A Discovery

We are so glad you found us. Our story is basically one of gratitude that we as members have found each other too in this place called “Sts. Clare & Francis.” We identified ourselves as Catholics, AND we hoped for a church where everyone was welcome regardless of gender, race, marital status, sexual orientation, etc. to fully participate. We wanted a church where all the members, not just the clergy, had a voice and a way to serve.

We discovered each other and decided to form a parish together beginning in the fall of 2004. We chose the name “Sts. Clare & Francis” to emphasize gender equity and to appeal to the great Franciscan tradition of living of the gospel simply and reforming of the Church by modeling something different. It is good to be here.

A Choice

Coming here involved a choice. Some people don’t like what is going on in their church, but they feel that being faithful means sticking it out, that they should fight for change or wait for change. We are making a different choice. We are not rebelling. We are building.

We are not building alone and we are not building outside the Catholic tradition. We are not “making up our own Church.” We are a part of dozens of parishes across the US who together form the Ecumenical Catholic Communion or ECC gathered around a bishop who is in the apostolic line of succession of bishops who in 1870 chose not to accept papal infallibility and the universal jurisdiction of the pope; we celebrate the same seven sacraments. See www.ecumenical-catholic-communion.org for more information about the ECC.

As much as we love and include our children, we are building a church that is decidedly adult. We are walking the Way together, as the New Testament would say, very intentionally. To use a sports analogy, every member is expected to “show up, dressed and ready to play.” However of course you are welcome to come just to look around if you like. If you decide to “jump into the game,” that is up to you.

A Home

Many people have felt they “found home” at Sts. Clare & Francis. A young woman who experienced a call to be a priest ever since she was a little girl was ordained on September 7, 2007 and serves as our associate pastor. A talented lawyer, who is theologically educated, wanted a place where lay leadership is embraced; he is on the Parish Council and preaches frequently at mass. A lesbian couple used to “go to church with bags over our heads” for many years; Sts. Clare & Francis is a place where they feel they can be themselves; now, bags-no-more, they are greeters. Divorced persons, persons who want to see women’s perspectives celebrated, persons who want to see a church where everyone is engaged and decisions are made collegially…it’s as if everyone were welcome. Everyone is.

Many former priests who left the ministry because of the celibacy rule have found a place in the ECC. Our pastor, Frank Krebs, is such a priest.

A Picture

Here is a picture of what is happening practically. The whole parish elects a Parish Council, which makes most of the important decisions, though some decisions are reserved to the whole community. The Parish Council meets once a month; its meetings are open to all members. The Pastor, who must be voted on by the whole parish, is accountable to the Parish Council. He (Frank Krebs) is responsible for leading the parish in a periodic process of discerning the direction for the parish and then leading the plan that is discerned.

The Pastor meets with the Associate Pastor (Jessica Rowley), the lay Pastoral Associate (Lisa von Stamwitz) and the head of the Parish Council, called the “Servant of Unity,” (Peggy Montgomery) once a week to direct the week to week pastoring of the parish. The issues include the parish pastoral plan, membership education and formation, and pastoral care.

We celebrate the Eucharist every week on Saturday evening at 5 PM. While the way the Eucharist is celebrated is ultimately the responsibility of the Pastor and the Associate Pastor as his delegate. There is also a committee of coordinators who meet monthly to assure that there is a wide range of input and participation.
The music ministry, headed up by Ann Leible, is always open to new voices and instruments; a good number of members participate in the music ministry.

All members are encouraged to be in small groups, usually meeting every month. Small groups provide a “base” place where each person is known and knows other members well, where the experience of church is personal. These groups sometimes meet around various interests.

All members are encouraged to discern works of service and/or ways to use their gifts for the good of all. The parish has a group that serves at Karen (Catholic Worker) House. And Sts. Clare & Francis is a Covenant Church of Bread for the World. Also as a parish we tithe 10% of all our received offerings to a charity in which we believe but over which we have no control. We also have a special fund for needy members of the community itself.

A Vision

We see ourselves growing at least to the point where people in the St. Louis region know that Sts. Clare & Francis is a choice they can make, an alternative to the church that perhaps they have given up on or the church that has given up on them. We want to be a viable, visible option, a kind of model that would show graphically how it can be done differently. We want to open the eyes of St. Louis to a different way of being a follower in Christ within the Catholic tradition. We believe that if we are more visible, we can make a bigger difference. So we intend to grow. And you are welcome to be a part as we do!