Father Charles Blanchard is an Old Catholic priest, a wisdom guide, and along with Father Harry Posner, Jr. is a founder of Christ the Good Shepherd Old Catholic Church.
WHERE THERE ARE BARRIERS, YOU AND I WILL INDEED SURMOUNT! has been Father Charles’ modus operandi throughout his years in seminary (1979-1991), career within psychiatry (1991-99) and most recently within the pharmaceutical industry (1996-2011) which prematurely ended due to his “Little Friend” called Multiple Sclerosis.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Father Charles, who felt called to the priesthood ever since Saint Mary’s Elementary School, engaged in the following educational pursuits:
- Divine Word College (1983-1987) earning a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and a Minor in Cross-Cultural Studies.
- Nanzan University (1985-86) completing a Junior Year Abroad Program in Japanese Culture and Language Certificate.
- St Mary’s Hospital (1989-90), earning a Clinical Pastoral Education Certificate.
- Sacred Heart Major Seminary (1990-1991) pursuing a Master’s in Divinity Degree.
- Eastern Michigan University (1994-1998) earning a Master’s in Social Work with concentration in Mental Illness and Chemical Dependency.
Today, despite life’s challenges, Father Charles finds priestly ministry rewarding whereby he engages the marginalized, disenfranchised, and oppressed. He is multi-lingual speaking Japanese, German, Latin, Spanish and English; appreciates cultural diversity; and espouses a firm belief in the empowerment model, meeting people where they are in life, suspending personal judgment and seeing the world from her/his vantage point.
Through prayer, discernment, and God’s unfailing Grace, Father Charles and his husband journeyed forward, completed their seminary studies, founded Christ the Good Shepherd Old Catholic Church on May 12, 2013, and began the invitation of Peace and Love to all God’s people.
May “the seeds of self-destruction or SUCCESS” serve as common ground through which we collectively walk together to challenge, inspire, and nurture the mind, body, and spirit.
