NEW!  If you are part of an IEC that is not currently listed on the  Intentional Eucharistic Communities website, please fill out this IEC Information Survey so that we can update that listing. If you have questions, please contact Sheila Peiffer at sheilapeiffer.acc@gmail.com.  Thanks for your help!

American Catholic Council and Intentional Eucharistic Communities

(Rev 1/15/13)  An ACC Adhoc Committee has convened in January 2013 to move forward on this initiative. Updates will be posted to this page and reported in ACC newsletters as new information becomes available. Your comments and support are requested.  Please feel free to comment in several IEC Discussion Forums on the Assemblies Community Network.

Several years of listening assemblies and the Detroit Council itself highlighted the importance of the IEC movement.  IECs represent an alternative  worship and community experience for many Vatican II Catholics—either as a supplement to or a substitute for parish-based  Catholic life.

IEC’s are nearly as varied as they are in number.  Some attempt to be “all things” to Catholics—providing sacraments, social justice ministry, education, Sunday liturgy and opportunities for participatory community leadership.  Some are blessed with canonically ordained Catholic priests.  Others enjoy women priests or priests ordained in other Catholic churches.  Some “elect” presiding and ministerial services from among their membership. Some are ecumenical.  Many are extended prayer groups with social ministry—and extended family.  Others are university based and cater to student populations and others attracted to a student-centered community.

A website at  IntentionalEucharisticCommunities.org contains a useful definition of an IEC and a listing of IECs around 2009. A more recent website is also available at Alternative Catholic Experience. 

For many years, William D’Antonio has been a “godfather” to IEC’s—assisting them in finding their theology, their sociology, their membership, and their organization.  Several national conventions of IEC members have been held. Click here to view of video of D’Antonion talking about IECS

ACC has determined that it can become a resource for IEC development and communication—and that at present, while many resources are available, no one is attempting a comprehensive “service bureau” function for IECs.

ACC believes that it can be this resource by undertaking the following tasks:

Library of Best Practices.    Working with IEC leaders, collect the experiences of IECs—how they are organized, how they are “led”, how they arrange for liturgy and or prayers, how they build community, how they advertise, how they manage finances (including not-for-profit status).  These would be solicited from existing IECs, edited and catalogued and placed on a free web site for general use.

IEC Web Sites.    Provide hot links to IEC web sites—and advice on how to create and manage web sites.

Assist Individuals in Finding Existing IECs.   By creating a directory of IECs and publishing this directory on-line, individuals who are seeking IEC experiences would be facilitated.  As part of this project, IECs electing to participate would prepare a short “self-characterization”—so that potential new members may determine whether the IEC will fill their needs, given the present state of their faith journey.

Assist Individuals in Finding Others in Geographic Proximity to Meet and Discuss IEC Formation.  Create a discussion meet and greet forum.  As funding becomes available, finance the consultancy of those experienced in IEC formation to those who wish to form an IEC.

Create a Library of Liturgy, Prayer and Music Resources for IECs.

Create and Manage a Discussion “Board” for Those Interested in Forming an IEC or Discussing Common Issues.

ACC has found an individual with ministerial experience and theological education who is prepared, on a part time basis, to manage this initiative.  Others on the ACC planning team have significant experience in IEC formation, governance, and the IEC experience.

ACC is seeking:
–Individuals prepared to serve on an ACC Advisory Committee to finalize (at least temporarily) this draft proposal/work plan.
–Members of Existing IECs interested in assisting ACC to collect data for the IEC website.
–Members of Existing IECs and theological educators to “lend” written material on IECs to the website—or to create new material.
–Individuals skilled in web site creation and management to work with an ACC coordinator to bring the web site and its discussion components into existence.
–Funding for web site creation and management and general administration of this initiative (with existing ACC seed money, the project will require $300-500 per month for about 2 years).
–Individuals who are prepared to acted as mentors and consultants to those who wish to form an IEC.