Some people have been wondering if I'm still Catholic -- and their questions have gotten me thinking about religious identity.
About a month ago I was ordained to ministry in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It was a joyous and moving celebration that gathered people with whom I have worked and ministered for nearly forty years.
Perhaps one of the most unusual aspects of my ordination in a mainline Protestant church was the recognition and affirmation of my Roman Catholic identity and background. I grew up as a Catholic, prepared for the priesthood, decided not to become a priest just a few months before I was to be ordained, and went on to serve in lay ministry positions at both parish and national levels for more than thirty-five years. My ministry within the institutional structures of the Catholic Church came to an abrupt end, however, after I married my partner Ray.
The loss of my ministry set off within me an ecclesial identity crisis, but then my life took an unexpected turn. Shortly after becoming unemployed, I was approached about becoming the interim Minister of Music at National City Christian Church. Over the course of two years, my relationship with this wonderful church community continued to grow stronger. I was called to be the full-time Minister of Music the following year, joined the congregation soon thereafter, and subsequently began the process of discernment and preparation for ordination.
Following the announcement that I was going to be ordained to ministry in the Disciples of Christ, a few friends wrote to me of their sadness that I had left the Catholic Church, while a number of others asked, "Are you still Catholic?"
It's true that I formally joined a congregation of the Disciples of Christ -- and I am happy and proud to say that I am a Disciple. Yet I have never renounced my Catholic identity or the rich tradition in which I was formed as a Christian, and so I still consider myself a Catholic. In fact, while I lead worship every Sunday morning and minister full-time at National City Christian Church, I still participate in Eucharistic celebrations with a couple of local Catholic communities. My own faith, spirituality, and personal prayer life remain rooted in the Catholic tradition.
Over the past two years in a new community and a new ministerial setting, I have come to a much broader appreciation of the meaning of "church." The Church of Christ has many manifestations -- Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, Evangelical, and more. All of these ways of being church have limitations but at the same time offer gifts that enrich the wider body of Christ.
Disciples have throughout their history resisted the idea of being a denomination. That struggle can be seen today in an identity statement that describes the Disciples as a "movement for wholeness" and "part of the one body of Christ." Disciples leaders in the early nineteenth century were deeply troubled by the negative effects of the denominationalism that they had experienced, including the practice of excluding from the Lord's Supper outsiders and those who did not measure up. These leaders believed strongly that the Church is one and that all should be welcomed to the Eucharistic table.
As a life-long Catholic, the Lord's table remains central to my experience and understanding of the Church. As a gay Christian and ordained minister, I am deeply grateful to be part of a community of Disciples who proclaim insistently that "we welcome all to the Lord's table as the Lord has welcomed us."
I'm coming to realize though, that while it is important to identify with a particular Christian community, it's not enough. The Christian journey, celebrated at the one table of Christ, is a movement toward wholeness and unity. Even more than being Catholics or Disciples or members of any other denomination, we are all called to be ecumenical Christians, accepting and celebrating the gifts of all who form a part of the one body of Christ, the Church. I'm looking forward to continuing this journey.
Yes, I'm still Catholic -- and so much more.