An Intentional Eucharistic Community
at The Shrine of St. Joseph
The Emmaus Christian Community is an inclusive, progressive Catholic intentional community. We choose to worship and participate in a lay-run community, and everyone is welcome. We are self-governing and have worked in partnership with the Trinitarians for over 60 years.
We treasure the unique qualities of each individual and work to create an environment to support personal spiritual growth. We participate in dialogue homilies during Mass, at which time individuals are invited, if they wish, to share their insights in to the Sunday readings. This practice helps everyone ‘break open the word.’
The cornerstones of our community are liturgy, prayer, community and service.
We are an alternative to the traditional, geographical parish. We were created by a small group of families who wanted to educate their children in the tenants of Vatican II. We remain committed to the ideals of Vatican II.
While liturgy is the most consistent venue for us to connect as a community on a regular basis, it is only one source of our connectedness. Our cornerstones are liturgy, prayer, community and service.
Our Masses are currently celebrated in the chapel at 9:45 on Sunday.
See What Makes Us Unique
ALL are welcome at our liturgies. Membership is not a requirement. Click above to see more!
Visit The Shrine
The beautiful solitude of the Shrine offers a prayerful respite, a unique and welcoming space for you.
Our Latest Events
Click above to see pictures from the Rain Garden Project!
Photo Gallery
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
Table sharing, "Growing in Community: Lessons from the Bees (and our ECC Beekeepers)"
October 2024 - Father Charley returns to the ECC for a day.
October 2024 - Father Charley returns to the ECC for a day.
Silent Memorials, a powerful and moving display of The Black Poster Project where people can walk through at their own pace reading the stories of each soul lost to drug addiction and overdose.
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
22 members of Emmaus made 275 lunches to be distributed at St Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. Each lunch had 2 sandwiches, a snack, and an apple. The lunches will be distributed over the next few days. We honor Pope Francis' call to "feed the hungry."
The ECC Tapestry
The large tapestry hanging in the chapel is one of the most visible symbols of Emmaus. The mosaic style (sewn from fabric swatches selected by each member) reflects the diversity, yet unity of our community; individual, yet centered on redemption.
We are the fabric of this tapestry; it reflects an image of us.
Communion Meditation for MLK Weekend January 18, 2026
Tomorrow is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. For today’s Communion meditation, I would like to reflect on Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, and how it speaks to our readings and Gospel. Dr. King’s letter is rich in theology and philosophy; in it, he challenges us to think critically about the nature of our faith. King insists that faith cannot remain passive or delayed — faith must become an act of justice. He reminds us that we are not meant to wait for the Kingdom of God to arrive 'someday,' but to work actively today to build it.
On this Sunday, Dr. King’s words echo our scriptures. In Isaiah, we hear the vocation to be a 'light to the nations,' a light meant to reach those who sit in the shadows. In the second reading, Paul calls us to a radical unity with all who are identified with Christ, this type of unity demands responsibility for one another. And in the Gospel, John the Baptist testifies that once we have seen the truth of Christ, neutrality is no longer an option. We are called to act justly and live rightly. Dr. King understood this kind of witness. He teaches that injustice does not heal when it is ignored or hidden; rather, like a wound, it must be exposed to the light before it can be cured. He warns that the name of Jesus is too often misused - invoked to justify division or excuse injustice -unless we anchor ourselves in the true Gospel. Dr. King famously wrote in this letter, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
A faith that refuses to see injustice is not faithfulness. A faith that waits while others suffer does not bring us to the Kingdom of God. I invite you to read Dr. King’s letter again, and reflect on how our own faith can be a light to others. The Gospel does not ask us to merely recognize Christ; it asks us to be His light in this world. In King’s words: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." AMEN
The letter: https://fee.org/articles/letter-from-a-birmingham-jail/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21337476191&gbraid=0AAAAADkIVmd10Gt1xrEj7x7TVllZqPm8e&gclid=CjwKCAiAybfLBhAjEiwAI0mBBruYdwk_4CzVrzDRkSiU6JjcwFB9ibq2vS7kJb5gd4_3pao2qrpRhBoCAqsQAvD_BwE