The Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church
An independent Catholic church in the liberal tradition

The Metropolitan Primate Mar Joannes represented the Church at the funeral service for General Janos Karaszy-Kulin in Rochester Cathedral on 4 November. An appreciation of his life can be found here, and this appreciation was read during the service in tribute to him.

On Sunday 26th October, Ruaridh James Alexander Laird, (age 11) was baptised at the Oratory ad tempus of St Vincent Strambi, Edinburgh, by The Revd. Deacon David Upton CCP assisted by Mar Alexei CCP. A dozen family members, godparents and friends enjoyed the service and the supper afterwards. We wish Ruaridh every blessing for his new life in Christ. He will be confirmed on Sunday 9th November. 

Next Sunday, 19 October, is the Solemnity of St Paul of the Cross and the feast day of the principal patron saint of the Companions of the Cross and Passion. The Mass according to the rite of the Catholic Apostolic Church (Irvingites) will be celebrated at the Oratory of St Paul of the Cross at 4pm. All are welcome but please make prior contact before travelling.

On Sunday 12 October Mar Alexei received Julie into membership of the LCAC and consecrated a set of altar crystals for Bro. David, CCP. The homily he preached at Mass can be downloaded here.

Mar Alexei has recently returned from a visit to Ireland. The picture shows him at the High Cross, Monasterboice.

Interviews with Mar Alexei and Mar Andreas

Mar Alexei's interview with "Druidic Dawn" can now be listened to at http://www.druidicdawn.org/node/1186

Mar Andreas was recently interviewed by The Young Rite for their Slovenian website.

Talk on New Thought and the Secret of Manifestation

Mar Alexei recently gave a talk to the Edinburgh Theosophical Society on "New Thought and the Secret of Manifestation". His lecture notes for the talk can be downloaded here.

We welcome Robert Pieper as a Postulant in the LCAC. Robert will go forward to ordination to the diaconate and priesthood by Mar Alexei, CCP, in May 2009 as a member of the Companions of the Cross and Passion.  Robert is a former member of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and resides in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Bro. Andy Hall, CCP, OAM, has produced an introductory video montage which can be viewed by clicking here (wmv format; opens with any common media player).

The next Holy Eucharist of the Parish of Our Lady and Tugdual will be at the Theosophical Society, 28 Great King street, on Sunday 12th Oct. Singing practice at 2.30. Mass at 3pm. The theme of the Sunday (21st after Trinity) is Perseverance.

The festival of Samhain will be celebrated on All Saints Day, Saturday 1st November, with a workshop at the Theosophical Society, beginning at 1.30pm. (see below)
 
Mar Alexei has recently been interviewed by "The Witch Hiker's Guide" and will shortly be interviewed by "Druidic Dawn", about The Trinity Grove.

At the Theosophical Society, 28 Great King Street, Edinburgh. An All Saints Day workshop celebrating some of the Celtic saints through story, creative visualisation, drum journeying and ritual. The afternoon will close with Celtic Vespers and Benediction.

View the flyer for the event.

Sdn. David Upton CCP was ordained to the Diaconate on 14 September. We pray for his future ministry.

The homily preached by Mar Alexei CCP can be downloaded here.

The Companions of the Cross and Passion have produced an introductory video montage which can be viewed by clicking here (wmv format; opens with any common media player)

The CDM under Mgr. Adrian Glover VG has begun a page for news and updates on their website, which can be accessed at

www.crossdenominationalmission.org.uk/news.html

The CDM will be interested to receive news of an interdenominational nature for publication.

We ask your prayers as Sdn. David Upton, CCP, prepares for ordination to the Diaconate on 14 September at the Theosophical Society in Edinburgh. Any wishing to attend should please make contact - all are welcome.

Pastor Fr. François Lépine of the LCAC sends news of upcoming Kuji-In Seminars in California on October 10th through 12th. "More than Kuji-In, in this seminar, you can learn all that is not in the books, that can only be transmitted directly by a master. It is not knowledge, but consciousness and experience. Recieve the Kuji-In Initiation." For further details, contact Marsha at  farrare@hughes.net.

