Ordination Schedule for Summer 2012

Below is a list of ordinations for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Dates will be added as they become available:

SATURDAY, JUNE 2

Priesthood: Mobile, Alabama (9 a.m., Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception): Matthew Venuti

Diaconate: Washington, DC (10 a.m., Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Crypt Church): Rick Kramer, Mark Lewis, David Reamsnyder, Randy Sly, Anthony Vidal

SUNDAY, JUNE 3

Priesthood: Greenville, South Carolina (6 p.m., St. Mary’s Catholic Church): Jon Chalmers

Diaconate: St. Augustine, Florida (6 p.m., Historic St. Joseph Church, Mandarin): Nick Marziani

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

Diaconate: Los Angeles, California (9 a.m., Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels): Andrew Bartus

Priesthood: Baltimore, Maryland (10 a.m., Cathedral of Mary Our Queen): Jason Catania, David Reamsnyder, John Anthony Vidal

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

Diaconate: Des Moines, Iowa (8:30 a.m., St. Ambrose Cathedral): Chori Jonathin Seraiah

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

Priesthood: St. Augustine, Florida (11 a.m., Historic St. Joseph Church, Mandarin): Nick Marziani

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Priesthood: Washington, DC (10 a.m., Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle): Rick Kramer and Mark Lewis

Priesthood: Arlington, Virginia (10:30 a.m., Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, Potomac Falls): Randy Sly

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

Reception of a parish community: Towson, Maryland (9:30 a.m., Christ the King Church): Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson will receive 125 members of the Anglican parish of Christ the King (rector, Fr. Ed Meeks) into the Ordinariate

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

Priesthood: Fort Worth, Texas (9 a.m., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Keller, Texas): Mark Cannaday, Charles Hough III, Charles Hough IV, Timothy Perkins, Christopher Stainbrook and Joshua Whitfield

TUESDAY, JULY 3

Priesthood: San Juan Capistrano, California (11 a.m.: Basilica Mission San Juan Capistrano): Andrew Bartus (also at Mass: reception of Catholics from Orange County and San Diego, California)

SUNDAY, JULY 8

Priesthood: Des Moines, Iowa (10:30 a.m., St. Ambrose Cathedral): Chori Jonathin Seraiah

from the web site of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter

Solemnity of Pentecost and St. Timothy's Church

May 30, 2012

by Bishop Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD

60 members of St. Timothy Church were received into the Ordinariate of
the Chair of St. Peter at St. Mary the Assumption Church on May 27.
St. Timothy was a former Episcopalian Church which announced its
desire to enter the US Ordinariate on January 1.
Photo by Donna Ryckaert

Today was a truly blessed and historic day, as on this great feast of Pentecost, about 60 members of St. Timothy Church were received into the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter at St. Mary the Assumption Church in Fort Worth. The members of St. Timothy Church through the leadership of their Pastor, Rev. Christopher Stainbrook, officially announced their desire to enter the US Ordinariate on January 1, 2012, on the same day that the Holy See announced the erection of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter in the United States with Msgr. Jeffery Steenson named as the Ordinary. Since that time, the members of St. Timothy had been involved in several weeks of formation and catechesis in preparation for the reception into the Church. Today about 60 of their members, along with their pastor were received into the Church by Fr. David Bristow, pastor of St. Mary the Assumption.

I was able to address the congregation at the beginning of Mass to welcome them and affirm their decision to come into the Ordinariate in what is truly a historic occasion and give them my blessing before I headed over to the Cathedral for Adult Confirmation of about 65 adult Catholics from across the Diocese. After his homily, Fr. Bristow received and confirmed about 60 of their members, beginning with their pastor Christopher Stainbrook who then proudly stood and sponsored each member as they came forward for Confirmation. After Confirmation, Fr. Bristow then presided over a brief Rite of Welcome for about 15 members of St. Timothy’s who were still in preparation for full reception and Confirmation, and who will be received into the Church on a later date. Christopher Stainbrook then addressed his congregation and thanked them for their perseverance in this journey of faith and stated that in his 22 years of ministry this was the most emotional moment he has ever experienced...

Read the full story on the blog of The Shepherd of Fort Worth.

Hat tip to Mary Ann Mueller

For additional information visit the web site of St. Timothy's.

Seven priests to be ordained in the Archdiocese of Baltimore

By Elizabeth Lowe

Deacon Steven Roth remembers being 5 years old, coming home from school and retreating to his room to celebrate Mass – using his desk as an altar and Necco wafers as Communion.

His childhood dream of becoming a priest will come to life June 9 when Archbishop William E. Lori ordains Deacon Roth and three others to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The 10 a.m. ordination Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Homeland...

Deacon Stephen Cotter, Deacon Issac Makovo and Deacon Jaime Garcia-Vasquez will also be ordained to the priesthood during the special liturgy. All were ordained to the transitional diaconate May 21, 2011, by Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien – their final step before becoming priests...

During the June 9 Mass, Deacon Jason Catania, a former Anglican priest who was ordained to the Catholic transitional diaconate May 12, will be ordained a Catholic priest by Archbishop Lori for the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter – a jurisdiction established by Pope Benedict XVI to minister to former Anglicans.

Deacons Anthony Vidal and David Reamsnyder, also former Anglican priests, will be ordained Catholic transitional deacons June 2 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and ordained as priests for the ordinariate during the June 9 liturgy.

Deacons Catania, Vidal and Reamsnyder previously served as Anglican clergy at Mount Calvary Church in Baltimore, a former Anglican parish that was received into the Catholic Church in January.

