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(Enlarge) The Rev. Peter Smith delivers a message to the congregation during the second liturgical service of the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America on Dec. 7. In his sermon, the Catonsville resident talked about “having one foot rooted in tradition and the other reaching for the future.” (Staff phto by Kitty R)

Don Corbitt may have found a new spiritual home.

Or maybe not.

Regardless, the longtime Catonsville resident at least experienced a taste of the state's first parish of the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America last week.

Although he didn't know much about the church, which is referred to as CACINA and is unaffiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, the promise of something different was enough to draw him to its Dec. 7 liturgy.

Corbitt moved to Catonsville with his wife, Kitty, in 1964 and raised 11 children in Catonsville's St. Mark Catholic Church. But he hasn't been to Mass consistently in years, though his wife goes often.

Corbitt has trouble hearing the older priests at St. Mark, yet when he does hear their sermons, he disagrees with many of their ideas or fails to be inspired by their messages, he said.

"I was turned off (from the Roman Catholic Church) a long time ago," he said. "I have my natural doubts as a Catholic, especially on the line of (papal) authority from Peter on down."

As Corbitt sat in one of about two dozen chairs set up by CACINA members in a rented basement room in Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Lansdowne, he listened for distinctions between the Roman Catholic Masses he walked away from and the CACINA version.

He found few.

"The question is, it's so much the same in what you see and what you hear, what's the difference?" Corbitt asked.

That question was answered for him when he started chatting with the group's presiding pastor, the Rev. Peter Smith, over coffee and muffins minutes later.

Smith told Corbitt about the church's ordination of women and married men, its welcoming of gay and lesbian parishioners and its disagreement with the doctrine of papal infallibility.

Corbitt nodded his head.

"See, that's the stuff I was looking for," he said.

As Corbitt found out, CACINA's main differences from the Roman Catholic Church are more theological -- if not ideological -- than structural.

And that's the church's goal, said its founders, many of whom say they have no qualms with most of the traditions of the Catholic faith.

Their main differences are with the church administration and some of its stances.

In his sermon, Smith talked about having one foot rooted in tradition and the other reaching for the future. He talked of looking to God for courage in moving forward with the Catholic faith.

Corbitt said he enjoyed the sermon, which he could hear easily in the small room.

In an e-mail, Sean Caine, director of communications for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, said the Archdiocese "is deeply saddened anytime a member of our Church chooses to leave" and understands "that faith is a gift from God and evolves throughout a person's life."

The fledgling group is the first CACINA parish in Maryland, and one of fewer than 10 parishes nationwide.

It was begun this summer by a handful of local Catholics -- namely Smith, of Catonsville; Joseph and Ruth Ann Wickless, of Arbutus, and Charles and Patricia Ernst, of Linthicum -- and is still trying to establish a core group of families so that it will be recognized by the national church.

People like Corbitt -- those who have long ties with the Roman Catholic Church but who are turned off by some of its standards -- are who the church expects to attract, local leaders said.

Almost 20 people sat in rows around an altar Sunday, with the words "All are welcome" standing out in white lettering against blue paper on the far wall.

So far, the local CACINA has planned Masses for Jan. 11 and Feb. 15. However, the group has rented the room at Our Saviour Lutheran for every Sunday in Lent, and hopes to establish the space as a permanent home.

As the parish grows, its leaders said they are hopeful it will gain some stability and fit the faith needs of disenchanted Catholics.

As for joining the new church permanently, Corbitt said he'd "have to mull it over."

user comments (12)

user wtpdosa says...

