CathInfo.com

He uses an English translation of the Traditional Rite to confer Holy Orders.

Here we will tell the story of the beginnings of our apostolic jurisdiction and how we became what we are today.

     To look at the history of, "The Servants of the Good Shepherd", which gave birth to the "Unity Catholic Church", we will go back to July 25th, 1945 and Bishop Duarte Costa who started the "Igreja Catolica Apostolica Brasileira" (Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil) and registered with the Brazilian government. On August 15, 1945 Salomao Ferraz consecrated by Bishop Duarte Costa united two Brazilian churches. On Jan 23rd, 1949 Stephen Meyer Corradi-Scarella was consecrated for a Brazilian mission to Panama. During 1949, no month and date available, Bishop Corradi-Scarella arrives in the United States and starts the "Catholic Apostolic Church in North America" (later called the National Catholic Apostolic Church of America).
On June 30th, 1973 C.David Luther was ordained to the deaconate and on Nov 25th, 1973 was ordained a priest by Bishop Corradi-Scarella.
     In 1973 C David Luther founded the "Community of the Good Shepherd" and in 1977 it changed its name to "The Servants of the Good Shepherd".
     In May of 1980 the "National Catholic Apostolic Church of America" changes its name to the "Western Orthodox Church in America" (WOCA). On June of 1983 Bishop C David Luther also was the leader of the "Western Orthodox Church in America" and continued to lead the two groups together for many years.
Two years prior to his death, Bishop Luther retired from the Council of Bishops of the "Western Orthodox Church in America" leaving the leadership to Bishop Paul Diederich and Bishop Nickolas Careone. By amicable agreement with the other bishops, Bishop Luther retained his position as ordinary of the religious order known as the "Servants of the Good Shepherd" (SGS). From that time until his passing, the "Servants of the Good Shepherd" and the "Western Orthodox Church in America" operated as separate ecclesiastical entities.
     Because of my desire to see the SGS continue in its original mission, I met and spoke to several prior SGS members during the Winter 2003-2004. We found that most of the Bishops had left the SGS and many had been left with no contact with a national SGS office. Due to an error on our part, where we were informed that Bishop Careone had passed away. (This was given to us from a Orthodox group in MN) Those current and older members of SGS and new inquirers met and decided to reform the original Order. It was only after we had finished forming our group we found out that Bishop Careone, presiding Bishop of the WOCA (California) was actually still alive.

     The decision made at that time was to ask for use of the SGS name and continue our group as separate and no longer under WOCA, but still tied historically to the original SGS order.

     Bishop Charles Klughart joined the SGS as a brother in 1983 and on Sept 9, 1990, he was ordained by Bishop C. David Luther into the "Servants of the Good Shepherd". In June of 2004 by election of the newly formed board of directors of the SGS, Bishop Charles was nominated and consecrated as Bishop for the "Servants of the Good Shepherd". In July of 2004 the standing Council of Bishops decided to have our church known as the "Independent Orthodox Church in America" and have the "Servants of the Good Shepherd" be an order within the church. This was done for legal reasons because we were still using the SGS name. On June 13, 2005 after much prayer we decided to change the name of the Church to the "Unity Catholic Church" to be more in line with our teachings and ministry.
     This is a very historic group, tracing our roots through Bishop Aftimios Ofiesh and Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa and to St. Paul, the tent maker.
     One just has to look at the background of many of the groups in the Independent Catholic movement and those that also use the Orthodox name, to see them having ties to the historic "Western Orthodox Church in America", of Bishop Luther and the "Servants of the Good Shepherd". You the reader, have found where this movement has started in this country. While other Independent Jurisdictions may have Apostolic Succsesion from Bishop Duarte Costa, the "Unity Catholic Church" through the "Servants of the Good Shepherd" have helped bring this movement in a very real and historic way through His Grace Carlos Duarte Costa, carrying his vision for the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church into the present day in America.
     The Unity Catholic Church is not a church in the denominational sense of the word. Unity is an independent and self governing jurisdiction within the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church. The Servants of the Good Shepherd and The Order of St. Andrew are two religious orders within the Unity Catholic Jurisdiction. Each of the two religious orders supply the clergy for the Unity Catholic Church and each is unique in its rules of the order. Following their long standing tradition that closely unites them to the Roman Catholic Church - the Servants do not admit women into their ranks. The Order of St. Andrew which more closely associates with our Anglican and Lutheran Brethern of the Catholic Family....do allow for the ordination of women. Our Apostolic Lineage is closely guarded and preserved through the two religious orders of the Unity Catholic Church.
     We invite you to review our web site, and come and join us, and we even hope that some of those in the Independent/Old Catholic movement will join us in intercommunion of our Catholic Jurisdiction.
In May of 2010 Bishop Charles Klughart resigned as head of the church and on On June 1, 2010 Bishop Elwood Cromwell was elected as The Metropolitan Archbishop.
     On March 4, 2011 His Eminence +Elwood Cromwell Metropolitan Archbishop, Unity Catholic Church, Protectorate of the Order of the Servants of the Good Shepherd and the Order of St. Andrew passed on to the glory of our Lord. May he rest in eternal peace.
     Bishop +David Pascua, Vicar General, SGS, UCC led the Church until the Holy Synod of Bishops met on April 16, 2011 at which time a new Metropolitan was elected by the Synod. His Eminence +++Allen Lambert was nominated and elected to head the Unity Catholic Church as Metropolitan Archbishop, Protectorate of the Order of the Servants of the Good Shepherd and the Order of Saint Andrew.  In June of 2011, Metropolitan +++Lambert turned over the Protectorate of the SGS to His Grace, Most Reverend +Joseph Thornton, SGS.