Fr. François also writes, "The Tenerife seminar went very well. It was the most intense seminar I experienced giving, because of their availability to exist, and acceptance of all experiences.

All English books by François Lépine are being translated into French. The French students will be informed of their availability.

Mind Tracks project will be presented to Bodybuilders on September 27th.

Fr. Dennis Donlon, who serves bivocationally in the LCAC and the Companions in Spirit Community, has begun a new website for the latter community. Visit here and expect further changes as the site develops.

The LCAC sends its blessings and best wishes to Msgr. Thomas Hooker of the North American Old Catholic Church, who will be consecrated this Sunday August 31 at  St Mychal Judge Old Catholic Church, Dallas, Texas, USA. Further information can be obtained at http://www.mychaljudge.com.

We have some photographs from recent meetings of the Circle in Edinburgh, as well as of the Templar service to commemorate St Bernard of Clairvaux at the former Templar Church at Temple, Midlothian.

The photographs can be viewed here.

In a service at the Well Chapel on 9 August, the Revd. Louise Lombard of The Young Rite was admitted a Senior Member of the Order of Ave Maria in a service conducted by Mar Joannes assisted by Mar Alexei. The candidate was invested with the badge and scapular of the Order during the service.

The ordination of Sr. Magdalena OEF at the Well Chapel on 9 August was a tremendous success. As well as the main service, the assembled company celebrated Benediction and the Mass the following morning. Clergy and laity were in attendance from the United States, the Netherlands, Slovenia, South Africa and various parts of the UK, and enjoyed the warm fellowship and generous hospitality of Bishop Charles and the folk of the Well Chapel.

A page of photographs (taken by the Cross-Denominational Mission) is now online, which should give a flavour of the event. 

The Oratory of the Holy Spirit, which is the LCAC administrative headquarters, has moved to its new address with effect from August. Details are updated on the Contacts page.

Mar Joannes, Metropolitan of the LCAC, has been appointed as official representative for the UK of the Apostolic Episcopal Church by that church's Primate, Archbishop Francis C. Spataro.

This appointment marks the strong historic and present links between the LCAC and the AEC-Order of Corporate Reunion as conveyed through the Apostolic heritage of AEC Emeritus Primate Archbishop Bertil Persson.

Mar Joannes has said, "I am deeply honoured to be entrusted with the formal representation of the Apostolic Episcopal Church in the UK in succession to my distinguished predecessor Archbishop George Boyer of blessed memory. I pray that the Church may find my service worthy of the office to which I have been called."

AEC Emeritus Primate Archbishop Bertil Persson will visit the UK later in the year for a formal service of enthronement.

View the letter of appointment here.

Fr. Scott was ordained priest in the New Order of Glastonbury by Bishop Martha Schultz in 2004 and was received into the LCAC by incardination in 2008. He is based in Boulder, Colorado, USA. 

Fr. Scott is currently active in the Art of Living, a worldwide organization that offers stress relief through yogic breathing. He practices the Chinese form of healing and enlightenment, qigong. Another primary area of interest is personal development and subconscious reprogramming through NLP, hypnosis and other methods of communicating with the subconscious and super-conscious minds.

 

Fr. Scott was attracted to yoga and Western esotericism in 1981 when he became a student of the Self Realization Fellowship and a member of the Rosicrucian Order.  Later he was Initiated into the Martinist Order and Synarchy of Barbados, The Martinist Order of the Netherlands, and was a founding member of the Rose Croix Martinist Order. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and subsequently received the degrees of Royal Arch Freemasons, Cryptic Masons and Knights Templar of the York Rite Freemasons. He was a student of the International College of Esoteric Studies and was deeply immersed in esoteric study and practice during the late eighties and early nineties.

 

Now his spiritual orientation is more of a fusion of Independent Catholicism, yoga, Vedic wisdom, and Taoism.  It is an important aspect of his mission in life to serve the Apostolic Sacramental Tradition of the Christian priesthood as every Mass or liturgy creates a fountain of healing light that shines into the world. 

