ECC Holy Synod 2024
Our Rocky Mountain Region hosted this year's Communion-wide Synod, where representatives of the Laity, the Pastors and the Council of Bishops gather for holy conversation, relationship-building, and consensus decision-making... and a whole lot of fun! It was held at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado, on October 10-14.
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Here's a newsletter from the Leadership Council that is a one-stop review of the Synod, with photos, stories and links to the recordings.
Visit our Facebook page to see other the great photos of our gathering, and follow the links below for recordings of the keynotes and the All-Communion Mass.
Parade of Communities
A number of ECC communities produced videos
about their respective community for the Synod. (click on each church name below)
Church of the Beloved, Northglenn CO
Community of the Holy Spirit, Coeur d’Arlene IN
Holy Angels Church, Santa Ana CA
Mary of Magdala, Fort Collins CO
St Paul Catholic Community of Faith, Denver CO
Sts Claire and Francis, Webster Groves MO
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Synod Session Recordings
(Post-processed from original Zoom recordings)
Please note: these videos will appear “blurry” if displayed in full-screen mode.
​Presiding Bishop Pablo Burson's Opening Remarks & State of the Communion VIDEO
Chris Pramuk's Keynote: “Joy Inside Our Tears” VIDEO
Rob Otrembiak led our ECC Visioning Exercise: VIDEO
Paulist Fr. Ricky Manalo's Keynote: “Worship & Tech in a 2.5 World” VIDEO
Our Fr. Michael's Closing Prayer and Song VIDEO
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Synod Mass Livestream RECORDING
Dcn. Besem Oben Etchi from Cameroon was denied a visa to attend the Synod in Colorado. She graciously agreed to record the homily she had originally been asked to present at our Sunday Mass: "The Dependable Torch of God"
ECC Anti-Racism Statement at the Synod
Read by attendees. it was a project of the ECC Truth and Reconciliation Commission on behalf of the whole Ecumenical Catholic Communion.
Our Synod Prayer
God on High, the mountains are radiant with your glory.
Through your Christ the dawn from on high
has broken upon us and lights our way.
+ Bless the work of our Holy Synod,
that we may be better bearers of the fire
that gives light to the world.
This we ask and can do, empowered by your Spirit,
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Bless Our Way
Bless our way, our hopes for our tomorrows.
Bless this day as we begin anew.
Bless our way, our hopes for our tomorrows.
For this day the light we bear shines through.
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For the Spirit kindles in us passion
that we may be Christ to one and all.
So we carry love through our compassion
being church that’s faithful to our call.
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Bless our way, our hopes for our tomorrows.
Bless this day as we begin anew.
Bless our way, our hopes for our tomorrows.
For this day the light we bear shines through.
Michael J. Nicosia © Spirit Songs art & ritual, 2024. All rights reserved.
The Colorado Council of Churches (CCC) hosted a series of webinars to raise community awareness of some dimensions of the intolerance that currently plagues our Nation.
The first recorded webinar in the 3-part educational series:
"What is #ChristianNationalism, and why is everyone talking about it now?"
presented by Iliff School of Theology's Rev. Dr. Amanda Henderson. Video LINK.
PDF of a list of resources that she shared.
(See Fr. Michael's reflection HERE)
The second in the series:
"What Christians need to know about Antisemitism"
presented by the Anti Defamation League's regional director, Scott Levin.
Video LINK.
The third in the series:
"Why Christians should know about Islamophobia"
VIEW the recorded presentation by Ahmed Salih, a volunteer khateeb (a person who delivers the Friday sermons) at the Islamic Society of Colorado Springs.
His wi-fi was spotty, so see his Powerpoint HERE.
offering a place of welcome and affirmation
On April 8, 2024, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith promulgated its Declaration of “Dignitas Infinita” On Human Dignity. Expressing our frustrations over the document's continued denial of our GLBTQAI+ siblings' inherent dignity and the reality of their lives ,we have responded with statements that articulate our affirming and boldly inclusive way of being Catholic. See our Bishop Kae Madden's reflection "Welcome, Support, and Dignity for ALL" among many others here.
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On November 7, 2022, the Denver Post reported on the Roman Archdiocese of Denver's directing its Catholic schools to deny the lived experiences of transgender youths and same-sex parents in a document entitled “Guidance for Issues Concerning the Human Person and Sexual Identity.” In response, we have tried to articulate an alternate Catholic narrative.
As our Bishop Kae Madden said in an interview on Denver7 News, we are heart-broken that a population traditionally marginalized is being turned away by a segment of Christ's Church. See her interview here.
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You can also read responses from around our Region. E.g., from St. Paul Catholic Community of Faith
take a look at our
NEW Gender-Inclusive Rosary
HERE.
Mission Statement / Being Church Together
"... together as a communion of communities in response to our baptismal call to preach the Gospel of liberation and justice; to offer a refuge in Christ for those who suffer prejudice; to stand open to dialogue with others so called and to conform our lives to the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."
Our Regional Bishop Elected By The People
"The Right Reverend Kae Madden was elected in May 2021 to be the first bishop to serve the five communities of the Rocky Mountain Region of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion (ECC). She is the co-founder (2004) and pastor (2006) of Church of the Beloved Ecumenical Catholic Community in Northglenn."
If you want a closer connection to our siblings across the Region and are curious about our consensus decision-making, join us:
our November 7th meeting 6-8:30pm on Zoom.
Monthly Regional Council Meeting
open to all
- check your community's newsletter for the Zoom link.
Presiding Bishop Pablo Burson and Synod Keynote Speaker, Christopher Pramuk,
remember Liberation Theology pioneer,
Gustavo Guitiérrez-Merino Diaz, OP​
Forever with us ~ members of Christ's Body
Remembering our dear ones,
Mother Sheila Dierks
& Jack Wolfe
"Well done, good and faithful servants."
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