

Invitation to the International Old Catholic laity Forum 2011 in Graz

Each year Old Catholic laity meet alternately in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany, and sporadically in other countries to meet each other, to pray together and discuss the faith and religious issues. This year the forum will be held from Wednesday, August 10 to Sunday, August 14 in Graz, Austria. The place of accommodation and meals will be welcoming Sisters of Mercy convent in the center of town.

The theme of the Assembly 2011 "How Old Catholic Church is experiencing its mission?"

• old legacy versus new ideas
• the closing or opening the
• differences in individual churches
• learning about the Old Catholic community and the city of Graz

The price is 280 euros for lodging, meals and drinks with no participation fee. Common carriage paid our church. Those interested can register at pratele.laienfora @ gmail.com

Study of religion in the Old Catholic Church

The first scientific study of the "religion in the Old Catholic Church" has officially started. The church with a reformist profile, whose people have become alienated from the Roman Catholic Church? Or is it in competition with nothing new, more traditional and conservative environment? What is the situation of the Church is all about? To answer these questions, we have at this point lacked the scientific background. The study, which collects the necessary information concerning a questionnaire for the evaluation is conducted in a collaboration between the Old Catholic Seminary of the University of Bonn and the Institute of Psychology at the University of Trier, in cooperation with the Old Catholic diocese. For the management and evaluation of the study, Dr. Andreas Krebs from Old Catholic Seminary of the University of Bonn, and Dr. Dirk Kranz from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Trier are responsible. When asked as many members of the Old Catholic Church, but also different religious persons associated with Old Catholic churches, as well as those who were once active, but left the church.

Augsburg - Merry groundbreaking for a new home

On the afternoon of 25 March celebrated the Augsburg community broke ground on the new building of the church and community center .
This pastor's wife Alexandra Caspari in her speech:

"The groundbreaking ceremony is a symbolic act which marks the start of construction it is for us as the Old Catholic Church in Augsburg, a historic moment -. After 117 years, we provide ourselves with the church building a homeland why is this day, many of them. planning, much thought has been preceded by a special day that we today, at least symbolically begin the excavation, is the beginning - still nothing to see here is from a construction site.
In the coming weeks and months, but will create something new. Gradually, our church, community center and the house will take shape. "

The joy expressed by all stakeholders from community, city and ecumenism was visibly large and is pastor Caspari and local community provide the necessary strength it takes to implement such a project.


Listen to the article on BR5-date of "Religion and Church - Church on the rise" Click Here to Listen

Rev. Daniel Saam New Pastoral Assistant of Regensburg and Passau

On 1 April Rev. Daniel Saam (born 1976 in Speyer) becomes the full-time pastoral assistant to Regensburg and Passau. Rev. Saam has graduated with a degree in Catholic theology completed in 2003 and was doing social work for the diocese of Freiburg. Most recently Rev. Saam served as pastoral assistant of the pastoral care unit of Christophorus in Heidelberg West. He is married to Maria Saam. 

Old Catholic Close Session with United Evangelical Lutheran Church

From March 19 to 22 2011, Bishop Dr. Matthias Ring participated in the Bishops' Conference of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (VELKD) in Ratzeburg (near Lübeck).  The VELKD has decided some time ago, that each new Bishop would be invited to a closed session with the Methodists and the Old Catholics. The study of this conference dealt with the "Christian doctrine of reconciliation" and were questions of atonement and sacrifice theology.

Old Catholic Funeral Ritual Book will be released in German this Easter

The Liturgical Commission is to make the final work on the new funeral rituals. The ritual book will be released around Easter. The ritual includes more than 200 pages in cloth binding and will cost 19 euros.
Bishop Matthias said in his recent circular to all who were involved in the revision.

After almost exactly twenty years, this book is a revised version, of "celebration of the funeral."It should help to provide the deceased with a dignified farewell, to comfort the mourners, and to bear witness to the faith in the resurrection.
Bishop Dr. Ring thanks - on behalf of Synodalvertretung - the ladies and gentlemen of the Liturgical Commission, which drafted this ritual, and all who contributed, through the Commission beyond that.
The new mourning rituals costs 19 € and can the shop ordered the diocese to be. The rituals of this time also includes the reading of texts.


For a PDF Click Here

Bishop Ring meets with the Federation of Old Catholic Women

Bishop Matthias Ring visited the board by baf (Federation of Old-Catholic women) at its board meeting in Ritsch Weier. It was a valuable exchange of ideas and information. The bishop expressed his appreciation for the baf - in work, having a great continuity. In discussion it was mainly to improve connectivity and transparency, mutual assistance and information from the diocese and baf.

Also Frauke Schmitz-Gropengießer, the baf-Vetreterin in Christinnenrat, was present and was able to bring information from the ecumenical level.

As a result of the lively conversation it can be stated:

Bishop Matthias suggested that the public presence of BAF in the diocese to improve. He said his support in terms of better sharing of information and projects. Other topics included the presentation of BAF on the Diocese Synod, the annual women's Sunday, gender-inclusive language and the PEPP course.

The conversation was stimulating and profitable. The BAF Board looks forward to continuing our good cooperation.