When ever I read these articles I wonder if ever the person approached the priest and expressed his concerns. It doesn't say anything about that in this article. Priest are very approachable people, and are concerned anytime a parishioner leaves. I think that some of the "disenchantment" stems from non communications and misunderstandings. All are welcome in the Roman Catholic Church as well! Another thing I've wondered about in the media is that these stories are rather biased in that the news media never run stories about a Baptist or Methodist or some other Protestant church member making the decision to leave their church in search for a satisfier. Almost all of the articles I've read have been about those dissatisfied with the Roman Catholic Church. Is this another instance of religious bigotry that seems to prevail in our medias? It seems that the media has a vendetta against the Catholic Church. Fair journalism? Not!!! My final comment is regarding the name that these so called Catholic churches use. There is nothing catholic about them. The word "catholic' means universal, which would mean that there is a world wide expanse of churches, but with this one there is only one, hoping to expand. It is also not "apostolic," in that its origins are not from an Apostle, but from in actuality, people who have chosen to form their own church in protest to the real Catholic Church, which by the way makes them Protestants and not Catholics. I pray that Mr. Corbitt and his parish priests can also have that cup of coffee and chat about whats going on.

Posted 4:02 PM, 12.10.08

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user frmike says...

It is clear from the 2,000 years of Christian history that people find ways that feel right to them to express their relationship to Jesus Christ. When I found CACINA nearly a decade ago, I realized that here was a place that had striven to understand and integrate the spirit of the reforms that occurred during the Second Vatican Council. It has not wavered, looked back, or expressed regret or hesitation. It is full of confidence that God leads the Church, and it is full of confidence that God speaks to individual hearts. If you want a faith experience that reflects how the Spirit moved in the Second Vatican Council, CACINA is the place for you.

Posted 10:51 AM, 12.11.08

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user jabalink says...

I have been a member of CACINA for over twelve years and have found a faith community that lives the Gospel message in imitation of Christ. It is truly catholic in its liturgy, 7 sacraments and belief in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. CACINA is a welcoming church that opens its heart and doors to all of God's children. If there is any question of it's validity in comparison to it's Roman sister I share the following excerpt from "Dominus Iesus": On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church , Article IV, ¶17, published by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Roman Catholic Church. Parenthetical insertions are those of CACINA. The (independent catholic) Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the (Roman) Catholic Church, since they do not accept the (Roman) Catholic doctrine of the Primacy (of the pope).

Posted 5:48 PM, 12.11.08

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user says...

Within the the Catholic Church is the Spirit and those who have strived to enact the desires of the Second Vatican Council, and there are many parishes that are spiritually faith filled and alive. If your Catholic faith is not where you think it could be, then by all means, become involved and empowered in your parish. Make yourself heard. There are many who can indeed be involved with their parishes in the councils and programs that are what the spirit of Vatican II intended, by empowering more of the faithful to be active participants in our Catholic faith community. I must say that those who embrace the spirit of Vatican II and the bishops intentions never wrote anything in the Council documents about married priests or gay marriages, which makes me wonder what spirit your referring to. God has never changed what he said in Scripture, so why is it that some embrace and expound upon what God never intended. Most certainly living one's faith in these times is not easy, but we are called to love God with everything we have, and not forsake Him. Those who live outside of God's intentions place themselves above God and thus become separated from God. If you want someone to "tickle your ears" (2Tim 4:3) and make you "feel right" leading you away, then I'll continue to pray that the Spirit of God, who dwells in you (1Cor 3:16) help guide you through your eschatological journey. It will also be my prayer that you Fr. Mike and your flock will return to The Catholic Church, the Church guided by the Holy Spirit and the first Christian church founded over 2,000 years ago and empowered by Jesus Christ, our Lord to his servant and Apostle, Peter. It is not an easy church to belong to, nor is our lives easy, but it is a very welcoming and understanding church, even if you don't agree with it.

Posted 6:07 PM, 12.11.08

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user says...

