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Holy Communion Evangelical Catholic Church

Rev. James A. Radloff
2660 NE Hwy 20 Suite 610-406
Bend, OR 97701

May 8, 2014

Dear Friends;

Since my recent announcement of serving as a priest at the new Holy Communion Evangelical Catholic
Church in Bend, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and excited by the enthusiasm
this news has generated. It will take me a lot of hours to respond to all the cards, letters, texts, emails
and private Facebook messages. I appreciate many sharing with me their thoughts and heartfelt advice
that guided my decisions. I also understand the confusion and concern that this has created for some.

This past year has been the most challenging of my life even more challenging than fighting cancer.
I poured my life and soul into my priesthood and into the Roman Catholic Church and I have no regrets.
I know I was called by God to this ministry. But I have really taken a beating by the betrayal I felt in not
being allowed to act as a priest. At times, with the great stress and the torment I suffered, my personal
feelings became less Christian than I would have liked. I am sorry if my passion for the priesthood and
the salvation of souls was not always expressed in as loving a manner as humanly possible. Now I am
ready to shift from the past to focus on the bright possibilities of the future. I hope that you, like me, will
find hope and healing as we move beyond this sad experience.

With me no longer restricted from meeting and speaking with friends, I have heard a number of
questions that deserve clarification which should help us in our moving forward.

QUESTION 1: Why, after 20 years, have you decided to continue your Catholic ministry and faith
outside of the Roman Catholic Church?

Please understand that I did not make this decision lightly. I have gone on retreats and spent many hours
in prayer and discernment. I devoted months to exploring what options were available to me under
Canon and civil law so that I could remain acting as a Roman Catholic priest. I hope that everyone
recognizes that I love God and the Catholic faith and have been very fulfilled in my service to others. I
pray that I have and will continue to be able to make a difference in the lives of many.

I am grateful and feel justified that at each level of the appeal process from the bishop to the Vatican, my
priesthood was affirmed! I am a priest in good standing. However, I had been restricted by the bishop
from serving as a priest anywhere, which included not performing Masses, weddings for friends,
attending to funerals, etc. Furthermore, I was not permitted to live in Bend, could only go to Mass in
Madras, and was not sanctioned to get together with my friends! In short, I was a Priest in Good
Standing but hardly a priest.

Because of my strong belief in the Catholic Faith and desire to serve as a priest, I found myself with
several undesirable options. First, I could remain a Roman Catholic priest with no assignment or
priesthood. Second, I could change religious denominations. Third, I could leave religious life all
together and start a gardening business. None of those options had any interest to me.

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I am a Catholic and I want to CONTINUE serving my faith and inspire others as a priest in a valid
Catholic Church! So I was brought to a Fourth option; the Evangelical Catholic Church. This church
offers the traditional Catholic sacraments and beliefs in a welcoming environment under more
transparent governance.

QUESTION 2: Bishop Cary has recently reached out to you seeking reconciliation and peace. Will
you reconsider your decision?

During this whole difficult process I have been deeply touched by the very large number of friends and
supporters who have remained by me to encourage, pray and do whatever they could to help me. The
hundreds of letters written on my behalf to so many people, including the Pope himself, have been
extraordinary. Because the opinions of others truly do matter to me, I went to many of you to ask how I
should respond to the bishops invitation to walk through the open door of reconciliation and peace. The
response to my inquiry was varied but beneficial.

Many questioned why the bishop chose the forum of a statement on a website over a phone call and first
meeting with me face-to-face. Most found the way I had been treated and was continuing to be treated as
unacceptable behavior for me to endure any longer. A small minority encouraged me to accept what
they perceived to be an olive branch. So I listened to the thoughtful advice and waited to be contacted
personally by the bishop through the letter he said he had written me.

When the letter arrived my immediate response was one of more confusion and disappointment. I
showed it to my closest family and friends to see if they saw in his letter an open door of reconciliation
and peace. They did not. In fact they saw in it a threat, especially in the phrase serious negative
consequences for you personally. Then, most importantly, I have taken the letter to prayer. What does
the Lord think about everything the bishop was doing?

It was not as much what was in the letter, but what was missing, that guided my response. It was
difficult to see where there might be an olive branch or an offer for reconciliation and peace. What was
missing was a proposal to rescind any of his previous restrictions on my ministry or how I would be able
to serve as a priest within the Diocese of Baker or anywhere in the church in the future. The bishop
wanted me to not remove myself from the priesthood but at the same time he was not allowing me to
function as a priest in any way anywhere. In continuing in the Evangelical Catholic Church I could
choose instead an option that would allow me to live out my priesthood for the salvation of souls
through offering valid sacramental ministry to those who were not being ministered to.

I wish my repeated requests for formal reconciliation over the past few months had been accepted
earlier, instead of after my resignation. I wish I had been able to have a constructive discussion with the
bishop before I was forced to resign. As I have said multiple times over the last year, I had continued to
pray for the day when I could stand next to Bishop Cary, brother to brother, and put this behind us. I
am still ready to do so as Christians with a common love of God, but not as a member of the Roman
Catholic Church. I need to move on for my good and the good of all the faithful.

QUESTION 3: Starting a new Church in Bend seems vindictive to Saint Francis and the Diocese of
Baker. I s that part of the reason for starting a new Church here?

Absolutely not! I spent over 20 years serving in the Baker Diocese. During that time I worked with
several bishops and thousands of parishioners to build strong and vibrant Catholic communities. I want
the Catholic faith to flourish regardless of which church a person attends. I love the Catholic faith,
which is why I and others are continuing that faith with the Evangelical Catholic Church.
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I wish Father Julian, a good man, the very best in running a historic and fine parish. I additionally wish
the people of the Diocese of Baker all the best. They deserve the best! Central Oregon is a diverse area
with opportunities for multiple churches to thrive and meet the varied needs of our Catholic community.

Many have left the Roman Catholic Church over the years. Our new Holy Communion Church will
provide those Catholics that have scattered, as well as others, a choice to live a Catholic faith. Holy
Communion Church may not be right for everybody. However, based on early indications, it will clearly
meet the spiritual and worship needs of many. It is not our goal to steal people from Saint Francis
Church, but instead to serve the spiritual needs of those that are not being presently served. Joining a
Church is a personal decision and everyones criteria will be different. The faithful should be able to
decide for themselves if the Evangelical Catholic Church is right for them. It will be their choice.

There are many who support what I and others are doing to create Holy Communion Church. I do hope
with all my heart that all of us can live together in a loving and caring way and respect each others
beliefs. I will continue to love people if they are Evangelical Catholic or Roman Catholic. This needs to
be a time for healing and an opportunity to move forward in a positive direction for all the faithful.

If you have more questions please join us for two special events for Holy Communion Church:
Evening of Information and Celebration: Saturday, June 7
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, 7 p.m., Riverhouse
Inaugural Opening Mass and Reception; Sunday, June 8
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; 9 a.m., Riverhouse

God Bless,
Rev. James A. Radloff