“I think the moment when the archbishop lays his hands on my head will be a very powerful thing,” said Deacon
Catania, 40...

Read the whole story at the web site of The Catholic Review.

Hat tip to Daniel Page.

Ordination to the diaconate for six Ordinariate clerics

Fr. Scott Hurd, Vicar General of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, writes on Facebook:

I thank God for the last night's ordination as transitional deacon of six oustanding men in Fort Worth. As a former priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, I give thanks in a particular way for my friends and former colleagues. Of them, Deacon Chuck Hough Sr. was my first boss at St. Andrews', Grand Prairie, and his son was an altar server at Stephanie's and my wedding. And I had great joy assisting Deacon Christopher Stainbrook Stainbrook leading the diocesan youth ministry- which included a fine young woman named Kristina Steenson! And thanks you, Bishop Kevin Vann.

(left to right) Charles Hough IV, Timothy Perkins, Joshua Whitfield,
Christopher Stainbrook, Mark Cannaday, and Charles Hough III

See also the story on the Anglo-Catholic blog.

Upcoming Ordinariate Ordinations in Australia

You may recall that Archbishop Hart announced that the Australian Ordinariate for former Anglicans would commence on June 15.

Well here is something to make that a bit more concrete. I've been told that Bishop Harry Entwistle of the Traditional Anglican Communion will be ordained to the Catholic Priesthood at 7.00 pm on Friday 15 June 2012 at St Mary’s Cathedral Perth – ie the “start date” of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. Also, members of his TAC flock will be received into the Catholic Church.

So Perthites, please do make a note in your diaries, and show them your support!

And if you know of upcoming ordinations/receptions into the Church elsewhere, please do let me know and I'll publicize them too!

Please keep all concerned in your prayers.

From Australia Incognita.

Hat tip to Fr. Stephen Smuts

The Harvest is Ready...

Rocco Palma writes on ordinations for the Ordinariates in the US and Canada:

Much as Pentecost marks the "birthday" of the church, it's rare that this 50th Day of Easter actually lends itself to seeing a community of the faithful take shape and grow in real-time. This year, though, that just so happens to be the case in our midst.

Along those lines, while an early-month briefing on the global Anglican Ordinariate effort said that the first priestly ordination for the venture's North American branch would take place on June 3rd in South Carolina, to use a Roman term, the report has been superseded by a fresh development.

According to a Friday announcement from the Houston-based Chair of St Peter and the archdiocese of Mobile, the first priesting for the key papal project will instead take place a day earlier, as a 31 year-old former Episcopal cleric is ordained next Saturday alongside the Alabama church's own quintet of candidates.

His clearance for orders received from Rome just prior to the weekend, Matthew Alan Venuti will be ordained a transitional deacon tonight by Mobile's Archbishop Thomas Rodi in the chapel of a parish there, which doubles as the worship-space for the local Anglican Use community he leads.

The married father of one became an Episcopal priest in 2010 and was received into the Catholic church last September...

Read the rest at Whispers in the Loggia.

Ordination at Westminster Cathedral

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Seventeen men were ordained Deacon today, 26th May 2012, at Westminster Cathedral for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. They were ordained by Bishop Alan Hopes, on behalf of Monsignor Keith Newton. The large congregation included members of their respective Ordinariate Groups and also former parishioners from their time as Anglicans. In the homily, Mgr Andrew Burnham pointed to the candidates' many years of priestly service and the energy, experience and wisdom which they bring to the Catholic Church.
The music included the Mass for five voices by Byrd and motets by Tallis and Victoria. The hymns "Crown him with many crowns" and "Lord enthroned in heavenly splendour" were sung with great zeal, as befits the Anglican patrimony, and Dubois' "Toccata" for organ provided a joyous conclusion to the liturgy.

In the coming days and weeks, they will be ordained to the Priesthood, usually in their local Diocese. Full details are to be found in the Calendar on the website.

Mgr Newton thanked Canon Tuckwell, the Administrator, the staff, servers and choir of the cathedral for their help and support and Bishop Hopes for ordaining these new Deacons.

Hat tip to Deacon Greg Kandra at The Deacon's Bench

Former Anglican Priests Make History as First Ordination Class for Catholic Ordinariate

Mobile, Alabama man to be first of 30 priests ordained for U.S.-based Ordinariate

 

A former Episcopal priest, Matthew Venuti of Mobile, Alabama, will make history when he becomes the first priest ordained for the Catholic Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. The U.S.-based ordinariate was created by Pope Benedict XVI to welcome Anglican groups and clergy seeking to become Catholic while retaining elements of their Anglican heritage. It is equivalent to a diocese, but national in scope.

 

Mobile Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi will ordain Venuti a priest on Saturday, June 2, 10 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 2 South Claiborne Street, Mobile, AL 36602, along with four priests for the Archdiocese of Mobile.

 

Venuti’s ordination will be followed by 29 more ordinations of former Anglican priests across the United States this summer. They include hospital executive Jon Chalmers on June 3 in Greenville, South Carolina, followed by a father and son in Fort Worth, Texas; an editor of a major Catholic website in Virginia; military chaplains; and former Anglican priests in Arizona, California, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania and other states.

 

The ordinariate is led by former Episcopal bishop, Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson of Houston, Texas. Only one other exists, in England, and a third will be established in Australia on June 15. Dozens of communities are in the process of joining the U.S. Ordinariate and 60 Anglican priests are in formation, including the 30 to be ordained this summer.

 

Archbishop Rodi noted, “Matthew’s ordination is both a joy and a sign of hope that the unity Jesus prayed for at the Last Supper may one day be fully realized. We welcome him to serve the people both of the Archdiocese of Mobile and the Ordinariate.”