Mar Alexei has just returned from the Sophia Circle Summer School in Smolnik, Slovenia. He sends us a report on this successful event.

The Circle of Our Lady and St Tugdual of the LCAC, meeting at the Theosophical Society in Edinburgh, has published its public service dates for the remainder of the year. All are welcome to attend. The dates are as follows:

17^th August

2pm Lecture on the Divine Feminine

3pm Holy Eucharist for the Assumption of Our Lady - Special guest Fr Dennis Donlon CCP from the USA.

14^th September

2pm Study Group - The Gospel of Thomas

3pm Mass for the Triumph of the Cross, Ordination of Br David Upton, CCP, to the Diaconate.

12^th October

2pm Study Group

3pm Holy Eucharist - 22^nd Sunday after Trinity (Intent: right energy), Confirmations and admissions.

9^th November

2pm Study Group

3pm Holy Eucharist - Remembrance Sunday – Requiem mass for all our loved ones.

14^th December

2 pm Study Group

3 pm Holy Eucharist - 3^rd Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday

We ask your prayers for Br. David as he prepares to be ordained as deacon.

The Oratory of St Michael, under the care of Mgr. Adrian Glover, VG, has recently moved into new temporary accommodation.  More details about the move can be found here, along with the times of public services at the Oratory.

In July 2008, the Senior Lay Member of the LCAC, Mr Richard Hadingham, made one of his periodic visits to the former Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd in Clapton, London, where the Ancient Catholic Church worshipped between 1956 and 2007. A page of his photographs shows the present situation of the building and its grounds.

Mr. Thomas Gayley of Montrose, Pennsylvania, has been inducted as a Cleric in the LCAC. He will serve under the supervision of Fr. Dan L. Edmunds. Mr. Gayley has further been welcomed as a Senior Member of the Order of Ave Maria.

As an individual with Down's Syndrome, Mr. Gayley is blazing a trail in his ministerial path. His admittance as Cleric in the LCAC follows the clear demonstration of his spiritual calling lived through a daily Rule over a period of time. We pray for God's blessing on his continued ministry.

Today, July 6, marks the anniversary of the excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church of Archbishop Carlos Duarte Costa in 1945 and of his founding of the Brazilian National Catholic Apostolic Church (ICAB). Many bishops in the independent churches, including LCAC, are in succession from him.

 

+Duarte Costa’s excommunication was because he had angered the church authorities by his liberal and progressive approach. He called for the abandonment of priestly celibacy, the revision of laws on divorce, the saying of the Mass in the vernacular and for the Fascist elements in the Roman Catholic Church to be removed. He was canonized by ICAB in 1970.

 

More information is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Duarte_Costa

The Trinity Grove under the leadership of Mar Alexei will celebrate Lugnasadh, meeting at St Margaret's Well, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, at 6.30pm on Friday 1 August. The meeting will then proceed to St Anthony's Chapel, Holyrood Park, for 7pm. All are welcome.

The ritual is as follows.

On Saturday 16 August, Mar Alexei will lead an afternoon workshop at the Edinburgh  Theosophical Society entitled "Meeting your Plant Spirit Teachers in the Druid Tradition".

Further information can be found on the flyer for the event.

The Sophia Circle is holding its second international meeting from Friday the 18th until Friday the 25th of July 2008 in Smolnik, Slovenia. 

The idea is to hold this gathering as an integral part of a broader programme, set up as a summer camp. To begin, the 18th of July is full moon, making our first event a full moon meditation that evening. Every morning a different ritual will be held, with amongst others: 

Furthermore, several workshops will be held, including:

The location is a magnificent spiritual camp in the Slovenian mountains near Maribor. Accommodation is simple, complete with three vegetarian meals per day. Sleeping quarters consist of rooms with two, three or four beds and a dormitory. Bedding is provided, you will however need to bring your own towels. Transportation to and from Maribor Airport will be arranged. Price: 28 Euros per person per day, all inclusive. 

