ALTernative Catholic Ministries

ALTernative Catholic MinistriesTraditional Catholic Weddings. A Welcoming Church. Your Chosen Venue.

ALTernative Catholic Ministries offers couples the beauty, dignity, and sacred traditions of a Catholic wedding at the venue of their choice.

Based in Palm Springs, California, our ministry serves couples throughout the Coachella Valley and surrounding Southern California communities.

Founded by Fr. Séamus Campbell, an ordained priest in the Old Catholic tradition with nearly forty years of pastoral ministry, ALTernative Catholic Ministries is committed to making the richness of Catholic sacramental life accessible to couples who might otherwise find themselves excluded from a traditional church wedding.

We particularly welcome divorced Catholics wishing to marry again without obtaining a Roman Catholic annulment, couples who desire a traditional Catholic wedding outside a parish church, interfaith couples, and LGBTQ+ couples.

Our Catholic Heritage

Fr. Séamus began his religious formation within Roman Catholic religious communities and subsequently earned his Master of Divinity degree at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His theological education included extensive study with Jesuit faculty through the school's academic partnership with Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

His ministry has encompassed Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and ecumenical settings.

In New York City, he served as Director of Outreach and Director of Homeless Ministries at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church and subsequently worked with the Ecumenical Outreach Partnership, based at the church. Although not a member of its Presbyterian pastoral staff, he was frequently invited by the congregation to officiate weddings in its historic Fifth Avenue sanctuary.

For fifteen years, Fr. Séamus served as pastor of the Madison Square Park Congregation of Ecclesia Ministries, celebrating Sunday Mass in a public park with people experiencing homelessness.

Our Understanding of Marriage

Our ministry is grounded in an Incarnational understanding of Christian faith: God's presence is not confined to the walls of a church building.

Just as Fr. Séamus brought the Eucharist to people gathered in a New York City park, ALTernative Catholic Ministries brings the sacred celebration of marriage to couples wherever they choose to gather with family and friends.

Whether in a garden, a historic estate, a hotel, or a private home, the sacred character of the Catholic marriage liturgy remains unchanged.

Our wedding ceremonies preserve the familiar prayers, Scripture readings, exchange of vows, blessing of rings, and solemn blessing of the marriage. A Nuptial Mass with the celebration of the Eucharist is also available.

We believe that couples should not have to sacrifice their Catholic heritage simply because their circumstances or choice of wedding venue differ from the requirements of the Roman Catholic Church.

Our Philosophy

We bring the Church to where people are.

Every couple deserves a wedding ceremony marked by dignity, reverence, hospitality, and joy.

At ALTernative Catholic Ministries, tradition and inclusion belong together.