 

In speaking about the ordinations nationally, Msgr. Steenson said, “These ordinations mark a significant moment in the history of Catholic unity. Our expedited formation program, approved by the Holy See, has been a wonderful testimony to the deep respect that the Catholic Church has for the former Anglican ministries of these men.”

 

“They will continue to engage in ongoing formation and it is my hope that our brother priests throughout the Catholic Church will come along side us as mentors and friends. Together we will strive to lay a good foundation for this apostolate of unity that Pope Benedict has made possible,” he added.

 

“Coming home to the Catholic Church has been an amazing experience. I am ever grateful to the Holy Father for calling Anglicans back home and extending such pastoral generosity,” said Venuti.

 

Matthew Venuti, 31, received an undergraduate degree from the College of St. Rose in Albany, NY in 2002. He worked in the music industry, in the jazz and pop music fields, before entering Virginia Theological Seminary. After receiving a master of divinity degree in 2010, he was ordained an Episcopal priest.

 

He served as curate for the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Dothan, Alabama until entering the Catholic Church in September 2011. He currently serves as the coordinator of faith formation for St. Mary Catholic parish in Mobile. He also leads the Society of St. Gregory the Great, an Anglican use group that is based at St. Mary’s and is online at www.stgregorymobile.org. He and his wife, Minerva, have been married for five years and have a young son. Special permission has been given for those former Anglican priests who are married to be ordained Catholic priests.

 

Prior to ordination, the men must go through an extensive process that includes submitting detailed background information to, and receiving approval to move forward from, the Vatican; undergoing a criminal background check and psychological assessment; receiving an endorsement from the local Catholic bishop; participating in an intensive formation program; passing an examination; and receiving a rescript from the Vatican permitting ordination. Ordinations are being scheduled as rescripts are received.

 

Online:

 

·         U.S. Ordinariate: www.usordinariate.org and www.facebook.com/CSPOrdinariate

·         Society of St. Gregory the Great: www.stgregorymobile.org

·         Anglicanorum coetibus, the Vatican document authorizing ordinariates:http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus_en.html

Is the English Catholic Hierarchy hostile to the Ordinariate?

William Oddie, a former Anglican Priest and author of The Roman Option wonders if the fact that the Ordinariate in the UK hasn't had a principal church given it, despite many redundant churches, is a sign of a far deeper problem. He writes:

At Westminster Cathedral this Saturday, another milestone for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham will be reached, with the ordination of another 17 former Anglican priests as deacons on their way to the Catholic priesthood. The ordination Mass will be celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Alan Hopes of Westminster. “I have been informed”, says the author of the excellent A Reluctant Sinner blog, “that it has been quite some time since Westminster Cathedral will have witnessed the ordination of so many men at the one Mass.”

This is a good opportunity, therefore, to ask once more a serious question, which I asked recently in Faith magazine: the answer I gave ought to have evoked some kind of response from the powers that be (at whom it was aimed): it predictably aroused, however, a resonant silence from that quarter. The question is this: what is happening, exactly, in and to the ordinariate, whose first anniversary has now passed? I had always assumed that the ordinariate would begin in a small way, consolidate over a year or so, and then find itself growing naturally as Catholic-minded Anglicans perceived it to be a real alternative to an Anglicanism increasingly under liberal Protestant domination. Is the ordinariate showing signs of fulfilling the potential many of us had hoped to see realised?

Well, it’s too early to tell. But there’s no doubt that there are certain things needed if Anglicanorum coetibus is to take concrete and permanent form here: one of them is that the existing hierarchy should in the early stages help and cooperate with it, while at the same time rigorously respecting and fostering the new jurisdiction’s absolute independence. The question now is whether this – or the reverse – is actually what the hierarchy is doing.

As I have already written in this column, I am beginning to wonder if the warm welcome with which even formerly hostile members of our hierarchy greeted the establishment of the ordinariate was genuine. Was their conversion authentic? Or were they being devious? Is the truth that their warm words were what they knew the Pope wanted them to utter, but that their true intention, hidden this time, in contrast to their open hostility to the original “Roman Option”, was to allow the whole thing to get under way and then quietly and over time to strangle it? I think that is the real truth.

If it is not, why, unlike the new American ordinariate and the even newer Australian ordinariate (who were both assigned a church building on their erection), has the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham still not been given a principal church?...

Read the whole article at The Catholic Herald.

Hat tip to Fr. Stephen Smuts.

Sisters of the Sacred Cross

Father Bartus writes: 

At Bl. John's, we are honored and priviledged to have Sr. Carol Therese worship with us and help us build a new parish community for the Ordinariate in Orange County. But Sr. Carol's order, Servants of the Sacred Cross, have sisters in the US, Canada and Australia and the entire community is coming into the Ordinariates in those countries! We've read about the receptions in Victoria and elsewhere, but so far, no publicity has been given to these sisters.

Here are some photos of their Superior, Mother Wendy James, SSC, at her reception in Victoria. Please keep these nuns in your prayers as they discover ways to work within the Ordinariates and transfer their unique gifts and talents to further the Catholic faith and the Anglican patrimony!

Read the whole post at Anglican Patrimony.

May 24, 2012. Fr. Bartus has posted an update to his post:

UPDATE: In the post below, I made a few mistakes that require clarification. Their Superior, Mother Wendy James, SSC, writes that the sisters are not technically nuns, as they are a dispersed Community of married and single women under the appropriate Vows and living in our own homes. And they are actually present in four countries - Canada, the USA, Australia and England. Also, I mentioned that the Sisters were all Ordinariate-bound, but in fact, they have made no decision in terms of seeking to become a recognized Community of the Ordinariate(s); decisions like this are made by their governing body, being those who comprise their voting body of Professed Sisters at their General Chapter.