If you wish to attend, you should register as soon as possible, as we have limited space. You will need to send an e-mail with your details to SophiaCircle@Lcc.cc. Please note, your reservation will only be finalised once you have sent your e-mail and we have received a deposit of 50 Euro per person. You may transfer your deposit on the bank account of "Orde van de Jonge Ritus", IBAN NL77PSTB0005055932, BIC (swift code) PSTBNL21. We will process reservations on a first-come-first-served basis. 

We hope to see you all there!

Fr. Christopher was the introductory speaker at "Out Like That", one of the events at Portland, Oregon's annual GLBT PRIDE celebration.  His words of greeting and prayer are here.

He has sent a report of the event (with photos) that is available for download.

Following the success of this event, Fr. Christopher has been invited to introduce an event at the Seattle PRIDE celebration.  Here is the press release for that occasion.

On Wednesday 18 June, Mar Alexei was an invited speaker in the ecumenical series at Scottish Churches House on the subject of Paganism and God in Nature.

On Thursday 19 June, Mar Alexei will give an illustrated talk to the Edinburgh Lodge of the Theosophical Society on the subject of "The Seven Rays".

A transcript of his talk is here.

The Holy Name "I AM" Chapel is located in Washington, DC, under the care of Fr. Dennis Donlon (see our Contact page for contact details). Fr. Dennis serves bivocationally in the LCAC and the Fraternity of Mercy. The photograph below shows the Chapel at the Priestly Ordination of Fr. Dennis, with Bishop Michael Thomas of the FoM presiding.

Lazarus House is a project being developed in collaboration with the Artists for Recovery. It will be a residence for persons undergoing serious emotional distress and extreme states of mind that respects their self determination, autonomy, and provides them a safe, supportive environment where they can safely reduce dependency on psychiatric drugs and be able to develop enhanced resiliency and develop new and more productive ways of living.

Lazarus House will incorporate medical, nutritional, spiritual, and emotional needs and promote an atmosphere of equality and respect.

Lazarus House will be located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and will be similar in scope to the highly successful Soteria poject developed by the late Dr. Loren Mosher, M.D. which had a "24 hour a day application of interpersonal phenomenologic interventions by a nonprofessional staff, usually without neuroleptic drug treatment, in the context of a small, homelike, quiet, supportive, protective, and tolerant social environment."

Lazarus House is currently in need of financial support in order to be able to acquire a residence. If you are interested in supporting this important and vital project, please contact Connie Shuster at Artists for Recovery.
E-mail Connie Shuster

or contact Dr. Dan L. Edmunds, Ed.D.
E-mail Dr. Edmunds

Further information can be found at our Charitable and Cultural Work page and at http://www.geocities.com/stnektarios/DISTRESS5.html

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Fr. E. Christopher L. Sowers, Priest of the LCAC, as Father-Custodian of the Order of Ave Maria. This position is equivalent to that of Abbot in other orders. We pray that Fr. Christopher will lead the Order with the wisdom and energy he has already shown through his commitment to its development. He is currently preparing for publication by European-American University Press a book of prayers for the Order.

New senior member for the Order of Ave Maria

Ms. Pamela Marie Slayton, a member of the LCAC in its community All Saints and Angels Ancient Catholic Church, Oregon, has been appointed Senior Member of the Order of Ave Maria.

Seminarian Andy Hall has been admitted as a Cleric by Mar Alexei. We ask your prayers for Andy as he continues his formation.

The Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church has been accepted as a member of the International Council of Community Churches. The ICCC is a member of the World Council of Churches, Churches Uniting in Christ, the National Council of Churches (USA) and Christian Churches Together in the USA.

The ICCC can trace its history with the Independent Catholic movement back to the French-Gallican work of Archbishop Joseph-René Vilatte in 1907-08.

Today, the ICCC is the predominant ecumenical body representing the smaller Independent Catholic churches alongside other churches from the evangelical tradition. Its membership of the major world ecumenical organizations, notably the World Council of Churches and Churches Uniting in Christ, gives Independent Catholics a voice on the wider stage.

The LCAC is at the time of writing the only Liberal Catholic denomination to hold membership in the ICCC and only the third UK-based church to do so.

