National Catholic Church

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National Catholic Church of America.

"The National Catholic Church of America (NCCA) is an apostolic, independent Catholic body, offering an affirming spiritual life through ministries that celebrate God's all-embracing love, revealed to us in the redemptive mission of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The Vision
It is our desire to offer the people of God the opportunity to worship and grow together in a Christian community that preserves the richness of our Catholic heritage, while reflecting the cultural diversity of western civilization. We see the variety of cultural and ethnic heritage, the advances of science and technology and the affirmation of human rights and dignity as fertile ground for the message of Christ, who instructed his apostles to preach the gospel to the whole world. Some of the ways in which this vision finds expression in the NCCA are:
  • At our Masses, we invite all baptized Christians to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the source and symbol of our unity at the one table of the Lord.
  • We recognize the right of women to equality at all levels of society and the Church, including ordained ministry.
  • We reserve to couples the right to plan their families in a responsible way.
  • Through the Church we offer the opportunity for lay or ordained ministry, admitting men and women to religious life and to all levels of Holy Orders without regard to marital status, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or physical disability.
  • We offer the Sacrament of Marriage for sufficiently prepared couples, regardless of gender, as well as second marriages for properly disposed divorced persons. The marriages may take place either in a church or at another suitable location.
The Founder
"The ministry of prime leadership for The National Catholic Church of America is exercised by our Founder, The Most Reverend Richard G. Roy, OSJD, who was elected Primate of the Church by the original clergy and laity and who also serves as Abbot of The Order Of Saint John the Divine. In addition to Old Catholic and Orthodox lines of Apostolic Succession, Archbishop Roy also received the Apostolic Lines of Carlos Duarte Costa, the late Roman Catholic Bishop of Botucatu, Brazil, who formed an independent Catholic church in the late 1940's. Archbishop Roy has been active in AIDS ministry and serves as Pastor of Holy Trinity National Catholic Church in Albany, NY, where he makes his home with Brother Stephen K. Peterson, OSJD, his partner since 1975."