In regards to jabalinks reiteration of Catholic teaching, yes there are those who don't accept the doctrine of the Popes primacy. And yes your sacraments are indeed valid in your church, as well as your baptism. What is not valid in the Catholic Church are your other sacraments. The other differences that occur are in your ordination of married men and women priests along with gay marriages. I noticed that you included the small "c" catholic, as well as other words which are not in the document. It is obvious that you are implying only your "catholic" church, not including the other Protestant Christian and Eastern Christian Catholic churches. I feel that you are using the document out of its intended context and misleading others. You did not complete the paragraph, which I will do here including [...] so as to make a clear understanding: ... which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church." If you read further down in the document it says," The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ [Catholic Church] is nothing more than a collection - divided, yet in some way one - of Churches and ecclesial communities, nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach." The final sentence is: "The lack of unity among Christians is certainly a wound for the Church, not in the sense that she [the Catholic Church] is deprived of her unity, but 'in that it hinders the complete fulfilment of her universality in history." Again, I pray that you and your members come back to the Church.

Posted 7:29 PM, 12.11.08

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user frdenis says...

As a former Roman Catholic I found CACINA to be welcoming of all God's people. We do not use the sacraments as weapons’ to punish someone who does not meet our expectation or give enough money to support the church. I found a loving group of people who actually practices what Jesus taught in the gospels’ love, forgiveness and acceptance. Where in today’s world can you find a church that will accept everyone who comes to the door without given then the third degree one who they are who they sleep with and on and on. All those who come to worship God are welcome and all can come to the table and received from it. That what I found at CACINA.

Posted 7:02 AM, 12.12.08

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user frmike says...

user: Your comments are very thoughtful, and you raise a lot of important and insightful points. Thank you for the time you spent in writing your comment. For our part, we in CACINA know that we know but a very little, but our confidence in Providence is immense. If we fail God, we beg God's forgiveness, but we act with confidence that God surely will forgive our mistakes since we make them for love of the gospel as we understand it and our desire to provide a home for people who feel they have lost their home. We abandon ourselves to the hands of God trusting that God will lead us to Godself. In Christian love, friend user, let us pray for one another.

Posted 10:29 AM, 12.12.08

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user says...

Father, clearly what "Dominus Jesus" was speaking of are those churches that are both independent and Catholic. You seem to want to make a response that insist that the "Roman" church is the "one true church" established by Christ. You will not find one modern theologian who will agree with you. Clearly you must understand that the tern "Christian" wasn't even used in the early church much less the term catholic. What CACINA offers is a faith community that is grounded in a rich tradition. CACINA has captued the spirit of the early church and practices the all inclusive nature of Jesus Christ. We do not claim to be the one true church for that concepts is distateful, disrespectful and exclusive.. We do claim to be part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Both the Roman and CACINA church are sister churches, both Catholic, both pleasing to our God, both a vailid path on which the faithful may journey. As someone once said, "How can you embrace something that does not embrace you?" When I was welcomed by CACINA I didn't leave "home", I found "home."

Posted 10:50 AM, 12.12.08

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user wtpdosa says...

To the last writer, I agree that the early church wasn't called Christian nor was it Roman. It was in fact Jewish, and they practiced their Jewish faith, knowing that the Messiah had come. If we do go back to our Jewish roots, there were no female priests and those who were gay were stoned to death. So help me understand the rich tradition you speak of. In using all the entrapments of the Catholic Church are you saying that your tradition comes from the Roman Catholic Church? And you are wrong in thinking that we are "sister" Churches. We are not. The other "lung," as John Paul II mentioned, of the Roman Catholic Church is the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches. In essence of your actions, you have been excommunicated from the Catholic Church, so how in the world can you mislead others the way you do.

Posted 3:40 PM, 12.12.08

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user sincerecatholic says...