Metropolitan Mar Joannes has said, "We look forward greatly to working with our brethren in the ICCC to God's glory in the months and years to come. We salute the work of the ICCC and in particular its pioneering achievements in bringing together predominantly black and predominantly white churches in a combined effort against racism."

On Sunday 4th May, Mar Alexei confirmed Andrew Hall. Andy, who lives in Glasgow, was formerly for many years a priest and missionary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Your prayers are asked for Andy on Trinity Sunday as on that day he will be ordained to the office of Cleric at the Oratory of St Paul of the Cross, Edinburgh, and will also be received as a Probationer Brother with the Companions of the Cross and Passion. He has already begun the A.Th. program with the European American University. Deo Gratias!

Each year, the United Nations holds a convention for the international celebration day of Vesak, which represents the Buddha’s birth, illumination and Passing-Away anniversary. This year, the United Nations Vesak 2008 will be held May 13-18, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The United Nations graciously invited the Quantum Buddhism Association to participate in the Vesak 2008 celebration. Bishop MahaVajraDas (Fr. François Lépine, Pastor in the LCAC) and Reverend Tara Bhaishajye (Dr. Jean-Patrick Mercier) will be attending the celebration along with more then 1500 other delegates and scholars of the Buddhist world. Not only will we have the pleasure to share about our research themes in quantum physics and spirituality, but we will also be able to share information about our first introductory research results about “life as a substance” and “one-ness of consciousness”.

Further information

The Metropolitan has recently assisted with research for the forthcoming edition of the Revd. Dr. J. Gordon Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions.

The Trinity Grove, led by Mar Alexei, held its annual Beltane ceremony at St Anthony's Chapel, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, on May Day. The ceremony combined traditional Druidic rites with a celebration of Ascension Day and Marian observance.

Beginning in May, every Tuesday at 7pm, All Saints and Angels Ancient Catholic Church in Oregon will be holding Coffee Chats at Sweetness Bakery and Cafe, owned by Underdeacon Kay Ellen Krueger. These informal meetings are part of the community outreach of the church, and offer an opportunity to encounter spiritual issues in a supportive and friendly setting.

Download the flyer for the series by clicking here.

Fr. Dan fulfils the specialist ministry of Pastor within the LCAC from his base in Pennsylvania, USA. He was ordained priest by Metropolitan Nicholas Valissoupolis of the Greek Orthodox Church (Old Calendar) and subsequently transferred to the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, which was in communion with his previous denomination.

Fr. Dan served at the age of 16 as the youngest legislative aide in the State of Colorado. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion with minor in Sociology from the University of Florida, Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Scranton (Theta Alpha Kappa) and Doctor of Education in Pastoral Community Counseling from Argosy University. He holds the degree of Doctor of Divinity honoris causa from St James Theological Seminary in Florida, where he also serves as Dean of Faculty, as well as serving on faculty at European-American University.

Founder of the International Center for Humane Psychiatry, Fr. Dan is a leading child and family existential psychotherapist specialising in drug-free treatment. He is an advocate of the autistic rights movement and a critic of the psychiatric establishment, formerly hosting his own radio program dealing with these and other issues. He is Board Certified in Sexual Abuse issues through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and has particular expertise in traumatology. Also active in research in India, he works at the Center for Advocacy in Mental Health, Pune. He is author of the book "Children Our Treasure: Meeting our Children's Needs Outside the Bio-Psychiatric Paradigm."

Further information is at the ICHP website.

Mar Alexei writes:

You may be aware that today, the 28th April, 2008, marks the one hundredth anniversary of the Consecration of +Arnold Harris Mathew as Regionary Bishop of the Old Catholic Church in Great Britain and Ireland, by ++Gerardus Gul, Old Catholic Archbishop of Utrecht. 

Let us give thanks for Bishop Mathew's ministry,and for the great gift of the Apostolic Succession which has been passed on to so many of us though him. Let us pray too that he found and continues to find, in the after life, that peace and stability which alluded him for much of his life on earth. May he rest in peace and pray for us his many colourful children!

