St. Francis Seminary
Community Catholic Church of Canada
St. Francis Seminary
Community Catholic Church of Canada
Welcome to St. Francis Online Seminary
Established in 1960, St. Francis Seminary offers formation and studies for candidates seeking holy orders in the Community Catholic Church of Canada.
Discerning Your Call to Ministry
The call to ministry can be a challenging road for many. For some, university costs are prohibitive. Some have come to the understanding of their vocation later in life and feel it may be too late. For others, their faith community will not offer ordination because of their gender or sexual orientation.
Many wonderful, gifted people who have felt a call to serve Christ as Priest or Deacon have experienced the denial of their ministry and have settled for other helper roles in the church and community. We can help.
The Community Catholic Church of Canada offers a spiritual home to those who, like the disciples, have heard Christ's invitation to follow him.
We affirm those who feel that call to a sacramental life, who understand the grace and love of God available through Worship, Word and in the Bread and Wine. We support those who wish to minister among the people of God in a parish setting and those who feel the pull to assist and serve their community through Life Celebrations and visiting.
St. Francis Seminary offers a place of study and a caring community within the Church. We are affirming and inclusive, welcoming all who seek a connection with Loving Creator.
Please note - St. Francis is not a residential seminary. It is a formation program specifically set up according to the canons and policies for those seeking ordination in the Community Catholic Church. It is therefore an in-house program of study for ministry in our independent church. While many candidates come to us with religious study degrees and M.Divs, every candidate participates in the in-house formation and training program set out by the Community Catholic Church of Canada policies and guidelines.
Most of our clergy have come to us later in life, when family and work responsibilities often make residential seminary attendance challenging. To accommodate candidates, we offer classes via distance with relatively few sessions onsite.
All holy orders candidates must apply and go through an interview process. If accepted into the program, we require a police check, personal references, and baptism and confirmation papers. While courses are available to all, only those who live in the Province of Ontario can receive a license to perform marriages.
While courses are held over Zoom, several mandatory onsite sessions are involved with seminary training.
Seminary Offerings
St. Francis Seminary offers training for those discerning a vocation to Holy Orders as a Permanent or Transitional Deacon in the Community Catholic Church of Canada. Some will go on to discern their vocation as Priest in the church.
For those who do not feel a call to ordained sacramental ministry, the CCCC has two religious orders for those who wish to train as Pastoral Chaplain in the church. These orders offer baptized lay people the opportunity to officiate at weddings in the Province of Ontario and carry out volunteer ministries in their communities. The advanced level of training authorizes chaplains to baptize after a five-month course that enhances understanding of pastoral care, sacraments and spirituality.
These orders are open to all regardless of gender, orientation, or stage of life. Each candidate undergoes a time of evaluation with the Candidate's committee and readiness for ordination.
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Upcoming Events
25
May
Pastoral Chaplain Training Course
9:00 AM -
2:30 PM
via Zoom
Contact Archbishop Deb at holyangels@sympatico.ca for more info or to register
15
June
Pastoral Chaplain Training Course
9:00 AM -
2:30 PM
via Zoom