Nestled in the worship space of Congregational Church of Weston/UCC, The Spirit of Life, “A Catholic Community of Justice and Joy,” celebrates Liturgy together each Sunday morning. Under the pastoral leadership of spouses Rev. Dr. Jean Marchant and Rev. Dr. Ron Hindelang, since 2007 The Spirit of Life has offered a creative, inclusive, and joyful alternative to the traditional parish setting. 

After Jean’s ordination in 2005, she and Ron co-celebrated their first Mass together in November 2006. The partnered pastors were overwhelmed by the number of people who attended this Mass of Thanksgiving. They knew that the size of the crowd meant something important. “I think the fact that so many people were there is a tribute to how hungry people are for a new beginning, a new way of being nourished,” said Ron. He continued, “After our experience there, we sent out an email to everybody we knew and we said, ‘come and co-create with us The Spirit of Life, a Catholic Community of Justice and Joy!’” And that’s how the community began. 

“It was like coming home,” shared Peggy Schleicher, who joined the community with her partner Bob in 2015. “Inclusion was obvious from the beginning. It didn’t take 20 minutes for me to figure out that ‘all’ meant all.” “We found a home there,” added Bob. “The inclusiveness is just so powerful.” 

When it comes to inclusivity, the community has taken intentional steps to practice what it preaches. “The thing that hit me most was the pronouns,” shared Peggy. The community chooses to use inclusive language for both humanity and divinity, not limiting either to one gender. For community member Faith McAuliffe, it was the inclusion of her family in the Liturgy that made her feel most welcomed. “When I walked in and people said, ‘oh, let me play with your kid while you sit down to talk to other grownups. I felt included and supported and great.” She added, “It feels like a Mass. And it also feels different. It also feels like a family.”

For member Irene Desharnais, it was both the welcome of the LGBTQ+ community, and the diversity of preaching from the pulpit that really spoke of the community’s inclusive nature. Irene has been a member of the community since its inception. “The moment that I remember,” she shared,” was Jean giving a homily, and she mentioned how she was shopping with her grandchildren. And I thought, ‘Wow. We are seeing the Gospel preached through the eyes of a grandmother.’”

The diversity from the pulpit was a decision that Jean and Ron made very early on in their ministry together, and it was rooted in a lesson that Ron learned from his doctoral work. He shared that he wrote his dissertation on domestic violence, and in his time working with support groups he learned that the groups were run by both a man and a woman, demonstrating that power can be shared.  Modeled after that equal distribution of power, Ron said, “it’s really important for us that we preach together, sharing that this is a model of ministry that can be life giving for the church. We like this style of shared leadership and shared homily as a way of embodying that both men and women are loved by God and bring gifts to ministry, and the church is much richer for that happening.”

As each Liturgy is celebrated in an in-person/Zoom hybrid format, the members also shared that the community takes intentional steps towards inclusivity both in the worship space and on the screen. For those gathered in-person, nametags are an essential component of the community’s welcoming stance. “One of the challenges of creating community the way we have with Spirit of Life is that you can become very insular,” shared Jean, “because you begin to feel intimate relationships and connection with the people who are there every week. And I think we’ve done a really good job of expanding that so everyone who walks through the door or joins our Zoom Room feels included and welcome.” Greeters welcome each person who walks through the door, and nametags are filed in alphabetical order each week, whether attendees are “regulars” or not. Peggy added, “it sounds like a small thing, but it isn’t. It helps people feel incredibly welcomed.” For those who are not able to gather in-person, a screen in the sanctuary makes even those on Zoom know they are part of the celebration. From inviting virtual participants to read, and offer prayers to breakout rooms for small group sharing, to interactive participation, the community extends beyond the four walls of the worship space. 

It was clear from our conversation together that not only does the community value inclusivity, but also recognizes the inherent dignity of all. This respect was clearly modeled by the co-pastors, affirming the comments of each speaker throughout our time together. Faith shared that when the Liturgy begins, Ron says, “turn to the icon of God’s love next to you.” “And that’s a powerful image,” she said, “to begin the whole service.” Another witness of the community’s respect for one another is in the opportunity to share reflections on the readings or homilies Gospels. After brief remarks from Ron and Jean, the microphone is passed around the Sanctuary and the Zoom Room. Ron shared, “One of the reasons we pass the mic after we preach is that everybody has wisdom. Everybody is visited by God and has perspectives. And so we learn from each other. It’s God’s economy of abundance. When we share our stories, share our inspirations, we’re all made rich.”