We welcome Fr. François Lepine to the position of Pastor within the LCAC. He was ordained within The Liberal Rite by former Bishop for Canada the Most Revd. Mike Shaw.  He is based near Quebec, Canada.

Fr. François is simultaneously a priest in the LCAC and a bishop in the Buddhist Pure Land tradition. He is responsible for the Quantum Buddhism Association, and for Pureland Canada, the Canadian branch of the Hongaku Jodo Buddhist Association. His website Master Within offers access to spiritual teachings in the Kuji-In tradition., while Hermetic Soft concentrates on the Kabbalah and other magical aspects, explored further in Nagah. Dragons of Justice explores the symbolism of the dragon as a spiritual path. He is the proponent of the Mystic Knighthood, offering pathways towards the union of spirituality and the martial arts.

His book publications include Qi-Gong and Kuji-In, Advanced Kuji-In, Develop ESP and Supernatural Abilities, A Mystic Knight with a Crowned Heart, The Seven Seals and Self-Empowerment for Everyone. He has published further work on DVD.

His personal website contains links and information on these and other aspects of his spiritual work., as well as links to video presentations.

We are delighted to welcome Sr. Magdalena, OEF (the Revd. Alyssa Stebbing) to clergy membership of the ILCF. In many respects this is but a formal recognition of someone who is already very much part of our family, since Alyssa was last year married to Fr. Colin Stebbing (Br. Thomas, OEF) in a Navajo ceremony and blessing which is described here. The picture shows the happy couple!

Earlier this year, Bishop Charles Mugleston, who was consecrated by the Metropolitan and fellow bishops last year, ordained Alyssa to the minor orders and diaconate, and on 9 August we are greatly looking forward to her ordination to the priesthood by Bishop Charles at the Well Chapel in Witnesham, Suffolk.

Learn more about the inspirational Order of Ecumenical Franciscans here.

The Sophia Circle is planning to hold its second international meeting from Friday the 18th until Friday the 25th of July 2008 in Smolnik, Slovenia. The idea is to hold this gathering as an integral part of a broader programme, set up as a summer camp. The location is a magnificent spiritual camp in the Slovenian mountains near Maribor.

The programme will consist of workshops, a variety of rituals, meditations, discussions and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the wonderful nature. Accommodation is simple, complete with three vegetarian meals per day. Sleeping quarters consist of rooms with two, three or four beds and a dormitory. Bedding is provided, you will however need to bring your own towels. Transportation to and from Maribor Airport will be arranged. Price: 28 Euros per person per day, all inclusive.

All programme elements will be public and may be attended by anyone, whether ordained, consecrated or not. Naturally, we expect those attending to come in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect.

If you wish to attend, you should register as soon as possible, as we have limited space. You will need to send an e-mail with your details to SophiaCircle@Lcc.cc. Please note, your reservation will only be finalised once you have sent your e-mail and we have received a deposit of 50 Euro per person.

You may transfer your deposit on the bank account of "Orde van de Jonge Ritus", IBAN NL77PSTB0005055932, BIC (swift code) PSTBNL21. We will process reservations on a first-come-first-served basis. 

We welcome Fr. Dennis Donlon to the LCAC as a bivocational priest. Fr. Dennis was ordained for the Companions in Spirit Community in Washington, DC, in 2007. Companions in Spirit was founded in 1985 and is an Eucharistic, Ecumenical and Spiritually Eclectic and Inclusive Community in association with The Fraternity of Mercy, in which Fr. Dennis continues to serve under Bishop Michael Thomas.

Fr. Dennis is at present a Probationer in the Companions of the Cross and Passion, a Religious Order of LCAC.

The Metropolitan attended the memorial service for Bishop Count George Boyer of the Church of the Ascension on 2 April at Lambeth Crematorium. The service was one of great spiritual presence and there was no doubt of the power and dignity that was and remains at work through Bishop Boyer. It was uplifting to be with his friends and community, and to witness to what his life and work had meant to many people.