Mother Wendy hopes to write in to tell us more about the Community and its founding and history. Stay tuned!

The Line Continues...

Rocco Palma writes about recent and upcoming ordinations:

River City, the Third Saturday of May....

In a tradition stretching back to 1853 and the hands of the nation's lone bishop-saint, that could only mean one thing. And so, even amid an epic tide of trials and transformation, the "long black line" continued on here earlier today as, in his first turn at the rite, the Ninth Archbishop ordained six new priests.

The sextet are part a national ordinandi class that, all told, holds at just shy of 500 new priests for the nation's dioceses and religious orders for the year. While 2012's figure of 487 "potential ordinands" is roughly consistent with last year's, the number of new US priests has increased 21 percent since 2008, according to CARA figures.

As local numbers go, leading the pack among the dioceses are two usual suspects of recent years: Archbishop John Myers of Newark ordained 16 men today for New Jersey's 1.3 million-member lead fold, while Cardinal Francis George of Chicago priested 14 of his own last week...


All that said, it's worth noting that 2012's largest ordination group for an ecclesial circumscription on these shores belongs not to any time-honored outpost, but the new kid on the block. Thanks to the recent establishment of the Anglican Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter and its unique circumstances, the nationwide entity comprising no more than a few thousand souls will welcome somewhere between 30 and 60 new priests over the remainder of this year as freshly-"Poped" Episcopal clergy are cleared for orders and commissioned following the new body's Vatican-approved program of rapid, mostly online formation conducted by Houston's St Mary's Seminary and University of St Thomas.

As previously noted, the Chair's first priestly ordination is slated to take place on June 3rd in South Carolina, with several others quickly to follow. Given the priest crunch in no shortage of US locales, the Ordinariate clerics -- most of them married -- are likely to take on secondary assignments or be sought out for coverage duty in the Latin-church dioceses where they reside. In exchange for the added manpower, at least several US bishops are pitching in to aid the priests and the Houston-based start-up alike by, among other things, providing health insurance and other benefits for their local Ordinariate clergy and their families.

[emphasis mine--ed.]

Read the full post at Whispers in the Loggia.

Hat tip to Fr. Stephen Smuts.

Being a Layman...

Fr. Chori Seraiah writes on his blog The Maccabean:

...As a layman I have noticed that Catholics usually show great respect for their clergy. This is different from what the norm is in many protestant congregations. I have seen protestants who deeply love their pastors; to a point. In other words, they love their pastor until he does something that displeases them. As soon as there is a difference in perspective, then it is common fare for the laity to demonize the offending clergyman. No, this is not a universal practice, but it is common enough where you can generally expect it to occur.

On the other hand, I have seen Catholics who do not really like their priest show him sincere respect. Their attitude seems to be "I may disagree with him, but he's the priest and I'm not". Happy to learn from my brothers and sisters, I have appreciated the various examples that they have given me in how this works itself out in the life of a Catholic parish (they likely did not know that I was observing them, but I am thankful for each and every one of them). The consequence for me is that I have had the chance to think about what it means to live like a layman in the Catholic Church just long enough to appreciate the differences.

What I am getting at is that the waiting time that I had to go through has been wonderful. If I had been an Anglican priest on Thursday, a Catholic layman on Friday, a Catholic Deacon on Saturday and a Catholic Priest on Sunday, there would not be the opportunity to feel the difference. This would have taken away the blessing of being "one of the people" in the parish. I know this is somewhat of a crass comparison, but it makes me think of what it must be like for those who are not virgins when they get married; the transition is minimized. I am certainly thankful for the short amount of time that we are being made to endure this wait, but I am also thankful that it was not shorter....

Read the entire post, part of which was quoted below in Deborah's post.

Hat tip to Fr. Stephen Smuts.

The joys and sorrows of the path to unity

Over at the Anglo-Catholic blog, Deborah Gyapong from the Sodality of the Annunciation of the BVM has a thoughtful post that begins with her sodality's celebration of the Ascension and then moves on to consider in brief the path that the Anglican Catholic Church of Canada has trod these past few years. I commend it to your reading.

I think many of us who have made the choice to come into the Catholic Church did so in a kind of Gethsemane moment. Thus it was interesting to read this post by Chori Seraiah, h/t/ Fr. Stephen Smuts,about what it has been like for him to be a lay Catholic and leave aside his priesthood. He has just received news that his ordination as a Catholic priest can go ahead. He writes:

When the phone rang I had a couple seconds of fear. I was worried that I was about to hear “I’m sorry to have to bring you some bad news . . . ” Instead he said the words that I have been waiting to hear for a very long time. “Rome has granted your approval for ordination.” My wife was sitting right next to me at the time; first she got an enormous smile, and then she started to cry...This was one of those things that is best understood only after you give it up. Only after I was willing to say, “it is not my choice, and I must be willing to give up anything for the sake of following Christ” could I have a deep appreciation of this wonderful blessing.

UK Conference of Latin Mass Society

This conference may be of interest to some of our readers. You may register at this link.

Anglicanorum Digest

From Rocco Palma's blog...

Four months since its establishment by Rome, the Stateside Ordinariatefor Anglican groups entering Catholic communion is coming off a banner week, the first of many soon to come.

