Spiritus Christi Church

What Spiritus Christi Church does

Spiritus Christi Church is an independent Catholic church founded on February 14, 1999, in Rochester, New York, after approximately 1,100 members separated from Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church in response to Vatican-imposed restrictions on inclusive practices including women's ordination, marriage equality, and open communion. The organization serves a progressive Catholic community through weekly worship at three Rochester locations (121 N Fitzhugh Street as the main site, 50 Plymouth Ave at Hochstein School of Music, and 815 Park Avenue at Immanuel Baptist Church for ecumenical Mass), and through a global livestream platform reaching attendees in California, Texas, Florida, Romania, Austria, and Brazil.

Its portfolio of ministries extends well beyond worship into social services. The Mental Health Center provides free counseling to under- and uninsured individuals, serving roughly 300 people with over 2,900 appointments annually. Prison Outreach runs the only residential wraparound re-entry program in Monroe County for individuals returning from jail, prison, and treatment centers. Grace of God Recovery House houses up to six men at a time recovering from addiction. International missions support HOPE/Haiti (a hospital and clinics in Borgne that served 741 ER patients and 706 outpatients in a recent multi-month window) and the Chiapas Mission in Mexico, including the Las Becas scholarship program supporting 45+ students. Social-justice work is organized through SPARC (Spiritus Anti-Racism Coalition). All sacramental programs and social services are offered free of charge, distinguishing the church from conventional parish models.

The organization is funded entirely through donations and tithes collected via Pushpay, PayPal, and automatic bank deductions, with 15% of weekend collections tithed outward to organizations serving the poor. Technical infrastructure is lightweight: a livestream platform at live.spirituschristi.org, a YouTube homily archive, Constant Contact for weekly bulletins, CCB Church and Church Data Connect for administration, and Zoom for virtual small groups. The 13-employee team is led by Pastor Rev. Myra Brown (since 2018; one of only three Black women priests in the world), Associate Pastor Rev. Frederick Dicks, Business Administrator Michael Ramich, and dedicated directors for each ministry program; operations are volunteer-intensive across 15+ ministries.

Name

Spiritus Christi Church

Legal name

Spiritus Christi Church

Website

https://spirituschristi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spiritus Christi Church is an independent progressive Catholic church founded in 1999 in Rochester, NY, serving a global congregation through inclusive worship, social justice advocacy, and free social-service ministries including mental health counseling, prison re-entry support, and addiction recovery housing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Catholic worship services
• Community outreach ministries
• Mental health counseling
• Addiction recovery housing
• Religious education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Tithes: The church operates primarily on donations from parishioners. They tithe 15% of weekend collections to external organizations serving the poor. The church accepts one-time gifts and recurring donations through Pushpay, PayPal, and automatic bank deduction. They also have an Invest in SpiritUS Campaign for capital needs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Spiritus Christi Church delivers inclusive Catholic worship services (daily and weekly Masses, sacraments, music ministry) and an integrated portfolio of community ministries, including free mental health counseling, addiction recovery housing, prison re-entry support, anti-racism organizing, religious education, youth programs, and international missions in Haiti and Mexico. Worship is delivered through multiple Rochester physical locations and a global livestream platform that has attracted attendees from California, Texas, Florida, Romania, Austria, and Brazil.

