yep! I did it .I was catholic for 20 years just didnt fit in .I call the chunch to see if i need to send them a letter saying i no longer with the chunch, and I was a women,and now ordained ministry.well it didnt go well, he hung up on me.I am happy i did it. Now the family needs to know.But its about me and i happy i did it .

Dear Shonnae,

I am so happy you have found your path. Like you, I found the same problem and also turned to the ULC. But unlike you, I had no immediate family to please or disappoint. It may be so that they who love you may not be as happy about your decision as you. I bring this up not to discourage you, but rather prepare you for a disheartening possibility.
I applaud your courage and devotion to faith, as it requires a great deal of self-reflection and a strong desire to stay true to spirit rather than doctrine. But others may not see it that way and may be of the mind that this is the way it is, was, and always will be. They may not recognize that the ways of serving God are just as vast as God himself. Please, do not be too disappointed or loose your enthusiasm should this be the case. Instead, try to remember that it is God’s purpose you serve, and like most things with family, in time they will come to accept and recognize the joy you receive through your ministry.

God’s blessings,

Rev. Campbell.

Thank you.

thats why I became a independent catholic priest. I sort of feel like Luther did way back when he told the pope he didn't like the way things were then.

I did not know you can be a independent priest.Thats cool

yep, it's very nice. but it's not instant like ULC who believes you are already a minister. independent catholic priests must go thru a training period which can be from 6 months to 2 years. sort of a priest's bootcamp.

I will read up on that one Thanks .

My family is use to me doing things my way.. I knew however that Mom would have a bit of a hard time accepting me becoming ordained the way I did. Mom’s glad I am working on my spiritual life, Mom is not a real strict Christian, in fact her belief system comes close to mine. She’s just use to the traditional way of becoming ordained with going to collage and taking years to do so. In fact she let me know that she does not want me to perform her funeral because she prefers a more traditional Minister. (in other words one that went to collage.) She even felt that I had taken something away from her Pastor. I told Mom she has a wonderful Pastor I could never take anything from her. I explained that the reason her Pastor is wonderful has nothing to do with the collage its because its in her heart. I explained that True Ministry comes from the heart. Moms trying to accept it and I know she will in time. She just strange that way.

Dad and Mom are Divorced. My Dad now lives in a Rehabilitation Nursing Home. Dad is proud of me. I let Mom know that but well that’s Mom. I accept her the way she is.

Like Pathfinder says stay true in spirit. I have found when you live a life in accordance to others rules no one finds any satisfaction. It’s your life and you live it, you must follow your inner desire. God has placed it there therefore its right.

Good luck in your Journey.. Oh yeah, My husband went to a catholic school, they actually made him an alter boy. The Priest there called him Doubting Thomas,. (His name is Tom) He did not accept the doctrine either. The Catholic Church actually x communicated His mother by for marrying a Lutheran. I had been raised Baptist they maybe somewhat strict but not as strict at the Catholics. Have Fun, Sincerely Reverend Penny.

I had never heard of such a thing. I thought that if a priest wanted to be independent they left the Catholic church?


sincerely Mike

Which catholic church? there are dozens of them.

well there's servants of the good shepherd at www.unitycatholic.org they are independent, and they ordain priests with a year long mentoring program. I reccommend them personally they are a nice bunch having spoken with their head bishop; Bishop Chuck

yes, they are good. study hard for a year and earn your sheepskin.
err, shepherd skin.

The roman Catholic catholic church.. the one that would normally be thought of when referring to Catholic in a capital letter.

Officially the servants of the good shepherd are schismatics because they are not in communion with rome, and they are orthodox hence the term autocepphalous, however their line claims to be legitimate coming from a bishop awhile back, and therefore they are claiming valid apostolic succession

yeah, I think Bishop Duarte Costa was forgiven by the holy father.
thus making all of his lines valid with rome.

very interesting .. these things dont really get publicized much .. or i just never knew how to find out.

the holy father is looking at forgiving a lot of lost sheep,
SSPX and a lot of other orders too.

is that really in keeping with the traditional views of the catholic church they are after all considered schismatics, and quite heretical for being a catholic priest outside of communion with Rome?

I was Ordered Bishop in 1998.Rome considers our Orders to be valid yet illegal . What that means is that our Sacramental Ministries are as valid as thiers but they do not like it. I was Ordered by the Old Catholic Church which became The Liberal Catholic Church. Rome granted The Old Catholic Church independence in the 1200's ,so there is not much they can say.I have served on occasion in Roman Parishes. I find the Liberty of ULCM to be much closer to my current belief system .I cosider myself to be a Universal Gnostic Christian .

I see thanks