AboutUs - St. Mary of Grace Independent Catholic Church

About Us

Parish Mission Statement

St. Mary of Grace Independent Catholic Church
Building and Being an Inclusive Church in the Catholic Tradition

St. Mary of Grace Parish is a Catholic Community in the Independent Catholic Christian Church.
Founded by the Augustinians of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we seek the following:

-to live by the Grace of God grateful to and witnesses of His loving covenant with all creation

-to hold dear in our hearts the Apostolic Faith of the Nicene Creed

-to welcome, share, and include in our lives all who seek God regardless of social status, race, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, or political affiliation

-to worship God with our whole hearts, minds, and souls in liturgical diversity and meaningfulness in Word and Sacrament

-to be of one mind and heart building the City of God through prophetic witness to a spirituality of Augustinian community and social justice.

We pray with Our Mother of Grace in her own words, let it be done unto us according to Thy Word.

Is St. Mary of Grace Parish Part of the Roman Catholic Church ?

No, we are an Independent Catholic community sharing in the same apostolic lines of deacons, priests and bishops as that of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches. Among those in our lineage are Bishop Arnold Mathew, founding bishop of the Old Catholic Church in England; Bl. Carlos Duarte Costa, a former Roman Catholic bishop who reformed the Brazilian church in the 1940's; +Aftimios Ofiesh, a former Eastern Orthodox bishop whose reforms included opening the episcopate to those who are married; and Bishop George Cummins, who broadened the vision of Anglicanism to be more inclusive and ecumenical.

Apostolic succession, in Christian theology, is the doctrine asserting that the chosen successors of the apostles enjoyed through God's grace the same authority, power, and responsibility as was conferred upon the apostles by Jesus. Therefore present-day bishops, as the successors of previous bishops, going back to the apostles, have this power by virtue of this unbroken chain. For the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Old/Independent Catholic churches, this link with the apostles is what guarantees for them their authority in matters of faith, morals, and the valid administration of sacraments. Essential to maintaining the apostolic succession is the right consecration of bishops. (Columbia Encyclopedia)

We profess the same ancient creeds and celebrate the same seven Sacraments as our brothers and sisters in the Roman branch of the Catholic Church.

How is St. Mary's Different From Other Catholic Parishes ?

Because we are Independent Catholics, we are able to welcome and embrace those who may be excluded from other faith communities.

At Sunday Mass, you won't notice any difference in the liturgy. We sing new hymns and old hymns, Taize chants, and sometimes, an old favorite in Latin. We recognize the beauty and symbolism of bells and incense, baptismal water and Easter fire. We blend prayers and customs from the East and the West, drawing from both old and new to create a meaningful and moving liturgical experience.

How Is This Vision Expressed In St. Mary's Parish Life ?

+ At our liturgies, we invite all baptized Christians to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the source and symbol of our unity at the one table of the Lord.

+ We recognize the right of women to equality at all levels of society and the Church, including ordained ministry.

+ We reserve to couples the right to plan their families in a responsible way.

+ Through the parish and the Church, we offer the opportunity for lay or ordained ministry, admitting men and women to religious life and to all levels of Holy Orders without regard to age, marital status, race, physical disability or sexual orientation.

+ We offer the Sacrament of Marriage for sufficiently prepared couples, regardless of gender, as well as second marriages for those who are divorced and who are properly disposed to remarry.