C&G, is this breakaway Catholicism by any chance Dignity?
There is a Dignity "Branch" here but this church is actually called Spiritus Christi and Broke from a Diocesan Church named Corpus Christi. Here is the beginning of the history of Spritus. It's pretty long.
History of Spiritus Christi Church
Thirteen hundred people gathered at Salem United Church of
Christ on December 24, 1998 to celebrate the birth of Jesus
Christ---and the birth of Spiritus Christi Church. All were
members of Corpus Christi Church on E. Main Street and had
experienced extraordinary events in the past four months.
On August 13, 1998, Bishop Matthew Clark, under pressure
from Rome, removed Fr. Jim Callan as administrator after 22
years at Corpus Christi Church. The Vatican had trouble with
three practices dear to the heart of Corpus Christi parishioners:
the prominent role of women on the altar, the blessing of gay
unions, and the offering of communion to those who were not
Catholic. The Democrat and Chronicle carried the news on the
front page the following Sunday, which brought an extra large
crowd to Mass that day. Over 1200 people came back to church
that Sunday night to organize a protest against the bishops
action. Night after night, the parishioners gathered in church to
hear speeches from the staff and other leaders and to strategize
about standing firm on the issues. The movement to keep the
inclusive spirit of Corpus Christi alive was quickly termed the
Spring Committee. (The name came from a Salvadoran
proverb: You can cut back some of the flowers, but you cant
hold back the spring.)
The parishioners held weekly, police-escorted, candlelight
marches from the church to Dimitri House, Corpus Christi
Center, and Rogers House Restaurant. The youth group printed
t-shirts and protested in front of the bishops office at the
pastoral center. They requested a dialogue with diocesan
officials. On October 15, Mary Ramerman was fired from her
position as associate pastor. The diocese demanded that she
remove her alb and stole and not go near the altar during any
church services. She refused. She did not want to send a message
that women were not holy enough to approach the altar or
deserving of equal participation in the church. In protest of
Marys firing, several women in the parish put on purple stoles, a
symbol of womens ordination, and continued to stand at the
altar week after week. On October 22, Fr. Enrique Cadena, the
other associate pastor, was granted a leave of absence by the
bishop for rest and reflection.
The week after Marys firing, members of the Spring Committee
organized a Tuesday night communion service for Corpus
Christi parishioners who wanted to keep the inclusive vision
alive. It was the first of many held weekly at the Downtown
United Presbyterian Church, a congregation that soon became
an important part of the new communitys future. Mary led the
services and invited staff and parishioners to share their
reflections.
For my DP it's too big as she grew up in a small Lutheran Community in Northern New York and spend time in smaller pentecostal churches. But the children go to religious Ed there and we like the emphasis on Community Service, Social Activism and including all.
