A beacon of faith and community
Welcome to Our Lady & St Sebastian's Apostolic Catholic Church. We are a vibrant and inclusive Old Catholic community, dedicated to living out the Christian way of life through service, love, and spiritual growth. Here, everyone finds a home and a path to deeper faith.
Answering the call to serve
If you feel called to the priesthood, diaconate, or any clerical progress within the Church, we would like to hear from you. We welcome applications for both ordination and incardination from older people, the youthful, men, women, heterosexual, or LGBTQI individuals. Our distinct paths to ministry involve appropriate studies, including a distant learning course on ‘Dimensions of Christianity’ and liturgical rites of the seven sacraments, in association with St. Patrick's Seminary. Ordinations are conducted with prayer, invocation of the Holy Spirit, and the laying-on of hands, in accordance with the Universal Church's established rites. If you are interested in Holy Orders, please contact us.
Unity in diversity, love in all things
Our Lady's & St. Sebastian’s Apostolic Catholic Church affirms and promotes ‘unity in essentials, diversity in inessentials, love in all things.’ We teach the Christian way of life in service to God and for the advancement of the common good. We celebrate the transforming effect of divine grace, believing that through Christ, we are called to become more like Him. This welcoming church is a source of peace and shared happiness to all God's children. We perform marriages for all with the rite prescribed by the church, including same-sex blessings for couples joining together in matrimony. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding any form of violence, discrimination, or abuse.
Our rich old catholic heritage
As an Old Catholic Church, Our Lady & St Sebastian's carries a unique history and tradition. We cherish our apostolic roots while embracing a progressive spirit that meets the needs of today's community. We are distinct in our local expression of faith, offering a sacred space where traditional liturgy meets modern understanding, fostering a deep connection to Christ for all who seek it.
We are part of the Independent Sacramental Tradition. That means our church is autocephalous—self-governing and not under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church. Still, we are fully and faithfully Catholic. Our sacramental ministry, theology, and apostolic succession are valid and unbroken, tracing directly back to the apostles. We're part of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, even though we are not in communion with Rome.
Instead, Our Lady's & St Sebastian's ACC have active parishes in Wirral, Yorkshire, and London.
And it is in communion with several like-minded bodies, including the Église Catholique Libérale Unie (Uganda) and the Nicene Apostolic Church (England). Ecclesiastical Communion with the Patriarcto Cattolic Independent, we also have active parishes in Wirral, Yorkshire, and London.
The Church honors the foundational teachings of the Undivided Church. We uphold the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils as well as the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), whose reforms help shape our contemporary approach to faith and ministry. Our theology is grounded in the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed—historic summaries of the faith we share with the wider Catholic tradition.
We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We recognize the pope as the bishop of Rome and respect his role as “first among equals” among bishops. However, we do not accept the doctrine of papal infallibility. Members are free to accept or reject any doctrine declared ex cathedra.
The Eucharist is central to our worship. We celebrate it with reverence and in line with the intention of the universal Church. We affirm the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist—because Christ promised to be present whenever people gather in His name. Belief in transubstantiation is respected but not required; we make space for a range of theological understandings within the bounds of the Catholic tradition.
"This church truly is a welcoming home for everyone, offering both profound spirituality and a genuine sense of belonging."
A parishioner from Birkenhead