Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience

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Introduction: Hello, I'm Rev. Father Scott Carter. I believe that "Everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God" (1 John 4:7). As an ordained Independent Catholic priest, I share the Sacraments and traditions of Christianity in an inclusive, progressive, nondogmatic way. My ministry, the Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience, is Catholic, but not under the direction of the Roman Catholic Church. I officiate outdoor and traditional weddings for both same sex and opposite sex couples. I help people host Communion services (the Mass or Holy Eucharist) in their own homes or at special events. I teach contemplative prayer and offer spiritual advice to individuals and small groups. The ministry supports literal spiritual and philosophical pilgrimage, and it guides those interested in the mystical traditions of Christianity. In addition to officiating weddings, I share the sacraments of Baptism, Anointing with Oil (healing of the sick), and Confession. The Pilgrim Chapel doesn't actually charge for spiritual services, but it does recommend and gratefully accept financial donations to continue its work helping others. Bless you! I love being with people, being present for people, in the most meaningful moments of their lives. "God is Love," and I especially appreciate sharing that Love with those who might feel alienated, excluded, marginalized, or hurt by religion in the past. I enjoy working with people of all philosophical and spiritual backgrounds to create personally beautiful and significant ceremonies.

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Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, responsiveness, and work quality.

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2 reviews

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Michael K.

Nov 12, 2017

Father Scott Carter officiated at our wedding ceremony in Ashland. He guided us through the planning and legal process in a professional and supportive manner. Father Scott listened to our ideas, provided constructive feedback and suggestions, and accommodated our needs. He provided the spirituality that we wanted in our vows. His friendly demeanor relieved some of the unexpected anxiety of the wedding day. We truly believe that Father Scott was essential to making the ceremony meaningful and memorable to us and we will always be grateful to him. Sincerely, Sergio and Michael.

Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience's reply

Beautiful souls make for a beautiful day. Love to you, and thank you.

Martha & Aidan J.

Nov 1, 2017

Here’s a scenario: Two best friends decide to get married. They excitedly start planning their big event – making lists, setting dates and figuring out the myriad of who’s, whats, wheres, whys and hows. But then (in between date setting and location negotiating), they have an “Ah ha!” moment. While there are many particulars of a wedding celebration (or few, depending on the guest list), those details have nothing to do with what will truly make this couple’s special day meaningful. It’s the vows exchanged BEFORE the big party that count most, as well as having the right person standing alongside to help the best friends make their commitment. This “scenario” couple was my husband Aidan and me in October 2012 when we realized that the individual we chose as our marriage celebrant needed to be a very special person. We wanted someone who would take the time to know us, believed in marriage as a sacred union, and would be honest and supportive to us on the journey toward matrimony. Finding the person who fit our personalities (which are not exactly the same; okay – they’re pretty darned different) would be tricky. Aidan is playful but opinionated. I’m artistic yet too serious. We were both ready to commit and excited about this step, yet while Aidan was nervous about standing in front of a crowd, I was anxious with self judgement of being an “institutional” failure (having been married before). We both believe in God and are fairly spiritual, but we’re not religious church-goers, and though we briefly considered a small quiet gathering, we also wanted to create a memorable experience for my kids and our combined families and friends. Who would we ask to help us bring it all together? Well, we were lucky. We already knew Scott Carter: our friend. We already knew this guy who is easy to talk to about everything from motorcycles to music, who is un-apologetically devoted to his wife and crazy about his kid, who is grounded and thoughtful, and can defuse a hot-tempered argument between soccer parents as easily as he can crack jokes at a dinner party. We had already shared some amazing back porch conversations with Scott about child rearing, his own 20+ years marriage and yes – even God. We were pretty positive that Scott was our guy. So we asked if he would marry us, and after thoughtful consideration and a check in with his spiritual advisors, Scott accepted the duty. Over the next nine months, Scott met with Aidan and me several times. We discussed ceremonial logistics as well as the landscape of our emotions. We talked over family dynamics (they tend to come out when a wedding is in the works) and reception-planning highs and woes. Scott continually helped us gain clarity as we all worked together creating the ritual foundation that would support a committed, lifelong and loving marriage. Scott’s approach to the ceremony writing included focused but flexible conversations about the words and prayers we wanted combined with his wise counsel. He graciously allowed us to steer the spiritual course of the event and listened carefully and without judgement to our concerns about language and semantics. Scott also kept us on track with decision-making. He gently nudged us to have our vows, readings, and a schedule planned and (mostly) polished with enough time before the wedding date that we avoided undue stress. Finally, he advised us on marriage license procedure, managed the rehearsal and wore the vestments of his station (no pun intended) with unflappable professionalism. Mostly, Scott was exactly who we needed next to us: a firm-hearted guide and intercessor of God’s love and blessing upon our marriage. After hearing at least two dozen of our guests say “Your ceremony was the most beautiful and meaningful I have ever witnessed. I will never forget it” I’m convinced that I’m not simply suffering bride’s myopia. Plus, as a believer in both setting good intentions as well as taking care in what you wish for, I am now happily married and certain that Aidan and I were remarkably fortunate to have Scott Carter marry us. No one else would have made our amazing day as complete. I highly recommend Scott as a marriage celebrant, a spiritual mentor, a relationship guide, and a mighty fine friend.

Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience's reply

Just love. Bless you!

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Because I don't charge for spiritual services, the "prices" offered here are suggested donations based on what others have donated for similar work. If you are financially able to donate more than the suggested amount, please do; it will help me continue to help others with less. If you are financially challenged and unable to donate the suggested amount, please talk with me about what you can do and how I can help.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I love being truly present, with people in the most important moments in their lives. I want to understand how I can best help, so I like to meet in person when possible. That said, I am generally available by email, phone, and text. I have both a personal Facebook page and one for my ministry, The Pilgrim Chapel of Contemplative Conscience.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am, in addition to being a legal wedding officiant in Oregon, an ordained priest in the Independent Catholic movement, which means my ministry is Catholic in tradition but not under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. I have degrees in Divinity and English, as well as long experience with public speaking. I also have experience listening to and helping people spiritually, including experience with weddings, memorial services, and the traditional Sacraments (communion, baptism, confession, etc.). I'm blessed to be able to help people in the ways more conservative priests and ministers traditionally do, but from a more inclusive, less judgmental place.