ait illi dominus eius euge serve bone et fidelis quia super pauca fuisti fidelis supra multa te constituam intra in gaudium domini tui
His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
The Rosicrucian Apostolic Church
The Ecclesia Rosicruciana Apostolica is a sacramental body organized as the Pre-Nicene Gnostic Catholic Church in America to carry its mission…
The Rosicrucian Apostolic Church (RAC) is a modern incarnation of the Gnostic Apostolic Church in the Western Hemisphere, and is also the repository of Mgr. BRICAUD’s lineage. It , has a welcoming structure for spiritual research in keeping with the centuries-old traditions of the Eastern and Western Churches. The RAC aims to provide spiritual help to the beings of Desire who need it, and aims to restore the primitive religious unity that is Catholic. The RAC professes that which, according to the criterion of Saint Vincent de Lérins, has been believed everywhere, always and by all, but it affirms that there is a science of God and believes along with Clement of Alexandria following St. Paul (I Corinthians II, 6-16) that she is only accessible through the inner illumination engendered by the Holy Spirit which is superior to human wisdom.
By this point, while administering all the sacraments of the Undivided Church, the RAC recognizes a privileged place for the Inner Church, but transmits a message of individualized Christianity in the sense that each being is called to participate in the redemption of all creation, work of the 8th day, and it is in full communion, in her Orthodox Faith, to the Indivisible and Apostolic Church, from which she emerged, but she claims along with St. Ambrose, St. Cyprian, and St. Augustine, that she does not have to submit to foreign injunctions in the examination of her own affairs. outside of those directly from Jesus + Christ. With this in mind, the RAC agrees with St. Irenaeus of Lyon who in the second century defended against Victor, the bishop of Rome, the liberties of religious communities: The RAC believes that Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church
The Primate of the church, Tau Benedictus, is the holder of the only genuine French Gnostic Transmission in America. The Church exists for the purpose of upholding the Gnostic and Rosicrucian traditions and to administer the sacraments to those of who are attracted to the altars of the Gnosis. An active ministry of parish work is an essential feature of our church. The Atlanta parish of the Ecclesia Rosicruciana Apostolica, the Chapel of Our lady the Black Madonna, holds church services at targeted times as well as “Auditor” lectures each Monday evening in order to serve the spiritual needs of its congregation. The Bishop Coadjutor, Tau Joanes-Petrus, presides over of these activities.
Ordination to the minor and major orders of the Ecclesia Rosicruciana Apostolica is open to both men and women. Candidates for holy orders must possess a sincere commitment to the Christian/Rosicrucian traditions and must be determined to exercise a pastoral ministry. (The Ecclesia does not recognize a non-pastoral clergy. All persons in holy orders are expected to participate in administering the sacraments).
Training for the various holy orders is both theoretical and practical. The Ecclesia offers online instruction for holy orders, but requires candidates to receive resident training at one of its established parishes or missions. We ordain clergy for our own jurisdiction and not for “independent” activities on their own. The Ecclesia has no interest in expansion for its own sake, rather it prefers to have a few parishes led by properly trained priests/priestesses of true Christian Rosicrucian commitment.
In our Church jurisdiction, we have the Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna and its affiliates: the Doma Maria Temple of the Sodalitium Rosae+Crucis, the Light of the Zohar and the Southern California Ministry of the Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna.
- Ministry, Mission and Methods of the Seminario, Sodalitium, Ecclesia and Monastery.
- Monthly Meetings: Form and Function.
- Online Courses, Physical Meetings, Initiations and Ordination for 2015-2016.
- Model and Method of the Southern California Ministry.
Ministry, Mission and Methods of the Seminario, Sodalitium, Ecclesia and Monastery
The Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna was formed in Atlanta, Georgia soon as the consecration of Rev. Dr. Will Coleman to the office of Bishop coadjutor and the title, in ecclesia of: Tau Johannes Petrus. Along with it, Tau Benedictus gave him the responsibility of shaping the mission of the Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna, along with several auxiliary ministries: Seminario, Sodalitium and Monastery.
Along with the ministry of the Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna, we have a Southern California Ministry that is offering monthly sessions for Monday evening “Auditors” (2nd Sunday of each month) and a separate monthly gathering for “Clerics” (4th Saturday of each month) who live in the Los Angeles and San Diego, California areas. The meeting for the “Auditors” is at a physical location. The “Clerics” meet online. The Southern California Ministry has developed specific requirements for the “Auditors,” along with a supplement curriculum for them. So too, the “Clerics” are working with a specific one in order to enhance their Wednesday evening classes.
It is the vision and mandate of Sar Benedictus that the spirit of “Martinism” emerges as the “holy of holies” and “monastery without walls” via the specific mission of the Chapel of Our Lady, the Black Madonna and its auxiliaries. This has always been the case. All of the preceding initiatives with respect to the other institutions such as the Seminario Rosae+Crucis and the Sodalitium Rosae+Crucis have been directed toward this goal. In other words, just as “there is no salvation outside of the Ecclesia,” there is no expression of a “life of dedication” outside of the “monastic spirit.” All instructions, initiations and ordinations are preparatory for the few who are called enter into the sacred vows of complete dedication regeneration and reintegration.
Monthly Meetings: Form and Function
Our methods of teaching and training is primarily done virtually, with the exception of special convocations, initiations and ordinations.
Online Courses, Physical Meetings, Initiations and Ordinations
Distance learning has evolved as a major tour de force within education in all fields of study. From Ivy League institutions to State Colleges and Universities, it is becoming a standard method for reaching, instructing and sustaining a broader audience and clientele. Religious-spiritual institutions are not immune to this paradigm shift. Location-bound educational and/or religious institutions will not survive without adaptability in the methods of communication and training. Remember, the Ecclesia Rosicruciana Apostolica is not only a spiritual community; it is foremost a teaching one. We have already made good use of virtual, online teaching since 2010, especially through the Monday evening “Auditor” courses and ones offered to our initiated Members via the “Lesser Mysteries/Order.” With the exception of the “Common Rite” during the 4th Friday evening of each month and the Liturgical Calendar, what is lacking is that which we experience during the “Solar” and “Lunar” Rites.
For application for church membership and/or clergy training, click here.