About Us
About Us
The mission and life of Old Catholic Churches International
Old Catholic Churches International is a welcoming catholic communion committed to carrying the Gospel, the sacraments, and the love of God into the world. Our life together is shaped by worship, pastoral care, apostolic ministry, and service to those who have too often been overlooked, excluded, or forgotten.
As an ecumenical body, we seek to build up the Kingdom of God by joining reverent catholic faith with compassionate ministry in the present age.
Mission Statement
The mission of our church is to offer an affirming, evangelical, and sacramental presence in the world. We are called to carry the Gospel, the sacraments, and God’s love to all people.
This mission includes the unchurched, the alienated, the disenfranchised, and all who are seeking a church home where reverence, welcome, and pastoral care belong together.
We welcome all to the altar of the Lord and exclude no one from full participation in the life of the church. As an ecumenical body, we strive to work with all churches, seeking to fulfill the prayer of Christ that all may be one.
Vision Statement
The vision of our church is to build up the Kingdom of God by reaching out to those who are marginalized and disenfranchised and by forming communities where people may know, love, and serve the Lord.
We seek to offer an environment in which all may grow in holiness through the reception of the sacraments and participation in the community of believers.
We encourage Christians to reclaim the shared heritage of the Church and to participate in a future marked by ecumenism, spiritual growth, and deeper communion.
We seek to understand what it means to live as committed Christians today, receiving Scripture in the light of the Holy Spirit, reason, lived experience, and Apostolic Tradition.
We recognize the equality of women at every level of society and the Church, including ordained ministry, and we welcome both women and men to lay and ordained vocation.
We admit men and women to religious life and Holy Orders without regard to marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, or physical disability, and we extend the sacramental life of the Church with pastoral generosity.
We offer the Sacrament of Marriage for prepared couples regardless of gender, and divorced persons are welcome to seek a second marriage within the life of the Church.
We strive to serve those who are homeless, mentally or physically ill, suffering from addiction, or burdened by hardship, making the compassion of Christ visible in practical ways.
Vocations and ministry
Our ministers serve in a wide variety of settings. Some lead communities, parishes, religious orders, or sodalities. Others serve in chaplaincy, wedding and funeral ministry, teaching, counseling, scholarship, retreats, and works of outreach and mercy.
Those called to ministry in OCCI undertake theological and ministerial preparation before ordination. Formation is intended to prepare clergy and lay leaders for faithful service in the real world, grounded in the life of the Church and ordered toward the care of souls.
Ministry in OCCI may include
- Parish and mission leadership
- Religious life and community leadership
- Chaplaincy and pastoral care
- Wedding and funeral ministry
- Teaching, scholarship, and retreats
- Outreach, justice, and compassionate service
Our place in the wider Church
OCCI understands itself as part of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ. Our bishops stand within valid apostolic succession, and our sacramental life is lived in continuity with the historic faith and order of the Church.
We also live as a communion of dioceses, churches, clergy, and ministries extending across many places and contexts. This shared ecclesial life strengthens local communities and supports the Church’s worship, mission, and pastoral care.
Continue Exploring
Learn more about OCCI
If you would like to explore the Church’s faith, apostolic life, worship, and pastoral mission more deeply, the pages below provide the next step.
Get in Touch
Questions or next steps
We would be glad to help you connect with clergy, find a community, or continue the conversation.
A final word
We thank you for your interest in the work and witness of Old Catholic Churches International. We pray that all who visit may continue onward in faith, hope, and charity, and find in Christ the fullness of grace and truth.
If you are discerning a church home, a path of ministry, or a deeper sacramental life, we invite you to continue exploring.