About Saint Mychal Judge Old Catholic Church

First of all, WELCOME!

Saint Mychal Judge Old Catholic Church in Dallas. We gather as a community on Sunday for Mass.

You will find our church is open and accepting, regardless of your background. You are welcome at our altar even if you are divorced or gay. We welcome both saints and sinners, and most of us are closer to sinner than saint.
 

What We Believe The Old Catholic Churchs rejects the doctrine of papal infallibility; thus we reject doctrines which have been promulgated in the Roman Catholic Church by such means as the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary. Regarding the Eucharist, we believe in the Real Presence but not in transubstantiation. Old Catholics have abrogated the  filioque  clause in the Nicene Creed. We reject the doctrine of Purgatory; in this case, however, they generally recognize a purification by Christ's grace after death and usually pray for the dead. Although they held some basic Roman Catholic practices such as-- baptism by infusion the azymes in the Eucharist We have many aspects in common with the Orthodox Church, such as-- the practice of Holy Communion under both species of bread and wine optional celibacy for the clergy. The Old Catholic Churches tend to be more liberal than the Roman Catholic Church. Many churches of the Union ordain women to the priesthood. In addition, the churches of the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland offer the blessing of same-sex unions. The individual's conscience in ethical matters is stressed. Private confession is not mandatory and artificial contraception is discretionary. More about our teachings.

The Bigger Picture St Mychal Judge is a parish in the Diocese of Texas of the North American Old Catholic Church. History The mother church, the Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands, was established in the 18th century as a result of tensions between the local Catholic hierarchy and the Roman Curia. The other churches, such as the Catholic Diocese of the Old Catholics in Germany, and the Christian Catholic Church of Switzerland, followed suit after the First Vatican Council, which defined the dogma of papal infallibility. Walking the Walk You can help our work and look very stylish doing it. We have a number of items for sale, and the proceeds go to our work in Dallas Texas. Please consider doing yourself a stylish favor and visit the Saint Mychal Judge Store.

About Mychal Judge, Martyr

Mychal Judge was a Franciscan priest -- the chaplain of the New York City fire department. When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center on 9|11, Fr. Mychal rushed to be with the firefighters. As he knelt to give Last Rites to a fallen fireman, Fr. Mychal was struck by falling debris and killed.

In addition to being a friend of fire fighters, Fr. Mychal was--

• Chaplain of Dignity/New York, an organization for gay Roman Catholics
• A friend and counselor to many victims of HIV and AIDS.
• Active in helping alcoholics and drug addicts.

There is no greater love than for someone to lay down his or her life for another.

We know of an effort to get the Vatican to recognize that Fr. Mychal is today a saint, but Rome has yet to act on the requests. Although we honor and respect our Roman brothers and sisters, we are not bound by anything they do or don't do. If asked, we would suggest that the Vatican recognize the sainthood of Fr. Mychal. They don't ask, so we don't tell. Meanwhile, we honor this martyr by calling him our saint and the patron of our church.

We celebrate Fr. Mychal's life on the anniversary of his birth -- May 11. We remember his life with gratitude on the anniversary of his martyrdom -- September 11.

Monsignor Thomas Hooker Pastor of St Mychal Judge. Vicar General of Diocese of Texas	Bishop Wynn Wagner  Vicar General of Bishop of Texas	Julio Chong Seminarian