On Saturday, two top-tier American prelates each ordained a former Episcopal priest to the transitional diaconate, bringing the Chair of St Peter's officially on-deck group of priests-in-waiting to three. The once-and-future Fathers Jason Catania and David Ousley respectively lead the freshly received communities in Baltimore and Philadelphia, the latter of which completed its journey during Holy Week.

Another onetime Anglican priest, now Deacon Jon David Chalmers became the Ordinariate's first cleric during the Easter Octave in South Carolina, and will be ordained a Catholic priest on June 3rd. Last Tuesday, meanwhile, the circumscription that covers all entering Anglican groups in North America likewise incardinated its first priest -- Fr Eric Bergman, a married father of seven ordained for the diocese of Scranton in 2007 -- as well as completing the purchase of a church for his community, which had been sharing space with a local parish.

Beyond the trickle of founding clerics, some 60 candidates for orders have been cleared for the pipeline over the last several months, half of them said to be preparing for imminent ordination to diaconate and priesthood. Among them, late this month brings what'll likely be the largest single ordination rite as -- in the region long known as the cradle of American Anglo-Catholicism -- Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth makes Catholic deacons of six former Anglican clerics.

Including the unprecedented priesting of a father and son together, the sextet will be ordained on June 30th, and one of the men has already been named the next pastor of the Ordinariate's "principal church" (effectively its cathedral), Houston's Our Lady of Walsingham parish, effective July 1.

Upon their approval for orders by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, all the candidates have taken part in a rapid-formation course, mostly conducted online from Houston's St Mary's Seminary and University of St Thomas.

Reflecting the rise of the Southern church and Texas' longtime status as the dominant venue of the Anglican communities which have journeyed to Rome on these shores, the Ordinariate is American Catholicism's first national entity to be based outside the traditional centers of ecclesial influence in the Northeast and upper Midwest...

Read the entire post at Whispers in the Loggia. (And note that he picked up my video of Msgr. Steenson's talk in Beverly!)

Writing at the Anglo-Catholic blog, Fr. Phillips writes:

Ever since the "Becoming One" gathering in November, 2010, there have been friendships formed and information shared about groups getting organized. From time to time on the pages of this blog, we have featured some of these Ordinariate-bound groups, and it would be inspiring to have more of these "local stories" shared with our readers. If you'd like to have the story of your parish, society, or group featured here, please contact me at FrPhillips@atonementonline.com, and I'll be more than happy to share your story on The Anglo-Catholic as part of what I'd like to call our "Bright Lights" series. By the way, this isn't just for American groups. We'd love to hear from those in Canada and Australia, and also from groups in the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Fr. Phillips wrote that rescinding his parish's application for admission to the U.S. Ordinariate would allow the parish to maintain its integrity and unity, until the time was ready for an admission that would permit this. Another benefit is that his pen has been freed to write and give us the benefits of his thoughts and his efforts on behalf of the work of preserving and furthering the Anglican heritage within the Catholic Church, a pen that had largely been chained in public fora like The Anglo-Catholic since January.

Do look at Father's post on the Anglican Use Society in Orange County, California, and if your community has a similar story to tell, get in touch with him.

Hat tip to Fr. Stephen Smuts.

Fr. Hunwicke writes...

I have just heard that the Holy Father has signed the Dispensation from Celibacy, which means that, Deo Volente, I shall take part in the Deaconing Service on May 26, 10.00 in Westminster Cathedral. There is no time arranged yet for the Priesting.

I am extremely grateful to the very many dear friends, both those I have met in the flesh and those with whom I have communicated over the airwaves, people all over the world, who have kept me in their prayers and assured me constantly of their affection and esteem.

Visit him at his blog Liturgical Notes.

How the Ordinariate is healing England’s cultural wounds

Four hundred years after the bitter conflicts of religion, the Church is posthumously reCatholicising Archbishop Cranmer and reclaiming him for our tradition
By FR ALEXANDER LUCIE-SMITH on Friday, 11 May 2012

Yesterday I was in a cathedral city in the south of England, and having time to spare, and because it was raining, I decided to visit the cathedral and stay for Evensong. I am, like so many in this country, familiar with Evensong; I find it both beautiful and alien at the same time. I both love it and hate it. I only go to Evensong to listen to it, never to take part.
...

Thus the experience of Cranmerian English leaves me feeling conflicted. I love it and I hate it, and I feel I ought to love it, as it is so beautiful, and because it has inspired so many of our great poets, not least among whom is T.S. Eliot.

That’s why I am profoundly pleased by something that happened earlier that day in London. I attended a meeting about the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, at which Mgr Burnham, the assistant to the Ordinary, told the assembled guests that a Customary is in preparation.  This is essentially what we might call an office book, with various readings drawn from the English spiritual tradition, such as Newman’s writings from his Anglican days; but it also draws on those fine psalms and prayers used by Cranmer, with some doctrinal alterations. Mgr Burnham also spoke of the growing popularity of Evensong and Benediction amidst Ordinariate congregations.

What this Customary will do, it seems to me, is posthumously reCatholicise Cranmer and reclaim him for our tradition; it will make the Cranmerian liturgy, which I find a cause of division and conflict, into something that will bring about unity. It will mean that from now on, I need not find Evensong alien. Perhaps Dr Cranmer himself would approve. I hope so! It certainly promotes the healing of a cultural and religious wound.
The Ordinariate, which I greatly welcome, is already enriching us in many ways. Long may it continue to grow and flourish.

Read the whole article in the Catholic Herald.

Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham to be published

The Customary of Our Lady of Walsingham will be be released on 30th June.

