Sursum Corda! will be held October 5-8, 2003, at Divine Word International Conference Center on Waukegan Road in Techny, Illinois. Techny is in the northern suburbs of Chicago, between Deerfield and Northbrook. Chicago was chosen because it is reasonably central in the United States, and accessible by one-hop travel from nearly anywhere. Also, the Divine Word facility is extremely low-cost compared to commercial hotels and conference centers.

The conference is targeted specifically at clergy and religious of the greater Catholic community here on Earth, most specifically those of the Old Catholic, Independent Catholic, Anglican Catholic, and Autocephalous Orthodox. However, no one demonstrating respectful interest will be turned away, and we hope that laity active in their parishes and ministries will also choose to attend.

Sursum Corda! An Agape was first held in August 1999, in downtown Chicago. It was held again in 2000 at Divine Word International Conference Center at Techny. Sursum Corda 2001 was scheduled to begin on September 12, 2001...and as you might imagine, was canceled. We "took a year off" to re-think the conference's mission, but the conference will resume in October 2003. Assuming there continues to be support within the Old Catholic movement and volunteers to make it happen, the conference will be held annually in the future.

Here is a sampler of topics that have been presented at earlier conferences:

• Obtaining a Catholic clerical education at a Protestant seminary;
• How to perform pastoral counseling;
• Growing an Old Catholic parish;
• "Print on demand" publishing for small church organizations;
• Monastic devotions adapted for Catholic parish worship;
• Getting publicity for your parish in the secular media;
• How to teach Gregorian chant to parishioners;
• Fund raising for small parishes;
• Contemplative prayer in a parish environment;
• Finding worship space in unconventional places;
• Psychological screening of clergy and clergy candidates;

...and many others. The focus, as you can see, is on practical knowledge for parish building, and on mining the ancient Catholic trove of liturgy, music and devotional practice. The approach is not dry and academic, but always hands-on and here's-how.

The American Catholic Union (ACU), a tax-exempt California religious corporation headed by Bp. Samuel Bassett, is acting as host. The ACU’s mission is ecumenical outreach for Catholic denominations and parishes not in union with Rome. Sursum Corda is its primary organized event. It is important to note two things about the relationship of Sursum Corda to the ACU:

1. The ACU is not a church jurisdiction, and
2. The ACU does not control the conference agenda.

The hosting arrangement with the ACU allows the conference to collect money and act as a nonprofit church function without the burden of applying for separate 501c3 status. Sursum Corda is operated by lay and ordained volunteers from many different jurisdictions and Church traditions. To emphasize the fact that Sursum Corda is not beholden to any church jurisdiction, those who have been consecrated to the office of bishop cannot hold the general chair.

“Agape” is Greek for spiritual (that is, non-sexual) love. The whole point of Sursum Corda! is to seek friendship across the gulfs separating the many Catholic and Orthodox denominations, in the hope that once we can genuinely appreciate one another as friends doing the work of Christ, we can begin treading the long and difficult path to true Catholic unity.

Hey, we’re serious about this—and emphatic. This is not to be a sleepytime conference. Our goal is to generate excitement, enthusiasm, commitment…and perhaps even laughter and song! Some of us have become discouraged in recent years. The Catholic path independent of Rome can be a difficult one. Our hope is that when many hearts are gathered together, all will be raised, and that those who have been discouraged can return to their parishes with new determination to grow their flocks and succeed in their ministries, secure in the knowledge that they are not alone.

No! Not formally, at least. In fact, we’re hoping that theology comes up as little as possible; and when it does come up, we furthermore hope that it arises in the spirit of friendship and open discussion. The focus of Sursum Corda is not on what divides us (which all too often is theology) but instead on what we all have in common: The practical difficulties of growing and serving Catholic parishes and maintaining Catholic ministries. Regardless of where you might stand on the Filioque, there are always bills to be paid, vestments to be purchased or repaired, parishioners to be found, counseled and brought into fuller involvement with the Gospel, and many more workaday challenges. Some of us in the Old Catholic movement have discovered roll-up-your-sleeves solutions to the problems that confront us all in our daily tasks, and they will be presenting those solutions in short, focused, practical sessions. More than anything else, Sursum Corda! is about sharing what we know in a spirit of friendship and cooperation.

The Mass will be celebrated using several different liturgies, at Divine Word's beautiful chapels. The conference center grounds are ideal for silent personal prayer and small group prayer. Spontaneous sessions may arise for discursive prayer including Vespers, the Rosary, and readings from Scripture.

Absolutely! Please contact program chair Jeff Duntemann to discuss possible presentations. (See the contacts section at the bottom of this FAQ for details.)

In the coming months, we will need volunteers to handle many things including mailings, data entry, confirming attendee registrations, and untangling the inevitable logistical snags. If you have means, donations will help keep the overall registration cost down and within the grasp of those who are not as well off. No one is being paid for his or her work. At the conference itself, there will be many small tasks to be handled, like helping out in the hospitality room or even playing the guitar at a songfest. Finally, we need you to spread the word! Nothing like this has ever happened before. For it to succeed, the Old/Independent/Anglican Catholic community must hear about it—and that may be the most difficult challenge of all.

Divine Word and Techny Towers are on Highway #43 (Waukegan Rd) one mile north of Willow Road between Glenview and Northbrook. This is 19 miles from downtown Chicago and 17 miles from O'Hare International Airport.

• From the North: Via Highway #94 (Edens Expressway) use exit 33A west. Go two miles west on Willow Road to Highway #43. Go right on Highway #43 to Techny Towers.
• From the South: Via Highway #294 (Tri-State Tollway) use the Willow Road exit. Go three miles east on Willow Road to Highway #43. Go left on Highway #43 to Techny Towers.

There is a fill-out form posted here. Note that this is not a true CGI online-submittal form. In other words, you don't fill it out, push a button, and allow the Web to get it to us. For various reasons (your privacy certainly one of them) we ask that you print out a paper copy of the registration form and send it to us via postal mail.

You may submit the conference fee with the form at the time that you register, or you may pay on arrival.

The full conference fee is $250 US. This fee includes:

• All conference sessions;
• Meals (breakfast, lunch, supper) at Divine Word from October 6-8;
• Lodging the nights of October 5, 6, and 7.

If you wish, you may arrange in advance with us to stay at the conference center on Thursday and Friday, after the conference ends. Wednesday night and three meals Thursday costs an additional $60, and Thursday night and three meals on Friday costs an additional $70. Please let us know well in advance of the conference if you wish to reserve those extra days. Sursum Corda will make these arrangements for you, as an extension of conference lodgings. (Divine Word does not reserve lodging for individuals, apart from a scheduled event.)

Neither the meals nor the lodging facilities are "fancy"—yet they are hardly monastic. (See photos here.) Sursum Corda is a terrific value for the money involved.

Payment may be by cash or check, in US funds. Sursum Corda does not currently have the ability to accept credit cards.