The Order of Saint Andrew (OSA) is defunct without a head and currently no body since the deposition of Gina Bridgewater.  Bridgewater was the acting Protector of the OSA and Bishop of Ecuмenical relations.  She was deposed for flagrant violation of Canon Laws and joining with other particular Churches without Synodal permission or credentials.

In the Fall of 2012, Fr. Alex Brow formed the Monastic Order of Saint Sebastion (OSS) with approval of the Synod and the Blessing of the Metropolitan.   At the same time the St. Duarte Costa Seminary and School of Religion was re-invigorated and now serves as the Seminary for the whole of the UCC.

Fr. Alex Brow was consecrated to the Episcopacy in January of 2013.


     At this time, any and all reference to the term WOCA means the historic WOCA which I, +Charles Klughart, SGS was a part that was headed and started by Bishop Luther, and which continues today, based in California and led by Bishop Careone.

b]Denis Garrison:[/b]

Excommunicated priest who illegally became a bishop, and was excommunicated twice again, has used a defective ordinal to perform over 20 bogus ordinations and consecrations since 1985. Garrison as an excommunicated priest was consecrated unknowingly by Francis Ryan who later also excommunicated him. Garrison admitted this when another jurisdiction called to inquire about it, and he refused to talk. Garrison was also excommunicated a fourth time by a group which he abandoned (see docuмents below). Garrison works for Medicare, US Dept of Health, and once got into trouble for wearing his priest outfit to work. Garrison's "chapel" is a small second bedroom on the second floor of his duplex and is filled with boxes which he slides into the closet when it's time to ordain bishops. (See Shedrick below)

Garrison started the "Military Order of the Knights of the Temple of Jerusalem" in OCCNA which Spataro (see here) now runs. Note that this is not a masonic group.

Paul Dolan:

Whereabouts unknown.

William Shedrick (William Louis Shedrick, Jr.):

As Garrison's latest bishopping project, Shedrick is consistent with his new found buddies. Shedrick claims "Church of the Most Holy Theotokos Mother of Africa Western Rite Orthodox Catholic Church" which has no telephone or mail contact (or congregation to speak of other than a few seminarian "clergy" scattered across the country). Shedrick's website sports a black Mary holding a black baby Jesus. Shedrick claims to be the bishop of "San Rafael, CA and Washington, D.C.". Garrison's description of the ceremony, taking place in the inappropriate season of Lent for the Orthodox, is dominated by references to food, Garrison's other hobby: "The lenten [sic] dinner was at a local Italian restaurant" and later "The lenten [sic] dinner was at a local Irish restaurant."

Another one of Garrison's more recent bishopping projects is found at http://www.occna.com/md/admin/stpatrick.html:

"DIOCESE OF PORTLAND Saint Jude the Apostle Parish Pastor - Bishop Bryan Smith, OSB Portland, Oregon. The Most Reverend Bryan Smith, OSB is the Pastor of Saint Jude the Apostle Parish and Bishop of the Diocese of Portland, which is the British Rite jurisdiction of OCCNA. His Excellency, Bishop Bryan resides in Portland."

Neither Bryan Smith nor Saint Jude Parish have a published telephone listing.

