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came across this lot

neither Catholic nor Orthodox [peoplescathedral.com]

Here's another one that is in my area.

St. Demetrios [myspace.com]

Mar Victor is a well-known local character who has been everything from Protestant, to Old Catholic, to part of The Antiochian Catholic Church in America. This group is neither Catholic nor Orthodox. They do some good charity work among the poor, but their theology is a bit fuzzy.

Does their acronym COCOA mean they are trying to make themselves off as legitimate chocolate?

Sacred Cocoa. That does have a certain appeal. Now if we could be assured that it was made by Old Catholics in Holland . . .

And, as their web site says, "Antiochian Catholic Church has 6 friends."

Anhelyna,

Thanks so much for thinking of me. While Archbishop Schell is new to the game, I see he is involved with Imago Dei Global Communities, an entity that - if memory serves - was formerly associated with Veron Ashe, a rather colorful character in his own right, who had so many different denominational personae at one time as to be his own hierarchy.

That there might be some connection between the two isn't all that surprising, as both are spiritual sons of Mar Joseph Vredenburg, popularly known as Papa Joe - one of the more unique figures in the vagante world. You can catch a look at Papa Joe at the Independent Movement site - go to this page [ind-movement.org] and scroll down, until ... you'll know when you get there. (Just don't get waylaid by Karl-Heinz Ungerer's mitre at the top of the page - I've debated for some years whether that's fruit mounted to the front of it.)

Many years,

Neil

Charles,

Mar Michael, as he always used to seek to be known, has been around for about a decade - altho that is the first time I've seen his Myspace page.

His long-time site [geocities.com], maintained by Father Gregory Ned Blevins [geocities.com] is easier on the eyes.

They are a Spruit-line episcopacy. Herman Spruit left a long legacy of episcopal children. Thankfully, he and his Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch - Malalbar Rite were so far afield that the likelihood of any valid or licit orders among them is nigh unto impossible.

I did appreciate the chance to see a photo of St Demetrios' though - I had often wondered about their 'flagship" church. Now, I have a goal to strive for when I open my own.

On a serious note, I have heard comments similar to yours about the small scale but good charitable works that they sponsor.

Many years,

Neil

Please tell me this is a deliberate joke. I found this blurb at that website: It reminds me of the International House of Pancakes where I get a CUP of cocoa . . .

-- John

AHA - Papa Joe - I've heard reference to him before - but not really 'encountered ' him ")

I see our friend Justice Swift Eagle has changed his Site a wee bittie

I have to say I'm very surprised at Charles though

I expected him to find the Choccie link

Their "flagship" church was the former University Avenue Baptist Church for at least 50 years prior to Victor's group. The original congregation folded. It was a small, inner-city Baptist church and the building is tiny. I remember playing for a wedding there in the mid 1960s.

Isn't there an apostolic canon somewhere about not sharing chocolate with schismatics?

now - being honest I'm not 100% sure about that.

BUT sharing the necessities of life - well couldn't that bring them back into the fold ?

A form of evangelism I think

Wasn't that how milk chocolate was invented, sharing the pure stuff with those in schism?

I thought milk chocolate came because the Swiss coudln't manage to drink all the milk their cows produced grazing on the mountains

The gnomes made a killing from the surplus