Liberal Catholic Church to celebrate special weekend of services
With a history dating back more than 100 years in Illinois, the Liberal Catholic Church offers the ceremony and pomp of a traditional Catholic service but not the conservative social teachings.
This weekend the Church of St. Francis, the only Liberal Catholic Church in the area, will hold services and a reception at 12 W. School St., Villa Park.
The Rt. Rev. William Downey, regionary bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church of the United States, will celebrate the Holy Eucharist, confer the Sacrament of Confirmation for those who have been baptized and perform the traditional Mass and Holy Orders for those who are becoming church deacons, nuns or priests.
The Mass for those who are being confirmed and to celebrate the birth date of Mary, Jesus' mother, Sept. 15, is at 6 p.m. today.
"Before every Eucharist, we have a special prayer for Mary, but at Saturday's service we will have extra candles and a special collection in honor of Mary's birthday," said the Rev. Terrence Metz, pastor of the Church of St. Francis.
The visiting bishop, who presides over the U.S., Philippines and Caribbean Liberal Catholic Church, will be a celebrant at services this weekend. He'll perform a traditional Mass at 10 a.m. Sunday, also a Red Mass for the Trinity season in the church calendar.
After the service, the congregation will hold a reception and visit with the bishop.
As a Liberal Catholic Church, the Church of St. Francis is not a Roman Catholic church. Ordained members of the Theosophical Society in Wheaton started the church in Chicago in the 1940s and 10 years ago the church moved to Villa Park.
"The property we relocated to was beautiful and located close to the interstate. It was important to be centrally located because we have people coming to our services from quite a distance," Metz said.
Half of the congregation is from Villa Park, Lombard and Wheaton and the other half travels from Indiana and Illinois to attend services. Metz added that people from other countries, including Australia, and other states attend Mass here when they are traveling in the area.
The Liberal Catholic Church has been in existence in Illinois for 100 years, but its history dates back much further. The church's founding bishops took a nearly insignificant Old Catholic movement in England and changed it into a renewed visionary church, proclaiming the gospel in a new light with great power.
The liberal church did not make the Vatican II changes in the 1960s that the Roman Catholic church did, so the Mass is traditional and the priest faces the altar during the service. Some Latin is used in the service.
" 'Lord, bless us, share your grace with us' is still in Greek, and the final Dismissal of the Angel of Presence is still in Greek during the service. Everything else in the service is said in the local language, and music is a very important part of the service," Metz said.
"It's a majestic, traditional service in approach to celebration, with incense and the St. James version of the Bible."
Other significant doctrine differences include freedom of thought and belief, free interpretation of creed and Scripture, and unconditional love and respect for the divine light in each person. Or, as Metz put it, "Don't let religion get in the way of your spirituality."
The church's Web site states: "Our church holds that every person is a child of God, related and inseparably linked to one another. That which harms one harms all."
Metz said that members serve their fellow man through kindness and respect.
"It's all part of being a Christian," he added.
For details, visit www.stfrancisvillapark.org or call (630) 834-3320.
If you go
What:The Church of St. Francis, the only Liberal Catholic Church in the area, will welcome the Rt. Rev. William Downey, regionary bishop of the United States, to celebrate Mass and sacraments.
When:6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. Sunday
Where:Church of St. Francis, 12 W. School St., Villa Park
Call:(630) 834-3320