It's been a long journey for the Community of Celebration...


From earliest beginnings in the church renewal of the 1960s, before the Community even had a name, a small group came from the Church of the Redeemer in Houston to England and established a base in a former convent not far from London.

Their ministry, under the name of The Fisherfolk, exploded. The Community grew rapidly. Soon there was no more room and life was too hectic for normal family life. Half moved to Scotland to be less in the public eye and the rest went elsewhere to create other linked communities.

Life on a Scottish island was hard. The cathedral premises where they were based was a spartan place, which changed how they felt about their life. International ministry became less prominent and in its place emerged a more contemplative outlook with a vision for becoming a Benedictine style of religious community that included families with children.

In 1985 the ending of a lease forced another move. The Bishop of Pittsburgh invited the Community to come to Aliquippa, a steel town devastated by the loss of its only industry. Property was found but that was not the end of the story. Many more years would follow as the Community continued to work out its calling in the new setting.

Finally a milestone was passed. The Episcopal Church formally recognised the Community of Celebration as a religious community, and in 2003 the Chapel of the Holy Spirit (photo above) was built and dedicated. The Community had finally found its true identity in the church.

Today

The Community acts as an Episcopal presence in the town. Its daily offices and services are open to guests and visitors and its facilities are available for use by other Christian bodies as well as its own ministry. These are some features of the property:

 

A row of residential Community homes, including a guest house. Some are let to local people at affordable rents.	The chapel is spacious and is in regular use for daily offices, weekly Eucharist and other gatherings such as a 'Taize' service.	The entrance way into the chapel features a rock with a spring running through it, a reminder of the rock that Moses struck.
The well tended stretch of grass at the rear of the properties is ideal for relaxing and outdoor activities.	All Saints House provides accom-modation for conferences and is also used as a resource for other ministries.	The sitting area between chapel and offices is a flexible space for social gatherings and meetings. It links to a dining room next door.