Thank you for your interest in our line of Apostolic Succession. The Presiding Bishop and Diocesan Bishops of the Holy Catholic Church have apostolic succession through Western Succession – According to the Latin (Roman) Rite, as well as Eastern Succession - According to the Greek Orthodox Rite.

What is Apostolic Succession and why does the Holy Catholic Church attach importance to it?

Definition - the authority of the church handed down by the apostles. It is passed on through sacramental admission (laying on of hands by the Bishop) into the ecclesiastical office (ordination).

Why is it important? - We as Catholics believe that the tradition of laying on of hands is essential for ordained service within our denomination. We do not however, hold it as a yardstick of validity or legitimacy against others who are called to ministry in other denominations. We have much to learn from our spiritual counterparts in other denominations. The work of the Lord needs all those with a Christian spirit working together for the fulfillment of God's reign on earth.

Record of Apostolic Succession

(Western Succession –According to the Latin Rite)

Pope Leo XIII

Cardinal Rampolla

Cardinal Arcoverde

Cardinal Sebasiao Leme

Dom. Carlos Duarte Costa Bishop of Maura

(Dom. Carlos was ordained and consecrated in Brazil in accordance with the Latin Rite and in union with the papacy. He consecrated bishops before and after his break with Rome in 1945. All bishops of the Brazilian Catholic Church as well as all the following, derive orders from him.)

Dom. Antidio Jose Vargas

Dom. Luigi Mascolo

Dom. Cylmar Correa Baldoino Costa

Dom. Jose Elias Jacomo dos Santos.
(Iglesia Catolica Apostolica Reunida)

Dom. Paulo Jose de Jesus Maria Del la Espriella Torrens
(Archbishop of Central America and Panama residence in Costa Rica)

Dom. Michael Ronald Stienhardt Vogt and Dom. Raphael Byron De Ford
(Consecrated Easter 1992, April 18,19)

Most Rev. John N. Rubar and Most Rev. Dennis J. Finnegan
(Consecrated July 7, 1997, Chicago Illinois)

(Eastern Succession According to the Greek Orthodox Rite)

Bishop Dionisio
(Jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Church, the see of Saint Mark, Alexandria)

Archbishop Constantine
(Miami, Florida)

Archbishop Paulo de Jesus Maria de la Espriella Torrens

Bishop Michael Ronald Steinhardt and Bishop Bryon De Ford Solano
(Confirmed according to the Eastern Rite, Greek Orthodox October 24 1993, San Jose) Costa Rica)

Bishop Dennis J. Finnegan and Bishop John N. Rubar 07/07/1997

***Please note that Bishops Rubar and Finnegan also have apostolic succession through the Most Rev. Robert W. Martin of the Ecumenical Catholic Church.

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Record of Apostolic Succession of through

Bishop Robert Martin
(Roman and Latin American Succession According to the Brazilian Apostolic Catholic Church and National Apostolic Catholic Churches)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Benedictus PP XIV ( Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, 1675-1758 )

Vicarius Christi (1740)

Pope Benedict XIV consecrated on March 19, 1743

Carol della Torre Rezzoni (1693-1769)

Vicarius Christi as Clemens PP XIII (1758)

Pope Clement XIII, assisted by Archbishops Scopio Borghese and

Ignatius Reali, consecrated on April 26, 1767

Bernadinus Giraud (1721-1777)

Cardinal, (1771)

Assisted by Archbishop Marcus Antonius Conti and Bishop Iosefus

Maria Carafa, Cardinal Giraud consecrated on February 23, 1777

Alexander Matthaeus ( 1744-1820)

Cardinal (1779)

Assisted by Bishops Geraldus Macioti and Franciscus Albertini,

Cardinal Matthaeus consecrated on September 12, 1819

Petrus Franciscus Galeffi (1770-1837)

Cardinal (1803)