Per the description:

This is a daily prayer book for the Ordinariate – those former Anglicans who have recently become a distinct part of the Roman Church. In creating the Ordinariate, Pope Benedict recognised the treasures that Anglicans brought with them from their own tradition and this book is replete with the riches of Anglican patrimony. It contains material from the Anglican tradition, adapted according to the Roman rite including:

* an order for morning, evening and night prayer throughout the year
* an interim order of the Mass
* spiritual readings for the Christian year
* the minor offices
* calendar and lectionary tables

For use throughout the English speaking world, this unique volume will fill an immediate need. Eventually, an authorised version of the Mass for the Ordinariate will emerge from Rome, but that is many years away.

from the blog of Fr. Stephen Smuts.

Personal Ordinariate to be established in Australia on June 15

Media Release 11 May, 2012
The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, announced today that Pope Benedict XVI intends to announce the establishment in Australia of a Personal Ordinariate for Former Anglicans to commence on 15th June 2012.
A Personal Ordinariate is a church structure for particular groups of people who wish to enter into communion with the Catholic Church.
In 2009 Pope Benedict announced special arrangements to cater for groups of Anglicans who wished to join the Catholic Church. This provision allows them to maintain some of the traditions of prayer and worship of Anglicanism...

Read the full press release here.

Hat tip to Fr. Phillips posting at the Anglo Catholic blog.

Scranton priest and parish join new Catholic jurisdiction for former Anglicans

BY LAURA LEGERE
May 10, 2012

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/scranton-priest-and-parish-join-new-catholic-jurisdiction-for-former-anglicans-1.1313136#ixzz1uVdZsPpt

A Scranton Roman Catholic priest who was previously an ordained Episcopalian has been named the first priest in a new national Catholic jurisdiction that incorporates elements of the Anglican faith.

The Rev. Eric Bergman was incardinated on Tuesday into the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, a jurisdiction of U.S. Catholics established by the Pope at the start of the year that welcomes Anglicans and some of their traditions into the Catholic Church.

The U.S. ordinariate is just the second such group established by the pope. The first, for England and Wales, was created in 2011.

"This is a significant moment in the young history of the ordinariate," Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, the Houston, Texas-based ordinary of the jurisdiction, said in a statement Wednesday.

Father Bergman became the first priest of 60 preparing to join the ordinariate, about 30 of whom are expected to be ordained in the next few months. Unlike most of those current or former Anglican priests, Father Bergman was already ordained a Catholic priest in 2007...

Read the whole story in the Scranton Times Tribune

Hat tip to Mary Ann Mueller

On the Vine and the Branches

From a mid-week reflection by Bishop Moyer of the Fellowship of Blessed John Henry Newman:

The Prophets spoke in different ways of Israel as being both vineyard and vine from which God looks for good fruit. The Prophets tell how their disobedience in clinging to false gods had disastrous effects on the vineyard and vine of God’s planting.

Jesus reintroduces and redefines this image of the vineyard and vine, saying that He, as the Incarnate Son of God, has been planted in their midst by a merciful and graciously-providing and restoring God. They are to understand themselves as the branches that need to find themselves connected to God through Jesus the Messiah – the One who comes to lead them into holiness and righteousness before God. They are to be firmly connected with Him as the Vine, so that they bear good fruit. If they remain unconnected, they will not be able to bear the fruit they should, and may even find themselves cut off from the Vine and thrown away as useless.

It is more than interesting to me that in teachings like this, in which Jesus makes very profound statements about He who is, He offers both the promise of blessings and abundant life when people accept Him for who He is; but, at the same time, makes it clear that the consequences of not accepting His teaching and direction are severe, i.e. that the branch can either bear much fruit, or it can be thrown into the fire and burned!

What we are to hear in this Gospel passage is that the Catholic Church is the vineyard, the New Israel, and Jesus the Vine is its head through the Successor of Peter. Jesus prayed, as we do at every Mass, that we “all may be one." We long for that, and we pray that it will (in God’s time) be our corporate reality. The Holy Father gave us his Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, meaning “groups of Anglicans." As we hope, pray, and work for such unity, we are to be connected with Jesus the Vine for His Life to live within us – that, as we pray in the Prayer of Humble Access (referring His Presence in the Blessed Sacrament) “that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us.”

The final words of that great Anglican prayer points to what Father Bartunek writes in his book The Better Part about this morning’s Gospel. He writes: “Where does the vine stop and its branches begin? Their union is too complete to tell. The same sap gives life to the vine and its branches. He is Lord from within, renewing our hearts from the inside, as only God can do” (p. 944).

Read the entire reflection at the web site of the Fellowship.

American Ordinariate Gets Its First Priest

Fr. Eric Bergman of Scranton Joins Ordinariate; Church Purchased for New Parish

The new U.S. ordinariate for Anglican groups entering the Catholic Church achieved a milestone on May 8, 2012 when Reverend Eric Bergman of Scranton, PA became its first priest. The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter was established by Pope Benedict XVI on January 1 in response to repeated requests by Anglican groups and clergy who were seeking to become Catholic. The ordinariate is similar to a diocese, though national in scope.

Fr. Bergman, 41, is a former Episcopal priest who was ordained a Catholic priest five years ago for the Diocese of Scranton. Since that time, he has been chaplain to the 150-member St. Thomas More Anglican Use Society.

The group will become St. Thomas More Parish at St. Joseph Church and will be located at the former St. Joseph property in Scranton's Providence neighborhood starting in late August. The ordinariate purchased the property from the Diocese of Scranton for $254,000, with $200,000 of that amount raised by the St. Thomas More community during a three-week period this spring.

