More Videos for the Parish and School
February 4, 2003

The diocesan Office of Worship has a page of recommended Liturgy Videos in the diocesan Media Center.  I didn't take the time to look through the Office of Worship's exhaustive list of videos but I did Google some names I ran across.  Here are a few of them:

Two recommended videos are Let's Celebrate Eucharist and Let's Celebrate Holy Week by "You Are Church, Inc." and hosted by Fr. Malcolm Smith.  In the first one, Smith explains "why the priest puts a drop of water in the wine at Mass, or why he holds his hands outstretched over the gifts or what 'transubstantiation' means? Fr. Smith explains Mass especially prepared to enlighten Catholics about the 'summit and source of al (sic) Christian activity.'"  In the next one he explains to Catholics the Liturgies of Holy Week, "motivating the viewer to enter fully into the spirit of each celebration".

Is Fr. Malcolm Smith a Catholic priest?  Well, not exactly.  He belongs to the "Diocese of Ecumenical Catholic Communities".  I first found the following on the website of St. Matthew Church in Orange, CA:

Fr. Malcolm Smith, a former Roman Catholic missionary in Africa, and his wife, Melinda, joined Saint Matthew Church early in 1998. Fr. Malcolm and Melinda are currently beginning a new mission parish in Escondido, California, called Saint Lawrence.
Is this the same guy?  His "wife" Melinda?  Another page lists the Rev. Malcolm Smith, pastor of St. Lawrence in Escondido, as having "Hosted 'You are Church' programs on Vision TV, Canada".  I guess that's him.

But let's go back to the website of St. Matthews, presumably the "seat" of the "Diocese of Ecumenical Catholic Communities".  From the home page:

Saint Matthew Church is an independent Catholic faith community in that we are not under the jurisdiction of the Pope nor are we subject to the canon law or the guidelines of the Roman Catholic Church. Though we share a common Catholic theology and liturgical tradition, we differ significantly in many of the disciplines and rules that govern the Church. Take a look at the Distinctives for further details.
Since we're here... let's look at some of the "distinctives":
We trace our modern roots to the emergence of the Old Catholic movement which began in 1870 as a response to the first Vatican Council’s pronouncement of Papal Infallibility and the primacy of papal jurisdiction. The Catholics of our faith communities, though recognizing the importance of the Pope in his role as a sign of unity and as an important source of leadership within the Church, view the dogma of papal infallibility as a reinforcement of authoritarianism within the Church, and a misuse of power which runs counter to the spirit, example and teachings of Jesus. The dogma of Papal Infallibility, though an effort to create unity within the Church, has had the opposite effect. It now stands as an immense obstacle to the unity of the Church and diminishes the Pope as the successor of Peter and as a sign of unity. The dogma of Papal Infallibility and primacy of jurisdiction are, at best, sectarian and thus not truly catholic.
There's more.
We recognize and are acting to correct the injustice done by the long-standing practice of excluding women from ordained ministry, which unfairly diminishes women within the Church and also within the current world culture. Presently, within many of the communities of our Diocese, women are actively engaged in the ordained priestly ministry and we have already enjoyed benefits of the coequal ministry of women in our faith communities.
(Sister Boone... paging Sister Boone)
Similarly, we affirm those, whether lay or ordained ministers, who are called to serve the People of God in a variety of life states which include people who are single, or have taken promises of celibacy, commitment, or marriage.
Wait a minute... it gets better.
We believe that the gift of sexual union is a source and celebration of love for couples, which allows for the special and safe sharing of intimacy. We consider it a danger to marriage and other intimate relationships to be denied sexual sharing. This has significant implications for Catholic practice, particularly as it applies to divorce and remarriage.
Huh?  Sounds like a happenin' church.  Just the kind of people we need to have teaching Catholics about the Eucharist and Holy Week Masses.

Another video recommended by our own Office of Worship is Eucharist: Breaking Bread in Thanksgiving and Hope by Corpus.  Hosted by ex-priest and member of Corpus, Anthony Padovano.  I mentioned this video and Mr. Padovano already here.  But here is some more about the man our diocese would have teach you about the Eucharist.

Here's another good one:

V 756 THE DANCING CHURCH
Paulist Press (Adult)

An entertaining way to educate parish liturgy committees to imaginative developments in worship. Liturgical dance has been talked about for years -- now see it done well as a genuine act of praise to God.

Lots of Paulist Press videos to choose from.  Other videos include previously mentioned people like Richard Rohr and Saginaw, MI, Bishop Kenneth Untener

I think I'll just stop here... in the words of Stan Lee; 'nuff said!

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