Old Catholic Community of Eindhoven Purchases a New Church

The Old Catholic community Eindhoven has wandered for many years. The constant moving was very difficult on the community and did not feel established. The big advantage was that they did not care for the maintenance of a building, but the disadvantage that one never really home.

Recently a church in Eindhoven found space, ideal for the parish. St. Paul's Church, a modern small Roman Catholic church from 1995 with additional space and parking, situated on the outskirts of the city.
Explorations led to enthusiastic responses from all stakeholders, while the Roman Catholic diocese of Den Bosch pledged their cooperation in selling to the Old Catholic Church.

At a time when the Church speaks about budget cuts earlier about investing, it may seem contradictory to the purchase of church buildings to proceed. Fortunately there are still Old Catholic funds able to be invested and there are parishes that solidarity part of their capital commitment to other parishes. These funds and parishes have ensured that in no case above the national church is faced with additional burdens.

The small parish is not too overloaded with management. It goes without saying that the parish is the spot to get the best care possible exploitation of the ground. There is finally a price tag on having a''private property''.
We as a church concerned are about our finances, but we must also be proud that we have so much confidence in our future that we can buy a church.

The Mar Thoma Church of India visits Utrecht

Recently announced that Bishop Dr.Isaac Mar Philoxenos of the Mar Thoma Church in India visiting the Old Catholic Church in the Netherlands. He combines his visit with a meeting of the Central Committee of the WCC.

Cordially invite you to the bishops a lecture by the Bishop will be held, the lecture provides an opportunity to get acquainted with the Mar Thoma Church.
As previously stated, they are building a deepening of the relationship between the Union of Utrecht and the Mar Thoma Church. Bishop Philo Xenos is a theologian who specializes in the relationship Hinduism / Christianity that makes him an interesting speaker. During his lecture he will give a presentation of the Mar Thoma Church and its ecclesiology and will elaborate on the subject of Christians in India.

The lecture will take place on Thursday, February 24 axis in the building of the Old Catholic Church (Seminar), 3 Kon.Wilhelminlaan in Amersfoort.
Time: 19.30 - 21.30 hours, room open from 19.00 hours.

Street Pastor: Fr. Paul Brommet

On the proposal of diaconal SIOH-Office, the Collegiate Directors for 2011 Lenten intendedStreet for the Pastoral in Leiden.


The street ministry was made possible because a number of churches in Leiden Leiden Foundation Street Chaplaincy aims. This foundation has raised funds so the street ministry for one year is guaranteed, with view to extension of three years. The money that the Foundation has brought together is largely on the salary of the pastor. There is very little left for the equipment.


On December 1, 2010 Paul began Brommet, pastor of the Old Catholic parish in Leiden, his duties as pastor street in Leiden for 24 hours per week. 


The target of the Street Chaplaincy is the homeless in Leiden, the inhabitants of the Social Pension, visitors to the Inloophuis Psychiatry and residents of the Crisis. These features are all used by people who often spend less than the guaranteed minimum. It is not only concerned with survival. It is also with questions about meaning, guilt, shame and so on. There is a need to "own celebrations, where people in their own way to pray and sing to keep their faith. There is a chapel available "Dei Verbum", but that costs money, including a cup of coffee after a service € 47.50 each time.


In the homeless circuit are also frequent deaths. In January 2011waren three deaths in one week. It is there not insured, so the social service costs of the funeral to pay. This should be as cheap as possible. Money for a flower on the coffin is not there. The most simple flower arrangement costs money. Holding a funeral service in the street is among my duties as pastor. Also making order of service so that relatives can monitor what happens, brings additional costs involved.
Even homeless people want sometimes a distraction, unlike the event in the streets. It's been a few years ago that the street lawyer who was active in Leiden has arranged a day out. He was the most money to spend time together and transport begging.


Paul Brommet is the first street pastor in Leiden. Everything still needs to be rebuilt from the ground. With support from the project can draw down a solid foundation be laid.
Initially the funds will be used to lift the ground of regular celebrations, then comes a day out on the screen. Finally, the configuration of a small group discussed showing a gift for a birthday or a special benefit is paid, and flowers in hospitalization and death is possible.
Laying a solid foundation leads to better prospects for continuity. The street is a form of pastoral ministry basic care that matters.

Mariavieten Old Catholics

From 6 to 8 December 2010 was the third time the Dialogue Commission of the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavieten meeting. This meeting took place in the Old Catholic parish of the Czech town Warnsdorf and the celebrations were held in the Co-Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord. After fruitful discussions the following communiqué was adopted:
While the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavieten long time no longer a member of the International Bishops Conference of the Union of Utrecht, the commission shall adopt:

1. the churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavieten are always somehow related to each other remained
2. the churches of the Union of Utrecht and the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavieten have at this time independently developed;
3. the churches of the Union of Utrecht development resulted in the Statute of the International Bishops' Conference of 2000. This Statute is the Ortskirchenekklesiologie (the doctrine of the church when the local church - the diocese - is based) is central. Based on their own development deviates the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavieten on this.
4. The Committee is aware of the problems arising out of here. However, it sees good opportunities to overcome these problems and proposes dialogue in this sense to continue.

