The 31st General Synod of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church gathered in San Antonio, Texas at the Holiday Inn on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, May 4-6, 2022. Clergy and Lay Delegates began to arrive on Tuesday May 3rd. The Infant Jesus of Prague Old Roman Catholic Church in San Antonio, whose pastor is Archbishop John Gabriel, was our host for the Synod. All of the delegates were housed at the hotel, and we were able to secure a spacious Conference Room there for all of our liturgical services, business sessions and several meals. The hotel provided a wonderful Continental Breakfast bar with both hot and cold foods, breads, juices, coffee and tea, as well as fresh fruit. In the evening the management of the hotel also offered a Manager's Reception of complimentary drinks and snacks. Lunch on several days was graciously provided by The Infant Jesus of Prague parishioners. In the evening many of the delegates went out in groups to local restaurants for dinner.

 

Every day began with Morning Prayer (Matins/Lauds) in Spanish or English, Mass was said each day by one of the Bishops, and the day ended with the recitation of the Office of Compline together.

 

Archbishop Ford opened the Synod on Wednesday morning with a Votive Mass of the Holy Ghost celebrated in Latin, followed by the formal Prayers and Ceremonies prescribed by the Sacred Council of Trent and as found in the Pontificale Romanum for the conducting of Synods in the Catholic Church. These ceremonies and prayers have been faithfully followed by all of our ecclesiastical predecessors since our origins in the ancient See of Utrecht. These ceremonies and prayers are prescribed and followed to publicly reaffirm our claim as Old Roman Catholics, to truly possess the ancient Roman Catholic Faith, heritage, lineage, and membership, as well as to proclaim the identity of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church as the historic progenitor of the Old Roman Catholic Communion. All delegates made the Profession of Faith of Pope Pius IV and signed their names to the same, which will be preserved in the Archives of the Church.

 

Bishop Rosas celebrated a Requiem Mass on Thursday for the repose of the souls of all of the clergy and members of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church, and their names were placed upon the altar in commeoration and prayer.

 

Bishop Rindahl on Friday celebrated for us a Votive Mass for Life in English. The North American Old Rman Catholic Church is dedicated and committed to working for the preservation of life and an end to the horrors of abortion. 

 

On the final day of Synod, Bishop Steven Rindahl, Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Gabriel and Superior of the Society of St James arranged for all of the delegates to make a type of micro-pilgimage to the five historic missions that were significant in the history and establishment of the City of San Antonio. During this micro-pilgrimage to these historic missions, the clergy and delegates recited and sang one decade of the Rosary at each mission and meditated on the particular history and ministry of the respective mission and how it applied to our own North American Old Roman Catholic Church today and to our particular ministry. This special event during our Synod proved to be of great spiritual value to us and also provided us with an opportunity to visibly and audibly share the ministry and identity of the North American Old Roman Catholic Church with other visitors to the missions.

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The General Synod provided us with time and opportunity to conduct the business of the Church, to discuss, reaffirm and strengthen the bonds shared by all of the member delegates, and a committment to work together in unity to strengthen and expand the work of our church, but most especially it allowed us to grow in faith and prayer as brothers and sisters in Christ and to revitalize the spiritual identity and life of our beloved church.

 

We encourage you to view and to enjoy the photographs of our Synod which can be found below. Click on any image and it will open and enlarge in a separate window. Thank you for visitng our General Synod page.