I too am a member of an independent Catholic church. After many years of being a disgruntled Roman Catholic I came upon the independent Catholic movement. Although I approached it with some healthy trepidation initially, within this movement I discovered a place to worship in a traditionally Catholic way, but with beliefs that reflected what I know to be the teachings of Jesus. I found a place for me to be genuinely Catholic. This does not mean that I believe that Roman Catholics are unauthentic, in fact I respect the sincerity of many Roman Catholics, some of whom are family members. I tried to connect to God through the Roman Church. I talked to priests, nuns, family members, and non-Catholics, but could not find a spiritual connection. I explored protestant, Unitarian, secular, etc. spiritual approaches, but was not satisfied.  I believed in the importance of apostolic succession, the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, the communion of saints, the special devotion to Mary, the seven sacraments and the importance of doing good works to gain a place in heaven.   When I found my Catholic home, I was, for the first time in my life, filled with the Holy Spirit. My relationship with God became strong and real. I am not gay, divorced, or a woman looking for a place to satisfy her calling as clergy (although these people are most welcome). I am a family man who believes that Jesus is inclusive. That birth control is not a sin. That woman can be priests. That divorce is not an impediment to the receiving of sacraments.   Wtpdosa, I know it is difficult for you to understand an independent Catholic church's perspective. From our perspective, Catholic authority does not lie solely in the pope, just because he says so. The notion that the pope is infallible because he says that he is infallible is circular logic. The pope's authority does not bind us. We cannot be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church because we are not members of it. From our perspective, the Roman Catholic Church is just one of many independent Catholic churches. We are Catholic, but not Roman Catholic. People may misunderstand who we are, but we are not misleading them.  The Catholic church predated the Roman Catholic Church.  The traditions of my church reach back, through and around the Roman Church, to the early Christians and to the one holy catholic and apostolic church of Jesus himself.

Posted 9:45 AM, 12.14.08

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user says...

Sincerecatholic, You are very well within your means to believe any thing you wish, as God does give us freewill to do so. I find it interesting that your fallacial logic of our pope's infallability is suspect, in that you feel you are lead by the Holy Spirit and are filled with Him in the place you worship, but you can't grasp it when the pope, who is also inspired and filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks with the Spirit's guidance from "the Chair." When he does this, it is not his will, but the will of the same Holy Spirit that you are filled with. So if it's OK for you, then why not the leader of the Catholic Church? This sounds like a contradiction to me, wouldn't you say? Something is amiss in your "circular logic." It's not difficult for me to understand that there are those who were Roman Catholic, who have through their sinful actions and/or misunderstandings of Scripture and natural law, have decided to in a sense, leave in protest, their former faith. Birth control goes against the natural law God created. Christ himself said divorce and remarrying was adultery, a sin, and as per Jewish customs, he never made women priests. Please read Heb 5:1, Ex 29:1-30, and Lev 8 regarding the gender of priests, and it is the priesthood of a special rite. Yes, he empowered women to be disciples, just as the Church today empowers many different lay ministers. So are you saying that the independent catholic church has a different understanding that what is in Scripture regarding the teachings, not only of the Church, but of God? I think that your "perspective" is askew based upon your own sinful desires and misguided understandings. Please turn away from sin and be faithful to God's teachings. I know its hard, but remembering that you are God's temple (1 Cor 3:16-17), and that we were created to serve God, not our earthly desires. The Spirit has always been in you, and you also need to go inside yourself to be in touch with the One who loves you more than you'll ever know. As St. Augustine said in his Soliloquies, "Lord, I have searched the world for you, and little did I realize that you were closer to me than I am to myself." We can find God within if we look. The teachings of the Catholic Church are rich, and I am very sorry no one ever helped you answer your questions. Many are hungry for God and don't know where to go. I bid you God's peace on your eschatological journey, and you are in my prayers.

Posted 12:54 PM, 12.14.08

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user sincerecatholic says...

Don't be sorry. I did not say no one helped me answer my questions. My questions were answered by my current Church. I no longer hunger for God and I know where to go. For others out there who seek a Catholic tradition with a forward thinking theology, explore independent Catholicism. Just search on the internet for "independent Catholic" and your city. You will find a diverse group of churches. Check them out, you just might find what you are looking for.

Posted 9:48 PM, 12.17.08

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