The Pathfinder Community of the Risen Christ is an Ecumenical Catholic Church exercising the full sacramental system and all of the rituals and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church except adherence to the doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope.
In 1869, at the end of Vatican Council, Pope Pius IX established as a doctrine of the church that the Pope, when speaking on matters of faith and morals, is infallible. There was a group of Catholics in Austria, Germany, and Holland who did not accept this and who, therefore, were excluded from the Roman Institution. They called themselves the old or original Catholic Church and made it a point not to become a power base. Individuality and independence has been their choice avoiding the negative aspects of hierarchy dominance. A more complete history is available on the web site of
Ecumenical Catholic Communion in Orange, California.
We are a part of this group but prefer the title, “ecumenical” meaning all inclusive, rather than “old”. We are one of fourteen parishes who connect under the title of the Ecumenical Catholic Communion. Our present Bishop is Peter Hickman who presides at
Ecumenical Catholic Communion in Orange, California. We gather each year to further establish ourselves as a communion or diocese and develop a constitution and guidelines. Our main purpose is mutual support for growth in the spirit and in our endeavors to spread this beautiful form of Catholicism. In 2000, our church was number five on the parish roster, so we are expanding rapidly.
We, at the Risen Christ Community have realized our calling to be followers of the early Church, rich in the tradition of the first Christians, and focused on the teachings and way of life that Jesus taught. We feel that the new Millenium and Cosmic Christ in this new and very sacred time calls each of us to an awakening, to community, to doing justice in ministry and to the joy of living. We cherish our Catholic heritage and we are a community which seeks to make the richness of Catholic spirituality and tradition available and accessible to the many people who, for some reason, have felt excluded from the Roman Church. We welcome individuals who were raised as Roman Catholics, but due to some obstacle, such as divorce and remarriage, are no longer allowed to receive the sacraments in the Roman Church. We cherish acceptance of the need for family planning, priestly celibacy and marriage, women's rights as full leaders in ministry, acceptance of gays and lesbians, and full support of the divorced and remarried. Finally, we also welcome to the Lord's table our sisters and brothers from other denomiations. All are loved by Christ and by us as the faithful believers in His inclusive and compassionate acceptance of all as equals.