Also, there is no such thing as an Orthodox, or otherwise, "British Rite", hence there can be no such jurisdiction, unless it means that Smith uses tea and scones as the basis for his liturgical confections.

Get your free certificate of consecration from Denis Garrison for three box tops of frosted flakes at: www.occna.com/md/vocations/holyangels10f.html

CERTIFICATE OF THE ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA

In the Name of the + Father, and of the + Son, and of the + Holy Spirit. Amen.

To All of the Faithful in Christ, Health, Peace and Apostolic

Benediction.

CERTIFICATE OF CONSECRATION OF BISHOP

Be it Known that I, Denis Michel Garrison, Exercising My

Divine Office as ARCHBISHOP in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Orthodox Faith, in the City of Baltimore, Do Certify by these present Letters That, on the __________ Day of _______ in the Year of Our Lord _____, At Baltimore, Maryland, By the Powers Conferred upon Me and In Accordance with the Constitution and Canons of the Orthodox Catholic Church, Whereas, in His Saving Providence, Our Lord JESUS CHRIST, Through the All HOLY SPIRIT, Has Established the ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA (OCCNA) And Has Set as Elders and Teachers of His Holy Orthodox Church in the Americas the North American Orthodox Holy Synod Thereof, And Whereas, By Due Election and Confirmation by the said Orthodox College of Bishops, the holy & Orthodox servant of God, the worthy candidate, ___________________________________ Was Chosen and Ordered to be CONSECRATED as BISHOP of OCCNA Therefore, Be It Known Unto All the Faithful in JESUS CHRIST, that He/SheWas Consecrated as ___________________ At ______________; On the ____________ Day of __________ Anno Domini, _____. In Witness Whereof, the Said Consecrator Has Hereto Set the Imprimatur. In Testimony Whereof, I Affix Hereto My Hand and Seal. Given this ______ Day of _________, Anno Domini _____. Dennis Michael Garrison Imprimatur of the Archbishop Archdiocese of Baltimore

Interesting docuмents found on the internet:

[Editor notes: the foregoing has been misconstrued by those unchurched in Orthodoxy, such as Joe (Joseph Mahomond) Swaydyn, that Metroplitan Victor Prentice excommunicated those listed below. According to The Orthicon newsletter, it was THEOCACNA (Inc.) Synod, containing valid bishops (in the plural), which excommunicated those listed below.]

THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC

AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA, Inc.

HC74, Box 419-2 Mtn.View AR 7256O

870-269-2912

Primate: Metropolitan Victor

SYNOD FINDINGS

Former bishops of this church have established a church separate and independent of this Holy Church and Synod without authority or knowledge of the Metropolitan and contrary to canon. The Metropolitan was attacked verbally and in writing and he has been listed on a schismatic church website as their former primate thus they proclaim a new primate for their new church while listing our church history and their old roman rite among others. They also acknowledge recent ordinations on their own authority, and communion with non-orthodox groups.

Two of these bishops had resigned and two were released. One wrote the Metropolitan had mandated a consecration without synod approval which was incorrect. He later claimed another synod vote to be papal irregularity or error. A claim as this allows certain action by the synod which did not occur and instead the 2 bishops resigned only to start another church c1aiming the history of this church.

The full synod of this church declares these four bishops have left the church and acted against the canons and as former bishops who continue to hold liturgies separate and apart from Holy Church they continue to act against the mandates of the Rudder.

The full synod headed by the Metropolitan being in agreement that the canons have been violated numerous times agree to follow the canons and declare and proclaim Anathema and depose from office the bishops involved in this schismatic church. It is therefore decreed by the full synod that Denis Garrison, Paul Dolan, Paul Stoms and Andrei S.P. Brennan are proclaimed Anathema and deposed according to the precepts of the Sacred and Divine Canons. Their actions are public and on the internet and without repentance. The synod finds no valid reason to justify their actions and since their acts have been ongoing and contrary to canons we determine the canons mandate this action by the full synod.

For the Synod,

+ Victor

Dated this _16th_ day of

February, 1999 at

Mountain View, AR.

THE HOLY EASTERN ORTHODOX CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA, INC.