"This is a significant moment in the young history of the ordinariate. I am grateful to Bishop Joseph Bambera and to the Diocese of Scranton for their support," said Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, the Ordinary. "The incardination of Fr. Bergman, and the reception of several Anglican communities across the United States and Canada over the past few months, are tangible signs of Christ at work in this new undertaking."

Approximately 60 current or former Anglican priests are preparing to be ordained Catholic priests for the ordinariate, with 30 ordinations expected in the next few months. Ordinariate parishes will be fully Catholic while retaining elements of their Anglican heritage and traditions, including liturgical traditions.

Fr. Bergman noted, "I am particularly grateful to Bishop Bambera, and to Msgr. William Feldcamp, pastor of St. Paul's Parish and St. Clare's Church, who has been instrumental in the maintenance of our ministry over the years. St. Thomas More has thrived, and we look forward to our future as an ordinariate parish."

Underscoring the historic nature of this announcement, Bishop Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, commented, "I was pleased to be able to cooperate with Monsignor Steenson in order to help facilitate Father Bergman's incardination process. For the past five years, Father Bergman has faithfully supported the Diocese of Scranton. We are grateful for his service and wish him continued blessings in his ministry."

Fr. Bergman, a native of Bethlehem, PA, graduated from James Madison University before obtaining a Master of Divinity degree from Yale. He was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1997, and served in Scranton as curate at St. Luke's Episcopal Church and as rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd. He became Catholic in 2005 and was ordained a Catholic priest in 2007. In addition to serving as chaplain to the Anglican Use Society, he has been chaplain at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore, PA and at Mercy Hospital in Scranton. He and his wife, Kristina, have seven children ages 6 months to 10 years.

St. Joseph was established as a Lithuanian-language parish in 1895 and is a former home of Venerable Maria Kaupas, foundress of the Sisters of St. Casimir, who was a housekeeper at the parish in the late 19th century. A miracle attributed to her intercession is before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints that, if approved, will lead to her beatification. The parish property includes a church, parish hall, rectory, convent, school, parking lot and four garages.

from the web site of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter

Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham Posts List of Priestly Ordination candidates

The list of candidates to be ordained to the Sacred Priesthood in 2012 for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has been posted on the Ordinariate web site. Among the 21 names it is very good to see the name of John Hunwicke. (Soon to be again) Father Hunwicke's erudition, pastoral sense and good humor will be a great boon to the Ordinariate and the Catholic Church.

Update on the Ordinariate in Canada

From the Update of the Sodality of St. Edmund, King and Martyr by Gary Freeman

Over the past 6 months a number of Anglican communities, across Canada, have been received into the Catholic Church, and are Ordinariate-bound, in accordance with Pope Benedict's Apostolic Constitution, Anglicanorum coetibus.

Communication is not the best, yet, but allow me to set out the 'facts' as I understand them: The first and second groups of Anglicans to be received were in Calgary - the former Anglican Church of Canada Parish of St. John the Evangelist, and the Toronto Ordinariate Group (all of whom were former members of the Anglican Church of Canada) who were both received on December 18, 2011.

The third group to be received, and the first Anglican Catholic Church of Canada community to be received, was ours, now The Sodality of St. Edmund, King and Martyr. We were received on January 1, 2012.

The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh groups to be received were Victoria (The Fellowship of Blessed John Henry Newman), Ottawa (The Sodality of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Spencerville (The Sodality of St. Barnabas), and Barrhaven (Holy Nativity), who were all received on April 15, 2012.

The eighth and ninth groups to be received were Oshawa (The Sodality of the Good Shepherd), and (the Sovereign Mohawk Territory of) Tyendinaga (Christ the King), who were received on April 22, 2012.

With the exception of 'Calgary' and 'Toronto', all the other groups were former ACCC communities. While no firm dates have been established, there are 3 other groups (all former ACCC communities) currently preparing for reception.

Contact Gary Freeman for additions, corrections, etc.

The North American Ordinariate now boasts 11 Communities

The web site of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter now lists 11 member communities. With this new juridical status and the upcoming diaconal and priestly ordinations and incardinations, the Ordinariate will move beyond the drawing board into a flesh & blood reality. See the list at the Communities page.

First Weekly Anglican Use Sung Mass in Toronto

With the establishment of a weekly Anglican Use Sunday Mass in Canada's largest city an important element of the New Evangelization called for by Pope Benedict begins to take shape in this city.

Anglicans, Catholics of various rites along with others not yet in communion with Rome are invited to explore the meaning of our Lord's call to unity in the Body of Christ - ut unum sint - "that they all may be one". This is the central focus of the Anglican Use Sodality of Toronto and it will be its measure of success as those seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit find a place to experience the unity and peace of full communion with the universal Church...

Read the rest at Peregrinations.

Hat tip to the Deborah Gyapong writing at the Anglo-Catholic blog.

Msgr Steenson addresses the "Anglican Ordinariate Fellowship" in Beverly, Mass.

Rev. Juren Liias serves as MC as Msgr Jeffrey N. Steenson, leader of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, addresses a crowd of about 100 people in St. Margaret's Church in Beverly, Massachusetts. Following his address which you can view below, there was a question and answer period in which Msgr Steenson addressed queries from how could Catholics support this initiative to what the status of the divorced & remarried would be in the Ordinariate.
Following the talk and Q & A, a Mass was celebrated, in which three people from the Fellowship were received into the communion of the Catholic Church.

Fr. Phillips writes about Our Lady of the Atonement & the Ordinariate

Fr. Christopher Phillips of Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio wrote two letters to parishioners and friends of OLA which were posted on Facebook. They are republished here in chronological order.