From just one short hour together, it was clear that there is not only mutual respect between the pastors and the congregation, but mutual love. In her closing comments, Jean shared, “I just want to say what a gift the community is to me, and to us. You know, we are part of the community. We pastor the community, but we are community members. it’s just sheer gift to pastor this community.” The Spirit of Life is most certainly led by shepherds who love their flock, and a community that overflows with that same love for all. 

Interested in learning more about The Spirit of Life? Visit their website at https://www.spiritoflifecommunity.org/. 

Do you know of or belong to a community that you would like to see highlighted? Reach out to Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.

During the darkest days of the global pandemic many church-goers took to the Internet to meet their liturgical needs. As stay-at-home bans lifted and folks started returning to the pews, staff at St. Cecilia Parish in Boston noticed their number of online viewers wasn’t decreasing. In fact, even after church pews were filled to capacity, the parish was still receiving a few thousand live streamers every week. As the online participation remained strong, a remote attendee suggested starting an “online coffee hour” for other remote Mass attendees to share fellowship and conversation. The staff responded by placing a notice in the weekly bulletin. Would anyone be interested in a monthly online coffee hour? If so, would anyone be willing to facilitate such a group? The response was overwhelmingly positive. A small group of volunteers offered to facilitate monthly meetings via Zoom, with groups ranging from fifty to one hundred participants. Over the past four years the online monthly coffee hours have continued to foster community and conversation, connecting parishioners across the miles. 

In addition to online liturgy and the monthly coffee hour, the leadership team meets every week for faith sharing of their own as well as to plan upcoming events. From these leadership meetings the Spirit has inspired the group to extend its ministry to include faith-sharing groups, book clubs, and even a yearly parish retreat. The first Far-Flung Flock retreat took place in person in 2023, and over 100 members of the Flock traveled to Boston for the event. This year, as a reminder that the Far-Flung Flock is not a subgroup of the parish but an active and included ministry, the retreat will integrate both local and long-distance parishioners.

When asked about the benefit of belonging to the Far-Flung Flock, representatives of the leadership team could not have expressed more gratitude for what the group has given them. One benefit of the ministry that was echoed by all is that it includes so many people who have been hurt, disappointed, or have completely given up on the Church. According to leadership team member Annette Smith, joining all the way from the UK,  the challenge isn’t the desire to attend Mass, but to find an inclusive church community. “There is a whole pool of people who want to go to church,” she shared. “The Church isn’t dying. The Church is alive–but people don’t know where to find it.” 

With ministry groups created specifically for LGBTQ+ persons, as well as climate justice ministries, youth faith formation, and older adult ministries, a ministry for adults who leave prison, and more, St. Cecilia boasts being an open and inclusive parish community. And the Far-Flung Flock extends the reach of St. Cecilia’s value of inclusivity across the country and around the world. For many, this access is priceless. 

In online spaces organized by the leadership team and other volunteers, members of the Far-Flung Flock share the importance of an inclusive Catholic space. They share burdens and setbacks, and through their sharing they realize they aren’t alone. Though they admit that an online and global faith community is an unconventional one, there is a strong and vital sense of community nevertheless. 

“It’s a gift,” shared leadership team member Ann Van Damm, “to receive the Eucharist from Fr. John and from the community.” Fellow leadership team member Betty Anne Asaro nodded along, sharing that being a member of the Far-Flung Flock has not only helped her want to deepen her spirituality, but even became a catalyst to relocate  from New York to Massachusetts so she could live closer to St. Cecilia. 

So what’s next for this virtual community? The leadership team couldn’t say for sure, but demonstrated a clear trust that the Spirit that led them here will continue to show them what to do next. And when She does, they’ll continue to be ready to say yes.

Do you know of or belong to a community that you would like to see highlighted? Reach out to Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.