Bishop Boyer was one of the most important figures in the esoteric movement in the UK. Successor to his consecrator +Richard, Duc de Palatine, he founded and was involved with many Gnostic and esoteric bodies dedicated to the illumination of the Inner Light.

In the future, it is hoped that more of his spiritual writings, together with those of Richard, Duc de Palatine, will be made available online. The project to begin this work will be found at the School of Universal Mind.

A new monthly Eucharistic celebration is beginning at the former Liberal Catholic Chapel at the Theosophical Society, 28 Great King Street, Edinburgh.

From the 13th July, on the second Sunday of each month at 3pm, we will be holding a Celebration of the Holy Eucharist, in the Circular Form devised by our friend Bishop Markus van Alphen, and the name of our worshipping community will be, "The Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church, Circle of Our Lady and St Tugdual". The celebrant will be Mar Alexei and all are welcome to attend.

The former Liberal Catholic chapel was used for many years by the Revd. Peter Gowans who died about ten years ago. Mar Alexei has Fr Peter's lovely brass tabernacle on his home altar and one of his copies of The Liturgy.

We pray for all involved, both clergy and laity, in this exciting new development.

The Revd. Fr. Adrian Glover has been appointed as Vicar General in the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church.  He writes, "I will do all in my power, God willing, to serve the Church diligently, wisely and compassionately in this regard." We pray for Fr. Adrian as he takes up his office and look forward to working with him in the months and years to come.

In March 2008, the College of Bishops of The Liberal Rite, having received a special commission to continue the work of Mar Joannes I, founder of the Ancient Catholic Church, from Mr Richard Hadingham, the senior lay member of that church, agreed that these diverse heritages should be united into a single body.

We believe that the new Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church offers the best chance for the preservation of the legacies and cardinal features of both heritages and maintains their essential spiritual elements.

Rt. Revd. Aristid Havlicek is consecrated to the Sacred Episcopate

Bishop Alistair Bate sends news of a tremendous event in Spirit with the consecration of +Aristid in Slovenia within The Young Rite (ILCF Denominational Member).  He writes "There was wonderful fellowship with both the Dutch and the Slovenes and we had lots of fun as well as working well together. It really was such an amazing week! I have not met so many wonderful people and had such a good holiday in years, so much so that I was quite overcome with emotion on leaving Slovenia yesterday." We send all our friends in The Young Rite our very best wishes and prayers, and wish +Aristid all blessings as he commences his episcopal ministry.

Ordination of Sr. Magdalena (Alyssa Stebbing), O.E.F., to the minor orders and Diaconate

Mrs Alyssa Stebbing, Sr. Magdalena of the Order of Ecumenical Franciscans, will be ordained to the minor orders and Diaconate by Bishop Charles Mugleston (ILCF Clergy Member) at the Well Chapel, Witnesham, on March 8-9. All are welcome and contact should be made via the Well Chapel website. It is provisionally organised that Deacon Alyssa will be raised to the Sacred Priesthood at the Well Chapel on August 9. Please pray for Alyssa as she enters this new stage in her life.

Priestly Ordination of Fr. Adrian Glover

Fr. Adrian Glover was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood by Mar Andreas on the Feast Day of St David. He will serve in Bournemouth. We pray for Adrian+ as he begins this new chapter of his ministry.

New Blog by a Priest

Fr. Eckhart Christopher Lee Sowers has begun a new blog at http://animum-reflectere.blogspot.com. Visit for spiritual reflections, musings and ponderings on religion, philosophy, culture, politics and art.

New Oratory for the Church

A new oratory is to be established under the Revd. Adrian Glover in Bournemouth. The oratory will be dedicated to St Michael and All Angels by the Primate after Adrian's ordination to the priesthood on 1 March.

Forty Years On

On 6 February 2008, we commemorated the 40th anniversary of the passing to Spirit of the Most Revd. Dr. Harold Nicholson, DD, DST, PhD.  A memorial service took place at the Clapton Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd on Sunday, February 18th, 1968, at 6pm.

