COEUR d'ALENE — "What's done is done. What's undone is undone. Let it be."

The Rev. Terese Fandel softly spoke these words March 21 as she anointed parishioners with an aromatic oil of olive and clove during Reconciliation Mass.

Fandel is a priest and founding member of the Community of the Holy Spirit, an inclusive nonprofit Catholic Eucharistic community that belongs to the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, which embraces churches and sacramental communities across North America.

The small congregation of about 50 attends Mass the first and third Saturday of the month at the Lutheran Church of the Master in Coeur d'Alene. Holy Spirit celebrates the Catholic sacraments of baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, reconciliation and anointing of the sick. 

Above all, Holy Spirit welcomes all.

"We know there are a lot of people out there who are not affiliated with a church, either they were Catholic or they're Christian and they've kind of given up on church or Christianity," Fandel said. "We would be happy for them to give us a try and just see if it seems like a place where they would feel at home."

Community of the Holy Spirit was established in January 2018 with the support of its sister church, the St. Clare Ecumenical Catholic Community in Spokane.

Phyllis Rossi, a founding member, said Holy Spirit was created to make a community where everyone is welcome.

"We felt there were a lot of people out there who didn’t feel welcome in certain churches," she said. 

The church began in Rossi's home.

"We realized from the beginning there were a lot of people who were interested in what we were doing,” Fandel said.

Within a few months a larger more accessible space was needed. Connections led the congregation to the Lutheran Church of the Master.

"We do some things liturgically together,” said Bonnie Parden, also a Holy Spirit founding member. “They invite us to things and we invite them to things, and it's been great."

One reason Holy Spirit holds congregation at Lutheran Church of the Master is because churches in the Ecumenical Catholic Communion are not allowed to own property, Fandel explained.

"We cannot own a church or buy a building because that then becomes a burden and you have to fundraise and pay for maintenance,” she said. “Churches in the ECC ‘nest’ in various places, or sometimes they rent a space, and it’s not always a church.”

Fandel worked as a pathologist for years before being called to the priesthood. When the church's first presider, the Rev. Jim Murphy, was ready to retire from the position, someone needed to step up.

“It just seemed right to me,” Fandel said. “It was what I wanted to do.” 

She went back to school at Gonzaga University and earned a degree in theology and leadership, which turned out to be perfect timing, she said.

"COVID descended on us and I got to be home with my youngest daughter," Fandel said. "She would do her homework at the kitchen table and so would I.” 

She said one important thing about the ECC is one must be called by the community to serve.

“It wasn’t like I just did it on my own," she said.

Discussions were held within the community, which contemplated who was willing and who would want to preside 

“The community said, ‘Yeah, we’d be happy for you to do this,’” Fandel said.

Roberta Truscott, who serves on the pastoral team with husband Skip Truscott, said she grew up Catholic and married a Methodist.

“At our wedding, we had his dad who was a Methodist minister, and then we had a Catholic priest co-celebrate and we had a Catholic sister do the homily," she said. "Early on, I just felt there was a place for women in the church. And that’s what I love about having Terese be our priest, it really recognizes the gifts that women bring.”

The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t allow women to preach or serve as priests or deacons. Fandel said she often receives positive responses when people learn she is an ordained priest.

“They say, ‘That’s really neat,’” she said. “Not everybody. I’ve talked to some people I’ve bumped into that I know and I say, ‘We’d love to have you,’ and their eyes get a little bit big, and I know they’re not going to come."

But it's important they know if they change their minds, they can come any time.

“That message of, ‘All are welcome,’ that is so powerful,” Roberta said. “I really feel that’s the heart of Community of the Holy Spirit. You just don’t tell people they’re welcome; you exude that when people do come to your community. We really embrace it."

Holy Week begins today. Members of the Community of the Holy Spirit will celebrate Holy Thursday at 6 p.m. at MacKenzie River Pizza in Coeur d'Alene. Good Friday service will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Friday at Lutheran Church of the Master, 4800 N. Ramsey Road, and a vigil will be at 5 p.m. Easter Sunday at the church.

Info: holyspiritnorthidaho.com

    Community of the Holy Spirit priest and founding member Terese Fandel speaks to the congregation March 21 during Reconciliation Mass.
  

    Merideth Gaffney-DePrisco assists with giving communion to fellow parishioners during Mass.
  

    Parishioner Katie Snow conducts a first reading during the March 21 Reconciliation Mass service of the Community of the Holy Spirit.