DECREE
Primate: Metropolitan Victor

+In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

To fulfill the requirements of be Sacred Canons of the Holy Orthodox Church we find it necessary to proclaim and publish this "Anathema" against former bishops of this church who by their actions have created a Schism by founding and establishing a church titled "The Orthodox Catholic Church in North America", using our church history and actually acting in a non-orthodox manner. These actions by our former bishops violate numerous canons against leaving the church, and Metropolitan, setting up a separate altar without the approval, knowledge or consent of the Metropolitan, for condemning and for insulting their bishop and for other acts that have violated the Sacred Canons of the church.

The canons (rudder) are clear that the Anathema be pronounced and the bishops guilty of such acts be deposed from office. This act is not done lightly, but after much prayer, consideration, discussion and research of the sacred canons and seeking advice from those educated in such matters of canon law, as well as bishops of historic national (ethnic) churches.

The full synod including the Metropolitan agree and act as follows;

WE HEREWITH PRONOUNCE THIS ANATHEMA AGAINST AND DEPOSE FROM OFFICE:

Denis Garrison of Baltimore

Paul Dolan of Pennsylvania

Paul Stoms of Georgia (formerly N.J.)

Andrei S.P. Brennan of Canada

The Canons prohibit anyone from praying with them under penalty

For the Synod,

Dated this _16th_ day of +Victor

February, 1999 at

Mountain View, AR. Metropolitan (Primate)

More from the internet:

Newsgroups: alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox

Subject: Public declaration of invalid acts by Denis Garrison and Orthodox Catholic Church in North America (OCCNA) since before May 1984

Public Declaration of Invalid Acts by Denis Garrison and Orthodox Catholic Church in North America (OCCNA) since before May 1984

1 Garrison admitted being excommunicated as an orthodox priest in Western Orthodox Church in America (WOCA) before May 1984 in "Canonical Opinion" dated 9/12/1990 by Dom Justo R. Gonzalez Trimino, Primate (Designate), Catholic Apostolic Church in North America (CACINA).

2 Garrison was invalidly consecrated on 4/13/1985 because he was a defective subject (not being a canonical priest) to the sacrament.

3. Garrison has performed over 20 invalid acts since 4/13/1985 because he was a defective minister (not being a canonical bishop) to the sacrament.

Some of the invalid acts performed by Denis Garrison from 1985 - 1997 as listed at the web site

http://www.occna.com/md/history/annex.html are:

"ACTS OF ARCHBISHOP DENIS MICHEL GARRISON - 1985 - 1997 EPISCOPAL CONSECRATIONS

1986 RENE BERGERON Baltimore, MD April 6, 1986

1986 STANLEY ANJULIS Baltimore, MD April 6, 1986

1987 PAUL DOLAN Wilmington, DE June 13, 1987

1987 JOSEPH DUBOIS Wilmington, DE June 13, 1987

1987 WILSON SEHORN Wilmington, DE June 13, 1987

1987 PAUL BENTLEY Wilmington, DE June 13, 1987

1987 ALBERT ROSEVICH Wilmington, DE September 26, 1987

1988 SERAPHIM HOLDRIDGE Wilmington, DE June 4, 1988

1988 HARRY ARMSTRONG Wilmington, DE June 4, 1988

1990 DONALD BUTTENBUSCH Philadelphia,PA September 22, 1990

1991 MICHAEL MARTINAT Columbia, SC December 14, 1991

1993 PATRICK TAYLOR Gorham, NH November 20, 1993

1994 PETER STERLING Wilmington, DE October 16, 1994

1995 ANTONY EPAPHRAS Trenton, NJ July 23, 1995

1995 EUGENE KYLE Wilmington, DE December 3, 1995

1997 PAUL JAMES STOMS Timonium, MD May 3, 1997

1997 OPTAT BEHANZIN Timonium, MD May 3, 1997"

From the internet:

Newsgroups: alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox

Subject: Re: Bogus Orthodox group exposed: OCCNA (update2)

Catholic Apostolic Church

in North America

Province of the Paraclete

and the Theotokos

+Dom Justo R. Gonzalez,
250 West 91st Street 4N
New York, NY 10024

To: The Most Rev. Denis Garrison

From: Dom Justo R. Gonzalez-Trimino

Primate Designate/CACINA

RE: Canonical Opinion regarding the Decree of Excommunication issued

against the person of Denis Garrison.

