About Saint Miriam
Our ancient Catholic faith upholds the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostles, and their successors.
We trace our roots to the Church of Rome through the Archdiocese of Utrecht and the subsequent Union of Utrecht, which birthed the Old Catholic Church.
We are Servants to All. We are a Haven of Mercy. We Maintain Open Doors.
As part of the Old Catholic Communion, we are part of a family of self-governing Churches.
We’re a New Catholic community with roots that go back to the 8th Century when our branch of Roman Catholicism was granted the independent ability to select our own bishops. We used that to declare our independence from Rome in the 19th Century when the Vatican pushed the doctrine of papal infallibility and we disagreed with that much power being given to one person instead of a church council.
The Old Catholic Church is held together not by a centralized organization, not by a single hierarchy wielding power of the whole body, but by the double bond of unity in the faith and communion in the sacraments. The global Church functions as the original formed after Christ’s Resurrection, with a conciliar (councils who meet to discern together the focus and changes in the church.
Each Church, while independent, is in full agreement with the rest on all matters of doctrine, and between them all there is in principle full sacramental communion.
This decentralized system of independent local Churches has the advantage of being highly flexible and is easily adapted to changing conditions, consequently there was considerable variation in liturgical practice and monastic rules.
The emphasis of the church’s mission is on the image of God at the heart of the human and the conviction of the essential goodness of creation. Alongside these characteristics are other distinct features such as clerical marriage, celibacy as a ‘calling’, and the inclusion of women in the leadership of the Church. Today, we’re committed to the radical love of Christ manifested in our Gospels and to seeing every person as a reflection of God’s wonderful creation. We believe all people are unique and worthy of being loved and respected. We hope that we represent what Catholicism should be like in the modern age.
Saint Miriam is a reformed, inclusive, and welcoming Catholic parish community in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia.
Mission Statement
We, Saint Miriam Parish, proclaim to all the unconditional love of God. We share a set of ancient beliefs, rich historical traditions and a dedication to renew the sacred in our daily lives. Our mission is to carry the gospel, sacraments, and God’s love to all including the unchurched, the alienated, and the disenfranchised. We accept people where they are, as they are, without judgment or condemnation. We welcome everyone to the Lord’s table and we value the dignity of each human being without reservation. We strive, with God’s grace, to live truly authentic Christian lives.
Our Vision Statement
“Touch those who don’t know God, embrace those who do, and welcome the marginalized and the forgotten in a way that you wouldn’t expect!”