Product overview

Spiritus Christi Church is a progressive Catholic church offering a portfolio of interconnected ministries and programs. The core worship services are complemented by extensive outreach ministries including the Mental Health Center (free counseling), Prison Outreach (re-entry support), and Grace of God Recovery House (addiction recovery). Social justice initiatives include the Spiritus Anti-Racism Coalition (SPARC), while international missions serve Chiapas, Mexico and Borgne, Haiti. Educational programming spans Religious Education for children, Youth Groups, and Young Adult Ministry. The church also operates digital worship through livestream services, all underpinned by inclusive hospitality ministry welcoming all regardless of background.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic Worship Services (Masses and Daily Prayers) Daily and weekly Catholic Masses held across multiple Rochester locations (121 N Fitzhugh Street, 50 Plymouth Ave at Hochstein, outdoor Park Masses, and shared ecumenical Mass at Immanuel Baptist Church) for inclusive congregations of parishioners and visitors.
• Sacraments Program Sacramental preparation and celebration for baptisms, first communion, reconciliation, confirmation, marriage prep, weddings, and funerals — provided free of charge to parishioners and seekers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ individuals received mental health services annually with 2,900+ appointments
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Downtown United Presbyterian ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Since 2003, Spiritus Christi has been housed at Downtown United Presbyterian Church at 121 N Fitzhugh Street. The church provides space for worship and community activities in a collaborative relationship.
• Immanuel Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Since 1999, Spiritus Christi has held a weekly 'Ecumenical Mass' with Immanuel Baptist Church at 815 Park Avenue every Tuesday at 12:10pm. Catholics and Baptists celebrate the Eucharist together, representing over 25 years of breaking down denominational barriers.
• Hochstein School of MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpiritus Christi holds its 9:30am Sunday Mass at Hochstein School of Music, 50 Plymouth Ave. This partnership provides larger worship space and accessibility features including hearing loop and ASL interpretation.
• HOPE (Health, Outreach, Partnership, Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHOPE/Haiti operates a hospital and clinics in Borgne, Haiti. Spiritus Christi supports this mission including emergency medical care, outpatient services, and community health programs. In July 2026, HOPE treated 10 severely injured patients and 6 fatalties from a truck accident.
• Coffee Cooperatives of ChiapasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor over 20 years, Spiritus has fostered relationships with coffee cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico, including Maya Vinic cooperative. Some coffee is sold through Equal Exchange fair trade. The church also supports stove and mushroom house construction projects.
• Rochester Spinal AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mental Health Center partnered with Rochester Spinal Association to offer services to gun violence survivors with spinal cord injuries. Executive Director Chris Hilderbrant was honored at White House for this work.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sojourners: Sojourners is a progressive Christian movement focused on social justice, racial reconciliation, and peace. It is comparable due to its progressive Christian identity and emphasis on social justice advocacy that aligns with Spiritus Christi's anti-racism work and progressive Catholic mission.
• Faith in Action: Faith in Action is a national faith-based community organizing network. It is comparable because Spiritus Christi's SPARC coalition operates in a similar community-organizing space, mobilizing congregants and residents around racial justice and equity issues at the local level.
• Catholic Worker Movement: The Catholic Worker Movement is a network of intentional communities and houses of hospitality rooted in Catholic social teaching. It is comparable to Spiritus Christi's social-service orientation — including the Recovery House, Prison Outreach, and immigrant support — through shared Catholic-aligned community service delivery.
• Pax Christi USA: Pax Christi USA is a Catholic peace and justice movement rooted in nonviolence and social justice. It is comparable as a Catholic-aligned organization focused on social justice, anti-racism, and advocacy — overlapping with Spiritus Christi's SPARC coalition and outreach ministries.

Direct peers

• New Ways Ministry: New Ways Ministry is a Catholic LGBTQ+ justice and advocacy organization. It is directly comparable to Spiritus Christi's LGBTQIA+ ministry through its shared mission of advancing inclusion and equality for LGBTQ+ Catholics within and beyond the institutional Church.
• DignityUSA: DignityUSA is a national organization of LGBTQIA+ Catholics seeking an inclusive church. It is directly comparable to Spiritus Christi's LGBTQIA+ inclusion ministry and progressive Catholic positioning, advocating for ordination, marriage equality, and full inclusion within the Catholic tradition.
• Roman Catholic Womenpriests: Roman Catholic Womenpriests is an organization of women ordained in the Catholic tradition. It is directly comparable because Spiritus Christi similarly ordains women priests as part of its independent Catholic identity, and Mary Ramerman was ordained through a similar movement.
• Call to Action: Call to Action is a progressive Catholic organization that Rev. Myra Brown attended for racial justice training. It is directly comparable as a network of Catholics working for ordination of women, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and anti-racism — mirroring Spiritus Christi's core differentiators.

Broad incumbents

• Metropolitan Community Church: Metropolitan Community Church is a global LGBTQIA+ affirming Christian denomination. It is broadly comparable as a larger, established progressive-Christian institution that explicitly welcomes LGBTQ+ members — overlapping with Spiritus Christi's inclusive worship positioning.
• The Episcopal Church (USA): The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican denomination that ordains women and LGBTQ+ clergy. It is broadly comparable as a larger, established Christian body that offers many of the same inclusive features (women's ordination, LGBTQ+ marriage) that Spiritus Christi provides as an independent Catholic church.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SpiritusChristi/streams
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spiritus-christi-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spiritus Christi Church