✦ Who We Are
Magdalene House is an Open and Affirming, Independent Eastern Catholic community. We are committed to radical welcome, authentic community, and the transformative grace of Christ. Here's what that means.
✦ Open & Affirming
Magdalene House is explicitly Open and Affirming of LGBTQ+ people. We welcome gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals and couples into full participation in the life of the Church—including ordination to the diaconate and priesthood, and the blessing of same-sex unions.
We recognize that many LGBTQ+ people have been wounded by the Church. We are committed to healing those wounds through genuine welcome, full inclusion, and the affirmation that God's love for you is unconditional and complete. Your identity is not a barrier to God's grace—it is part of how God made you.
Beyond LGBTQ+ inclusion, we welcome people of all backgrounds—divorced and remarried individuals, those with complicated histories with the Church, people from other faith traditions, and anyone seeking to encounter Christ in a community of radical love and acceptance.
In short: If you've been told you don't belong in the Church, you belong here.
✦ Independent
Magdalene House is an Independent Catholic community, meaning we are not under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church or any other hierarchical structure. We are self-governing and accountable to our community, to God, and to the broader Catholic tradition.
Our independence allows us to make pastoral decisions that reflect the needs and values of our community. We can ordain married men and women to the priesthood. We can bless same-sex unions. We can respond to the Holy Spirit's movement in our midst without waiting for permission from distant hierarchies.
However, independence does not mean isolation. We remain in communion with the broader Catholic tradition—we honor the Creeds, the Sacraments, the Fathers, and the liturgical heritage of the Church. We are Catholic in the fullest sense: universal, ancient, and apostolic.
In short: We are Catholic, but we answer to God and our community—not to Rome or any other institutional power.
✦ Eastern Catholic
We are Eastern Catholic, meaning we draw from the liturgical, theological, and spiritual treasures of the Christian East. Our worship is rooted in the Byzantine tradition—the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the veneration of icons, the rhythms of the liturgical year, and the wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Mothers.
The Eastern tradition offers gifts that the Western Church has sometimes forgotten: the centrality of the Resurrection, the emphasis on theosis (deification), the integration of body and spirit in worship, the role of beauty and mystery in encountering God, and the understanding that salvation is not just forgiveness but transformation into Christ.
We also embrace one of the most liberating aspects of Eastern Catholicism: married clergy. Our priests can marry and raise families. This reflects the ancient practice of the Church and recognizes that marriage is a sacrament and a path to holiness, not an obstacle to ministry.
In short: We are Catholic, but we pray like the East, think like the Fathers, and embrace the fullness of the ancient tradition.
✦ Our Core Values
We welcome all people—regardless of background, history, or identity—into the fullness of sacramental life. Christ's table is open to all.
We are honest about our struggles, transparent in our governance, and committed to mutual accountability. We grow together in truth and love.
We draw from the ancient wisdom of the Eastern Church—the Fathers, the liturgy, the icons—while remaining open to the Holy Spirit's movement today.
We believe in theosis—that God became human so humans could become divine. The goal of the Christian life is union with God through grace.
The Divine Liturgy is the heart of our community. We believe that worship shapes us, and that encountering Christ in the sacraments transforms our lives.
We serve Christ in the poor, the sick, the marginalized, and the stranger. Our faith is lived out in concrete acts of mercy and justice.
✦ Questions About Our Identity
Yes. We are Catholic in every sense that matters: we confess the Nicene Creed, we celebrate the seven sacraments, we honor the apostolic succession, we venerate the saints and Mary, and we are rooted in the ancient Catholic tradition. We are an Independent Sacramental Catholic community, meaning we are not under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. We honor the Pope as the First Among Equals—the symbolic head of the universal Church—just as the Orthodox patriarchates and autocephalous churches do. We are authentically Catholic, drawing from the universal tradition while maintaining our independence.
We believe that the exclusion of women and LGBTQ+ people from ministry is a human tradition, not a divine mandate. The early Church had women deacons, and the exclusion of women from priesthood developed over time. We believe the Holy Spirit is calling us to recover this ancient practice and to welcome all people into ordained ministry. This is not a betrayal of Catholic tradition—it's a recovery of it.
We share the same liturgy, theology, and spirituality with both Eastern Catholics in communion with Rome and the Orthodox churches. Like the Orthodox, we honor the Pope as the First Among Equals—a symbol of unity and the historic seat of Peter—but we do not accept papal infallibility or centralized papal jurisdiction. We are part of the Independent Sacramental Movement, maintaining apostolic succession and Catholic sacramental theology while exercising local autonomy in governance and pastoral practice. We are rooted in the ancient Eastern tradition while remaining independent.
We agree on the essentials: the Creed, the Sacraments, the apostolic succession, and the centrality of Christ. However, we differ on some pastoral and disciplinary matters—married clergy, divorce and remarriage, contraception, women's ordination, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. We believe these are matters where the Church has the freedom to make different pastoral decisions.
Theosis (or deification) is the Eastern understanding of salvation: God became human so that humans could become divine. It's not about losing our humanity or becoming God in substance, but about being transformed by God's grace into the image of Christ. The goal of the Christian life is union with God—not just forgiveness of sins, but transformation into holiness and love.
We make decisions through a combination of prayer, discernment, and consultation with our community. Fr. Joseph provides pastoral leadership, but major decisions are made in dialogue with the parish council and community input. We believe in transparency and accountability—we are answerable to our community and to God.
✦ Ready to Learn More?
If our identity resonates with you, we invite you to join us for the Divine Liturgy, explore our formation programs, or simply reach out with questions. We're here to welcome you.