DISTRIBUTION: +Dom Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez, Bishops of CACINA

Preamble: In our judgment, the ability to forgive a canonical crime or to even recognize it depends upon the prayerful, prudent and unbiased judgment of the competent authority. The decision we are about to render has been pronounced after much prayer and consultation with the appropriate ecclesiastical authorities [sic]

In order for a church or any of its officials to render a decree of excommunication or declare such sentence, it is required that the church enjoys ordinary jurisdiction. In the case of the Western Orthodox Church in America and/or the Servants of the Good Shepherd, all canonical authority was dissolved when the Bishop of Altoona, C. David Luther, sometime between the 1st and 15th day of June of 1983, did willfully leave the Communion of the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America by refusing to accept the decision of the Synod of Bishops to consecrate us as the duly elected Bishop of New York.

Therefore, we have determined that no lawful excommunication has been issued against the REVEREND DENIS GARRISON. We have found that Father Garrison, suffering under the unlawful jurisdiction of his bishop, was within his rights in establishing another altar due to the heterodox activities of his bishop within the rights allowed by Apostolic Canon XXXI.

And therefore, We, Dom Justo R. Gonzalez, The Primate Designate of CACINA, a canonically established national church, in communion with the Patriarch of all the National Catholic and Apostolic Churches, lift the unlawful Decree of Excommunication against THE MOST REVEREND DENIS GARRISON.

In witness whereof we hereunto set our hand and seal this 12th day of September in the year of our Lord of 1990 in the eighth year of our Episcopate.

+Dom Justo Roque Gonzalez Trimino

Metropolitan Bishop of New York

Primate-Designate of CACINA

Commentary on uncanonical acts by Gonzalez:

===========================================

1. Apostolic Canon XXXI [31] reads:

"If any presbyter, condemning his own bishop, draw people aside, and set up another altar, without finding anything wrong with the Bishop in point of piety and righteousness, let him be deposed, on the ground that he is an office seeker. For he is a tyrant. Let the rest of clergymen be treated likewise, and all those who abet him. But let the laymen be excommunicated. Let these things be done after one, and a second, and third request of the bishop."

This canon does not authorize a priest to leave a bishop and to continue to act as a priest without authority from his bishop.

Gonzalez cites this canon as justification for Garrison leaving Luther, but the canon does not support lifting a decree of excommunication by another bishop. The canon does not support the priest leaving his bishop, or a bishop lifting the decree of excommunication of another bishop.

2. Apostolic Canon XXXII [32] reads:

"If any Bishop excommunicates any Presbyter or Deacon, these men must not be incardinated by anyone else but the one who excommunicated them, unless by a coincidence the Bishop who excommunicated them should decease."

From Interpretation: "... can only be admitted and be freed from the excommunication by that same bishop who excommunicated him in the first place: with the sole exception that he may resort to another if the bishop or metropolitan or patriarch, as the case may be, who excommunicated him has by any chance died before the presbyter or deacon has received a pardon. For in that event a bishop or metropolitan or patriarch who has become the successor after the death of the one who excommunicated him may free him from the bond, and not anyone else."

Luther who excommunicated Garrison is alive, but Gonzalez attempted to lift the decree by citing an Orthodox canon that does not apply and by ignoring the Orthodox canon which does apply and which prohibited Gonzalez from doing so.

3. Gonzalez' decree was dated September 12, 1990, and ten days later on September 22, 1990 Gonzalez attempted to co-consecrate with Garrison one Donald J. Buttenbusch in Philadelphia: this smacks of favor-for-favor simony.

Garrison was subsequently excommunicated for a third time in 1991 by Jerome "Joachim" Ladd (Gonzalez' consecrator and predecessor as primate).

Why Garrison's cooked-up pontifical (a Roman Catholic, not Orthodox term) is invalid:

Newsgroups: alt.religion.christian.east-orthodox

Subject: Defective "pontifical" makes null and void all episcopal acts from 1985 to date by Denis Michel Garrison et al (including Andrei Brennan) of the Orthodox Catholic Church in North America.

From: http://www.occna.com/md/orosb/pontifical.html

Old Roman Orthodox Pontifical The Ritual for Bishops According to the Ancient & Orthodox Old Roman Rites ORTHODOX CATHOLIC CHURCH IN NORTH AMERICA ... Old Roman Orthodox Pontifical (4th Edition) was compiled & arranged by the Most Reverend +Denis Michel Garrison, Th.D., OSB, Metropolitan Archbishop of Baltimore. The Holy Eastern Orthodox Catholic and Apostolic Church in North America [sic]. Fourth Edition published by Orthodox Benedictine Missions - Saint Herman of Alaska Orthodox Mission, Orthodox Catholic Church in North America. ...1998.