Assisted by Archbishop Ioannes Franciscus Falzacappa and Iosephus

della Porta Rondiana, Cardinal Galeffi consecrated on December 8, 1822

Iacobus Phillipus Fransoni (1775-1856)

Cardinal (1826)

Assisted by Patriarch Joseph Valerga and Bishop Rudensindus Salvado,

Cardinal Fransoni consecrated on June 8, 1851

Carolus Sacconi (1808-1889)

Cardinal (1861)

Assisted by Archbishops Salvator Nobili Vitelleschi and Franciscus

Xaverius Fredericus de Merode, Cardinal Sacconi consecrated on June 30, 1872

Eduard Howard (1829-1892)

Cardinal (1877)

Assisted by Archbishops Alessandro Sanminiatelli Zabarella and

Bishop Guilio Lenti, Cardinal Howard consecrated on December 8, 1882

Mariano Rampolla Marchese del Tindaro (1843-1913)

Cardinal (1887)

Cardinal Rampolla del Tindaro consecrated on October 26, 1890:

In Brazil, for the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil:

Joaquin Arcoverde de Albuquerque-Calvacanti (1850-1930)

Cardinal (1905)

Cardinal de Albuquerque-Calvacanti consecrated on June 4, 1911

Sebastiao Leme de Silveira Cintra (1882-1942)

Archbishop (1921)

Assisted by Dom Alberto Jose Goncalves and Dom Benedito Paulo

Alves de Souza, Archbishop de Silveira Cintra consecrated on December 8, 1924

Carlos Duarte Costa (1888-1961)

Ordained Roman Catholic priest ( April 1, 1911)

Roman Catholic bishop ( 1924-1945 )

Patriarch, Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church ( 1945-1961 )

Bishop Carlos Duarte Costa consecrated on May 3, 1948

Luis Fernando Castillo Mendez ( 1922- )

Ordained Roman Catholic priest in Spain on August 10, 1944

Patriarch of the Church since 1961.

Consecrated a bishop on 06/05/1960 by Msgr. Carlos Duarte Costa, former Titular Bishop of Maura. He was a bishop of the Igreja Católica Apostólica Brasileira 1960-196x; since 196x he has been a bishop of the American Orthodox Catholic Church.

06/05/1960 Milton Cunha [who consecrated only one person to be a bishop

Milton Cunha
....1) Giuseppe Santo Eusebio Pace
........a) Michel Staffiero
............ Charles Richard McCarthy
...................A) Joseph Raffaele
...................B) Patrick J. Healy
...................C) Charles David Luther
...................D) Lawrence François Pierre
........b) Vittorio Maria Francescone
............I) Helmut Clemens Kyrillus Minihofer-Windisch (see below).
........c) Helmut Clemens Kyrillus Minihofer-Windisch
............I) Donald Lawrence Jolly-Gabriel (see below).
........d) Ignazio Antonio Teodosio Pietroburgo
.............I) Helmut Clemens Kyrillus Minihofer-Windisch (see below).
............II) Donald Lawrence Jolly-Gabriel


06/25/1980 Donald Lawrence Jolly-Gabriel
........1) 05/19/1991 Mark Steven Shirey Shirilau
............07/08/1995 Richard John Cardarelli
............07/08/1995 Michael Robert Frost
............07/08/1995 Denis Armand Martel
............07/08/1995 Robert Wayne Martin
...................a) 07/07/1997 Dennis Joseph Finnegan
...................b) 07/07/1997 John Nicholas Rubar


A more detailed site for apostolic succession is www.tboyle.net

Click on "Religion" then Click "Independent Bishops" then scroll down and click on "The Costa Consecrations for the Catholic Apostolic Church of Brazil".

We remember with special love and reverence the Most Rev. Robert W. Martin our first Presiding Bishop. We would also like to thank the Most Rev. Mark Shirilau and the members of the Ecumenical Catholic Church. May God bless them with His grace and help them to continue to minister to all in need.