The New Catholic Community

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The New Catholic Community (NCC) is an interjurisdictional organization that aspires to live out a new mode of Catholicism, following Christ in the 21st-century context through an Old Catholic ecclesial model in relationship with communities that enjoy full communion with the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches. The NCC unites likeminded, inclusive Catholics in national communities comprised of laity, religious and clergy. Centered on the regular, communal celebration of the Eucharist, reading the “signs of the time,” and embodying Old Catholic values within the context of contemporary life, the New Catholic Community esteems the principles of the Declaration of Utrecht, the Bonn Agreement and the Lambeth Quadrilateral, bringing unity and harmony to diverse expressions of inclusive Catholicism.

The National Catholic Community is unique in many ways:

• As inclusive Catholics, all members affirm Jesus’ “discipleship of equals” and the sharing of the Church’s sacraments with all well-prepared persons regardless of sex, sexual/gender identity or marital status.
• The NCC is a membership organization where members are the highest authority, shaping the direction of the organization through its Annual Synod, approving the annual membership dues and electing the Council Members who govern the NCC between Annual Synods.
• The NCC is open to all baptized lay and ordained Catholics who reside in the United States of America & its territories and who affirm the ten principles of the Huntington Agreement below.
• The NCC is an interjurisdictional effort to unite inclusive Catholic lay and ordained Catholics: Membership in the NCC does not exclude a person from simultaneous membership in other jurisdictions or religious communities.
• Though structured as a membership organizations for individuals, the NCC is best imagined as a “community of communities” since each ordained member comes to the NCC with the endorsement of at least 12 lay persons served by her/him/them. A member of the clergy who does not serve 12 persons at present is encouraged to build her/his/their ministry and to apply for membership when she/he/they have reached that community threshold. Chaplains and others who minister outside the context of a community are nourished by the life of the community of which they are part outside of their chaplaincy or other ministry.
• The NCC is a national community—a national church according to the Ultrajectine model— with membership open to anyone currently residing in the United States of America and its territories. The NCC is willing to assist lay and ordained Catholics from other nations to establish their own national churches after the model of the NCC.
• While respecting the episcopacy as the fullness of the priesthood, the NCC abides by the Council of Constance Principle. Because the multiplication of episcopi vagantes within our movement have been a veritable obstacle to unity, no bishop who joins the NCC will function as a bishop within the NCC unless duly elected by the Annual Synod for this purpose. Instead, all bishops “leave their miters at the door” and self-identify within the NCC as the presbyters they are. 
• From the start, the NCC is clear about its intention to one day enter into full communion with religious bodies outside of the inclusive Catholic movement of the United States, possibly including the Union of Utrecht of Old Catholic Churches, the Philippine Independent Church, the Anglican Communion, and other interested religious bodies. For this reason, all NCC members affirm that all such churches are sisters churches and part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
• Because of its membership requirements, the NCC serves as an accrediting agency for clergy and religious: Because they represent the Church, all clergy are ordained in the apostolic succession and maintain appropriate sacramental records, and all clergy and religious undergo a criminal background check and a psychological evaluation, and fulfill specific requirements for initial and continuing formation and education.
• The NCC is an organization of dues-paying members. Because NCC clergy represent communities, no difficulty is imagined for communities being able to afford to pay the membership dues of their clergy. Because the NCC doesn’t want money to be an obstacle to membership, scholarships may be available for laity and religious in need and for clergy who are in the process of growing their communities. 

1. I believe that the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation.
2. I believe that the pre-Nicene Church provides a model and hermeneutic for the contemporary living of our faith.
3. I believe that the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are a sufficient statement of Christian faith.
4. I esteem the seven traditional Catholic sacraments, and I believe that the sacraments should not be denied to God’s children based on such factors as gender, gender identity or marital status.
5. I recognize that all people are created in the image and likeness of God and are temples of God’s Spirit, and I encourage all baptized Christians to participate in the life and the sacraments of the Church.
6. I esteem the historic episcopate, locally-adapted.
7. I reject clericalism and esteem a community-centered, synodal Church where all major decisions and elections take place with the full and active participation of lay and ordained members at all levels. 
8. [For clergy] I testify that I possess apostolic succession through the laying on of hands.
9. [For clergy] I embrace the Council of Constance Principle: I agree not to function as a bishop unless called by the New Catholic Community to serve as a bishop. If I was previously consecrated as a bishop, I agree to self-identify as a presbyter/priest rather than as a bishop.
10. I agree to fulfill the formational, educational and professional standards for members of the New Catholic Community.

