Responding to the Second Vatican Council, and desiring to be part of a more involved Church, a group of local Catholics joined together in the early 1970s to form the Emmaus Community.  Originally meeting in members' homes, the Community soon created its own Charter and secured designation from the Bishop as a non-territorial parish. This firmly established Emmaus as a valid equivalent to traditional parishes, in the long-standing Catholic tradition of Intentional Eucharistic Communities.

 

Emmaus received official status in 1972 and rented space at Stamford Catholic High School for Sunday liturgies, obtained its own celebrants and began religious education for adults and children. The Emmaus Community decided not to own property and to use whatever resources available to help those in need.

 

From 1986 to 2014 Emmaus Community became a part of St. Maurice Parish in Stamford, CT, celebrating liturgies in the Day Chapel. From 2015 to 2019, the Emmaus Community celebrated in St. Cecilia Parish in Stamford. 

 

Emmaus has been active in support of parish activities from food and clothing drives to fund-raising events. The community has initiated and been involved in many outreach activities over the years. This includes volunteering at New Covenant House, Pacific House and Habitat for Humanity, as well as prison ministry, tutoring and sponsoring low-income and immigrant families. We support communities in Appalachia, by delivering supplies and supporting work among families and individuals in need.  Emmaus has sponsored speakers on racial discrimination, women's issues, and environmental issues. We also donate to the local Food Bank on an ongoing basis.

 

The Emmaus Archive Committee is compiling a history with documents stored at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.