MISSION NEWSLETTER · SEPTEMBER 2026
Apostolic Old Catholic Mission
Christ at the Centre. Everyone at the Table.
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LOOKING AHEAD WITH JOY
So much to give
thanks for.
Colin’s ordination. A growing church family.
A new website, made with love.
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Greetings in Christ, friend, There is so much to give thanks for as we look towards October. Colin is preparing for his ordination, our circle of church friendships has grown, and our new website is ready for you to explore. We are delighted to share these moments with you — and to ask you to be part of them through your prayers. | Our clergy · A date for your prayers Colin’s ordination is almost here!
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10 OCTOBER
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Saturday · 11:00 am
Paderborn, Germany
10 October 2026 · local time
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Colin de Pelsmaker
Lede, Belgium
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With great joy, we announce that Colin de Pelsmaker will be ordained a deacon in Paderborn on 10 October. Archbishop Karl-Michael Soemer, who leads the Federation of Free Catholic Churches, will preside.
Colin holds a Master of Theology and Religious Studies from KU Leuven. Based in Lede, Belgium, he speaks English and Dutch, and now prepares to take this next step in the life and ministry of the Mission.
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The diaconate is a calling to serve: to proclaim the Gospel, assist in worship and attend to those in need. Please pray that Colin’s ministry will be marked by kindness, courage and a deep love for Christ and His people. Although I cannot be there in person, I shall be holding Colin close in prayer. I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Karl-Michael for presiding, and to everyone helping to prepare this joyful day.
The chapel in Paderborn where Colin’s ordination will take place, pictured at an earlier celebration.
|  Our wider family A warm welcome into the FederationWe are delighted to share that the Mission is now a member of the Federation of Free Catholic Churches — the Bund freier katholischer Gemeinden. This happy news did not make it into our July letter, and it deserves a proper celebration! Our fellowship brings us into closer friendship with communities in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. We share a love of sacramental worship, a generous welcome and a desire to care for people in the circumstances of their everyday lives. For a small Mission spread across borders, having fellow Christians with whom to pray, seek counsel and share the work of ministry means a great deal. Archbishop Karl-Michael’s part in Colin’s ordination gives that friendship a very personal expression. We are grateful for the welcome we have received and look forward to serving together. Meet our Federation family → | Full intercommunion New friendships, shared at the Lord’s TableWe also have two new agreements of full intercommunion to celebrate: one with the Free Protestant Episcopal Church — Worldwide Communion (FPEC-WC), and one with the Episcopal Anglican Community in Serbia. In everyday terms, these agreements mean that we recognise one another’s churches and sacramental life, welcome one another to Holy Communion, and commit ourselves to prayer, pastoral support and opportunities to worship, learn and serve together. Each community continues to govern its own life and ministry. A friendship that reaches around the worldThe FPEC-WC is an international family of Anglican and Episcopal churches, with communities across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Its roots reach back to England in 1897. Today, its churches bring different local traditions and experiences to a shared Christian fellowship. We are glad to enter this relationship of full intercommunion and look forward to the friendships it may bring. Discover the FPEC Worldwide Communion → Our neighbours in SerbiaLed by Bishop Petar Petrovic, the Episcopal Anglican Community in Serbia is based in Belgrade and shares in the FPEC’s worldwide fellowship. Its life includes worship, pastoral care, theological education and dialogue with other Christians. We are grateful for Bishop Petar’s friendship and encouragement, and for this new bond with a community serving here in south-eastern Europe. Meet the Episcopal Anglican Community in Serbia → | Our new website Come in. Have a look around.Our new, comprehensive website is now live at apostolicoldcatholic.org. We hope you will enjoy spending a little time there: meeting the people of the Mission, exploring our faith and finding something to encourage your own life of prayer. It’s built to move, too. In a recent mobile test, the main homepage content appeared in about a second and a half. The site has been designed to feel quick and comfortable on phones, tablets and computers, wherever you join us. Here are a few things to try when you visit: Find people and places. Explore the map and directory to discover the Mission and our wider church family. Follow your questions. Read about our beliefs and the sacraments, browse teaching and prayer resources, or ask Clement, our online Mission information assistant. Make yourself comfortable. Adjust the text size and colours, choose a simpler reading view, or listen to a page being read aloud. Optional automatic translations help more visitors explore; English remains our official language. Begin a conversation. Find pastoral support, enquire about formation or ministry, request a meeting, or invite a friend to subscribe to this newsletter. This has been a labour of love. Many hours have gone into the words, photographs, design and careful work behind the scenes. Our heartfelt thanks go to Very Easy Web Hosting and Katolikos, who have created, maintained and hosted the website with love. We are grateful for the time and care that make this welcome possible. | A thought for October The love that makes us known“By this, all shall recognize that you are my disciples: if you will have love for one another.” John 13:35 · CPDV As we prepare to celebrate Colin’s ordination and give thanks for new church friendships, these words bring us back to the heart of our calling. We hope that people will meet Christ’s love in the way we listen, welcome and serve — in a chapel, across a shared table, or through a conversation that begins online. Who helped you feel welcome in the life of the Church? If you would like to share a memory, simply reply to this letter. We would be glad to hear from you. | With grateful hearts Keep us in your prayersAs always, your prayers and donations are warmly welcome. Please remember Colin, our clergy and ordinands, our partner communities, and everyone seeking care or a place to belong. If you are able to give, a donation helps sustain pastoral and sacramental ministry, formation, free resources and the practical work that keeps the Mission serving. Every gift is received with gratitude. Your prayers, encouragement and willingness to share our work matter greatly, too. | Thank you for sharing in the life of the Mission. We look forward to celebrating this next chapter with you. May Christ bless you and all whom you love, and keep Colin in His care as his ordination approaches. With every blessing,
✠ Ashley
Bishop-Rector
Apostolic Old Catholic Mission |
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