The NCC provides a number of benefits to members, including the following: 

• Voice and vote at the Annual Synod
• Community with other NCC lay and ordained Catholics
• Discounts on NCC events and programs
• For clergy and religious, accreditation as a card-carrying (celebret) NCC member  

NCC Bylaws

NCC Application for Clergy ($250/year membership dues for clergy)

NCC Application for Religious ($125/year membership dues for non-clergy religious)

NCC Application for Laity ($52/year membership for laity)

The preliminary ideas for the New Catholic Community were formulated on March 1, 2022 during the annual retreat of the Society of Old Catholic Priests at the Roman Catholic Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Lloyd Harbor, Huntington, New York. Retreat coordinator Rev. Mike López, dean of the Missionary Benedictines of the Poor of the House of Initia Nova of the Episcopal Church and senior priest of All Saints Priory in Ridgewood, New York, initiated a late-night conversation on Monday, February 28 on the possibility of forming an interjurisdictional society of inclusive Catholic clergy and laity. Rev. Dr. Jayme Mathias, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Austin, Texas, facilitated the conversation that ensued, which resulted in the “Huntington Agreement,” the initial list of criteria for membership in an interjurisdictional organization that might seek unity with other religious bodies outside of the Inclusive Catholic movement. By 1:00 a.m. on Mardi Gras, Tuesday, March 1, the formation of the St. Cecilia Society was celebrated by the following charter members (listed here in alphabetical order by surname): Rev. Joseph Dang, Rev. Canon MichaelAngelo D’Arrigo, Rev. David Jacobi, Rev. Mike López, Rev. Ángel Lugo, Rev. Dr. Jayme Mathias, Louis Núñez, Rev. Tom Pels and Rev. Annie Watson. Rev. Dr. Marek Bożek, pastor of St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri, and Rev. Lawman Chibundi, pastor of Rabbouni Catholic Community in Louisville, Kentucky, joined the same day, as did the following clergy who attended the annual retreat of the Society of Old Catholic Priests: Sr. Julianne Yee Loong, Sr. Gillian Navarro, Rev. Marianne Melchiori, Rev. Donna Nachefski, Rev. Kevin Powell and Rev. Kelmy Rodríquez. During subsequent meetings on March 14 & 21, they renamed this effort the New Catholic Community, approved the Huntington Agreement, and discussed bylaws and next steps.

Largely inspired by the new logo of the Dutch Old Catholic Church, the NCC logo is comprised of five boxes in the shape of a cross, with persons gathering around Christ as the center of the NCC. The colors call to mind the principal liturgical colors of the contemporary Western Church: the purple brings to mind the royalty of Christ, the red brings to mind his nail-marked hands during his post-resurrection proclamation of peace (Lk. 24:36, Jn. 20:19, 21 & 26), and the green calls to mind the two fundamental directions of our love for God (Mk. 12:30, Mt. 22:37, Lk. 10:27) and for those whom we serve (Jn. 13:14). The shapes also call to mind a table with four chairs, welcoming all persons from the north, south, east and west (Ps. 107:3, Lk. 13:29). None of the squares is perfect, but they are moving toward unity with one another to form a cross that reflects the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ (Gal. 3:28). The words below the cross are shaped like the ridge of a roof, where many crosses are mounted on churches, thus bringing to mind the NCC’s desire to lift high a model of Christ-centered unity in the inclusive Catholic movement. This new unity within the Catholic tradition exalts the best of the European Old Catholic movement, manifesting a truly new form of Catholicism in the New World (Is. 43:19)!