A commemorative Mass was said on Saturday 9 February at the Oratory of the Holy Spirit, Enfield.

The photograph of Dr. Nicholson shown above hung to the right of the Sanctuary in the Clapton Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd. Its legend reads "Joannes: His Grace the Most Reverend Harold P. Nicholson : Founder-Primate of the Ancient Catholic Church : 3rd April 1905 - 6th February 1968." Memory Eternal!

Revd. Adrian Glover is ordained to the minor orders and Diaconate

The Revd. Adrian Glover was conditionally ordained to the minor orders and diaconate on 12 January 2008 by Bishop Andrew Linley at the Oratory of the Holy Spirit, London, during the celebration of Mass. The service was conducted according to the rite of the Liberal Catholic Church International. Photographs and documents will be posted to the website in due course. Adrian will be advanced to the Priesthood on St David's Day. Please pray for Adrian as he enters this new chapter in his ministry.

Revd. Adrian Glover to receive Holy Orders within the Church

The Revd. Adrian Glover is to be conditionally ordained to the minor orders, diaconate and priesthood at a future date. Adrian is serving with the Cross Denominational Mission, an interdenominational ministry that promotes understanding and co-operation across the different branches of Christ's Church.  Adrian was formerly an ordained Overseer within the Apostolic Faith Church, a position equivalent to that of bishop. His ordination in the Catholic tradition and clergy membership of the Church will enhance his cross-denominational ministry, and we welcome the opportunity to assist him in this aim. He has also been accepted as a member of the Religious Society of St Simon.

Acceptance of Paul Maher as Postulant

We are pleased to announce the acceptance of Paul Maher as a postulant in the Church. Paul will be working towards the minor orders and Diaconate through study with European-American University under the supervision of Fr. Colin Stebbing (Br. Thomas, O.E.F.), to whose oratory he has been assigned. We wish Paul well as he discerns his vocation and prepares for the ordained ministry.

Appointments of clergy

The following clergy have been appointed by grace of the Primatial See to serve in the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church:

Revd. David Upton, to be Deacon with effect from September 2008.

Fr. Scott Shubert to be Priest with effect from August 2008.

Mr. Thomas Gayley to be Cleric with effect from July 2008.

Fr. Dan Edmunds to be Pastor with effect from April 2008.

Fr. François Lepine to be Pastor with effect from April 2008.

Fr. Dennis Donlon, Companions in Spirit and Fraternity of Mercy, also to be Priest with effect from April 2008.

Fr. Adrian Glover, to be Vicar General with effect from April 2008.

Revd. David Upton, to be Subdeacon with effect from March 2008.

Ms Kay Ellen Krueger, to be Underdeacon with effect from March 2008.

Mar Joannes III (The Most Revd. John Kersey), Primate and Titular Archbishop of Karim, to be also Metropolitan of the LCAC with effect from March 2008.

Mar Andreas (The Most Revd. Andrew Linley), Titular Archbishop of Mount Carmel, to be also Co-adjutor with perpetual right of succession and Primate in the LCAC with effect from March 2008.

Mar Alexei (The Rt. Revd. Alistair Herrick Bate), Titular Bishop of Hebron, to be also Administrator of the Province of Scotland and a member of the College of Bishops of the LCAC with effect from March 2008.

Fr. Eckhart Christopher Lee Sowers, to be Priest with effect from February 2008.

Fr. Charles Reynolds, to be Priest with effect from February 2008.

Fr. Adrian Glover, to be  Priest with effect from March 2008.

Mar Alexei (The Rt. Revd. Alistair Herrick Bate, CCP, MA Div), to be Titular Bishop of Hebron with effect from January 2008.

Revd. David Upton, to be Acolyte with effect from January 2008.

Administrative and Clerical Headquarters

The Oratory of the Holy Spirit, Hadley Wood, will serve as administrative and clerical headquarters of the Liberal Catholic Apostolic Church for the time being. Those wishing to attend Mass there, which is celebrated weekly for the public, are asked firstly to make contact using the information on the contact page. This is particularly important since the Oratory has limited space and cannot accommodate large numbers.