An Intentional Eucharistic Community
at The Shrine of St. Joseph
The Emmaus Christian Community is an inclusive, progressive Catholic intentional community. We choose to worship and participate in a lay-run community, and everyone is welcome. We are self-governing and have worked in partnership with the Trinitarians for over 60 years.
We treasure the unique qualities of each individual and work to create an environment to support personal spiritual growth. We participate in dialogue homilies during Mass, at which time individuals are invited, if they wish, to share their insights in to the Sunday readings. This practice helps everyone ‘break open the word.’
The cornerstones of our community are liturgy, prayer, community and service.
We are an alternative to the traditional, geographical parish. We were created by a small group of families who wanted to educate their children in the tenants of Vatican II. We remain committed to the ideals of Vatican II.
While liturgy is the most consistent venue for us to connect as a community on a regular basis, it is only one source of our connectedness. Our cornerstones are liturgy, prayer, community and service.
Our Masses are currently celebrated in the chapel at 9:45 on Sunday.
See What Makes Us Unique
ALL are welcome at our liturgies. Membership is not a requirement. Click above to see more!
Visit The Shrine
The beautiful solitude of the Shrine offers a prayerful respite, a unique and welcoming space for you.
Our Latest Events
Click above to see pictures from the Rain Garden Project!
Photo Gallery
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
October 2024 - Father Charley returns to the ECC for a day.
October 2024 - Father Charley returns to the ECC for a day.
Silent Memorials, a powerful and moving display of The Black Poster Project where people can walk through at their own pace reading the stories of each soul lost to drug addiction and overdose.
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
The ECC Tapestry
The large tapestry hanging in the chapel is one of the most visible symbols of Emmaus. The mosaic style (sewn from fabric swatches selected by each member) reflects the diversity, yet unity of our community; individual, yet centered on redemption.
We are the fabric of this tapestry; it reflects an image of us.
October 5th
Communion Meditation
Prayers to an Evolutionary God
by William Cleary
Innate Wisdom
A well-designed automobile is awesome. In its elegance, we detect—and pay for—the cleverness and wisdom of its designer. Yet, the automobile cannot reproduce itself or evolve into a more “adaptable” model. We can, we have the “innate wisdom” of what we call “life.” Our elegance is many times greater than that of any self-moving machine or contrivance for flying. “Life” is the holiest, most awesome, most elegant thing we will ever encounter. Diarmuid O’Murchu puts it this way: “… we become receptive … and begin to comprehend the wisdom that is innate to all living things when we live ‘life’.”
19 An Innate Wisdom
Creative Presence, our God,
with your help, we are wiser.
We would observe always what we glimpse occasionally:
the wisdom incarnate in all living things,
the harmonies and dissonances within the cosmic symphony.
The moving, breathing world of creatures alive and living around us
is full of astonishing feats of intelligence,
wonderful patterns and structures of cells and organs
that speak continually of your limitless divine life
and confidence in us,
confidence, we will find the way toward living perceptively.
Guide us on the way of faith and wisdom,
and hope and confidence.