Participants dialogue committee from Old Catholics - Msgr. Dr DJ Schoon, Bishop of Haarlem (co-voorz. behalf of the IBC), Can. Dr WB van der Velde (NL), Georg Pastor Blase (Dld.) and may priest. Roland Solloch (CZ) on the part of Mariavieten - mgr. W. Jaworski, Bishop of Lodz (co-voorz. behalf of the Mariavieten) and A. Pastor Wójtowjcz.

Church of Sweden

From 1917 until January 19 came in Västerås Swedish committee for dialogue between the Church of Sweden and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht meeting. The group is working on a document, on which the churches whether or not a form of community can get. The talks take place in an open and constructive atmosphere, which not only differences between the churches often agreements are found. Besides conducting theological discussions is also always the acquaintance with the church on the spot on the program. So this time the group was given a tour of the magnificent cathedral of Västerås and was the guest of Bishop Thomas Söderberg. The next meeting is scheduled for October this year in Bern.

Ecumenical symposium "Bread of life"

The absence of the eucharistic community is still the most painful character of the conflict between Christian churches. In the European Charta Oecumenica require church leaders to the goal of a joint celebration of the Lord of the meal in mind. And on the church ground plane Christians dream of restoring visible unity.


In the more than forty years, Catholics and Protestants working together in conversation about what divides them discovered and articulated a lot of common beliefs in the Eucharist. This discovery is found with joy. This common belief is to a large extent reflected in the renewed liturgical books of the churches. Nevertheless, the eucharistic community is sometimes further away than ever.

In his latest book on the Eucharist, the Catholic oecumenicus Ton van Eijk recorded the progress and obstacles in the ecumenical discussion with the Roman Catholic Church was involved. In a reasoned and entertaining speech Van Eijk summarized the agreements reached at this point. On the basis of a reflection on the Eucharist as bread and word he sees churches having a perspective on the way to remain. That is, if the churches also manage to agree on other thorny issue at this point: the official structures or practice of the Eucharist.The Eucharist has been a considerable stumbling block again towards visible unity since the end of the last century.Especially since in the Roman Catholic Church the admission of women to the priesthood is taboo. What next?


Following the publication of this book is an ecumenical study on March 15 noon (including debate) about the spiritual heart of the ecumenical movement. Assist the author Dr. Ton van Eijk, Dr. Gerrit van de Kamp (Protestant), Dr. Matt Ploeger (Old Catholic) and Prof. Adelbert Denaux (rk). A joint initiative of the Faculty of Catholic Theology (Tilburg University), the Interuniversity Institute for Missiology and Ecumenics (UU), the Catholic Association for Ecumenism and the Council of Churches in the Netherlands, organized by the Theological Institute Luce / CRC. The book is on the symposium at a discount sale for € 12.50.

1700 Relics Discovered in the Cathedral of St. Gertrude Utrecht

St. Gertrude's Cathedral in Utrecht houses a collection of over 1700 relics. Art historian, Anique Kruijf during doctoral work at the University of Amsterdam discovered these relics on March 18 on the subject. 

The Kruijf studied the origin, nature and scope of the collection of the Old Catholic Church. In two altars in the cathedral Kruijf discovered the massive collection, consisting of textiles and pieces of bones that had been hidden in cardboard boxes and wooden boxes.
"The size of the collection exceeded all expectations, as relics within the Old Catholic Church has traditionally played a smaller role than for example the Roman Catholic Church, " said Dr Kruijf. "Many parishioners did not know there were relics in their church. It was really a little treasure hunting."

"The pomp and pageantry that there used to be around Saints, there is no more, " says art historian. According to Dr. Kruijf, in other cathedrals in the Netherlands there are still many relic treasuries.There are probably not such a large collections like this, but there are still plenty of boxes remains sacred to investigate. "The relics in the Cathedral of St. Gertrude will not be visible to the parishioners or visitors but are stored in the altars. "In the seventies and eighties, the one hundred most important relics were brought to the museum of St. Catherine Convent in Utrecht." 
The name of the paper written by Dr. Kruijf is,Miraculously Retained and can be purchased for € 29,95

Old Catholic Seminary gets new professor

New Testament scholar and church historian Rev. Dr. Peter-Ben Smit begins his new post on March 1, 2011 as the new professor of ancient structures in the Catholic Church Old Catholic Seminary at the University of Utrecht. Smit also remains active as a New Testament professor at the Free University in Amsterdam.The Old Catholic Synod made ​​the appointment of Smit in November. Smit will hold his first seminar ​​on November 30, 2011. The chairman and professor position has been  vacant since April 2010. The chair has existed  since 1974. The position is for "teaching and research in the Old Catholic Church structure, also containing the history and doctrine of the Old Catholic Church.

Professor Smit will focus on the study of the early Christian approach to the interpretation of tradition including the Bible. Interviewed, Smit was enthusiastic about the new position saying, "It is a privilege in this time as a professor to be appointed. I look forward to working with my colleagues at the Old Catholic Seminary and hope to make inspiring contributions to the practice of theology in the Netherlands."