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Friday, May 4, 2012


Dear Friends,

Fr. Jeffery Moore (our parochial vicar) and I had a good meeting with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and Bishop Oscar Cantu to discuss issues surrounding the Ordinariate and what that might mean for the parish. All of us desired to do what is best for the people of Our Lady of the Atonement Church, and it was in a spirit of cooperation that it became evident to me that for the sake of the continued stability and unity of our parish community, the best course of action at this time is to withdraw our request to enter the Ordinariate and to remain in our present status as a Personal Parish of the Anglican Common Identity, as is stated clearly in the Decree of Erection by which we were founded in 1983.

The archbishop recalled his recent visit to the parish, commenting on how impressed he was with the Academy students, with our facility, and with the sense of the sacred found here. He expressed his respect for the fruitful and particular ministry of our parish, and he looks forward to strengthening our bond of communion, as do we.

What does this mean in practical terms? Our liturgical and devotional life does not change, our patrimony remains intact, and our clergy and people remain together as one parish family.

I’m grateful for the archbishop’s warmth and for the respect he has for our heritage, and we look forward to deepening our relationship with him.

From the time of our founding we have been under the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of the Atonement. She has never failed us, and she did not fail us today. We continue under Our Lady’s patronage, and that of her Divine Son, in union with the Holy Father and with the bishops in communion with him.

Thank you to all who prayed for this important meeting. All of us there felt the presence and power of the Holy Ghost.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Christopher G. Phillips


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Saturday, May 5, 2012


Dear Friends,

It’s difficult to communicate important information by way of email – there’s an understandable tendency for recipients to forward them all over the place, and there is always the strong possibility of someone misinterpreting them. However, I do want to reiterate some of the points I made in yesterday’s email about my meeting with Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller and Bishop Oscar Cantu.

1. The archbishop is NOT preventing the parish from seeking entrance into the Ordinariate at this time, or at some future time. He was clear about that, and is very respectful of our right to make that request any time.

2. It is important to all of us that we preserve the integrity and unity of our parish – church and school, clergy and people, buildings and patrimony – and at the present time the only way we can insure this is by remaining as we are; namely, a Personal Parish of the Pastoral Provision, rather than a parish of the Ordinariate. We all want the parish to be able to continue as it is, with our clergy and people intact, and with our church and school serving those who want to be here. At some point we may be able to have that in the Ordinariate -- but this is not the time.

3. Our way of worship – our liturgy, our devotional life, our music…everything we treasure and maintain – will be able to continue uninterrupted, and the archbishop and his auxiliary bishop have stated their support and admiration for what is done here.

I know the decision to withdraw our parish request to enter the Ordinariate is unexpected, and some of you might be perplexed. As you know, I have been very excited about the prospect of being in the Ordinariate, but I had to weigh every aspect of this, and decide what would be truly best for us. The stability of our parish is something I know you would not want to discard lightly, and this decision provides us with the best and safest way to continue to “preserve, nurture and share” our Anglican patrimony, as we have done for the past twenty-nine years.

As we have opportunities to deepen our communion with our Father-in-God, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, let’s make the most of them. He was genuinely moved to learn that we will be remaining in his jurisdiction for now, and he looks forward (as do we) to strengthening our ties with the archdiocese which has been our home for so long.

The time may come when we are prepared to enter the Ordinariate, and when the Ordinariate will be in a better position to receive us as we are. We can be grateful that God has used our parish, in some small way, to prepare the ground for the establishment of the Ordinariate in this country. As strange as it seems for us not to be part of it from the very beginning, the time is not yet right. 

Let’s all pray for the success of the Ordinariate, and especially for the men who are preparing for ordination over the next few months. No matter what jurisdiction we’re in, we’re all working for the same end – the building up of God’s Kingdom!

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Christopher G. Phillips

Statement on St. Mary of the Angels, Hollywood, CA

from the web site of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter

May 5, 2012

The rector, wardens, and vestry of the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, Hollywood, CA, have previously expressed a desire to become a part of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter within the Catholic Church. However, a number of issues relating to the parish's corporate structure, the Catholic formation of its clergy and members, and the resolution of some management concerns have yet to be resolved. The Ordinariate thus has no jurisdiction over St. Mary of the Angels; however, individual parishioners are welcome to join the Ordinariate if they wish to do so. The gift of full communion requires a spirit of reconciliation and the healing of relationships, and to this end, the Ordinary, Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, offers his prayers for all involved.

---

Earlier today a letter was posted online that purports to be from Msgr. Steenson on this very topic. Whether the letter as posted is accurate or not, I certainly cannot say, but it certainly was not addressed to the part who posted it, and it seems inappropriate to repost it here. Interested parties will find it via a simple search.

What is clear is that the Church of St. Mary of the Angels in Hollywood is having a difficult time of it, and as we can be sure that the last thing the enemy of Christ wants is a thriving, orthodox parish in that area, and so has long fought against them. I hope my readers will join me in praying for this parish and all those places that preach Christ in the face of opposition from the world, the flesh and the devil.

Anglican Use Mass in Toronto, Ontario

Anglican Use Masses are being held every Sunday at 1:45pm at Sacré-Coeur (the Church of the Sacred Heart) at 381 Sherbourne St in downtown Toronto. This week there will be a professional choral ensemble to lead the congregation in the music of the sacred liturgy, including a polyphonic setting of the Mass by Willan. There is free parking behind the Church on the northeast side, which can be accessed by the lane on the east side of Sherbourne just north of Carlton and the Church.

New Pastor Named for Our Lady of Walsingham Parish in Houston, Texas

May 2, 2012

Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, the Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, announces the appointment of a new pastor for the principal church of the Ordinariate, Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston, TX. Father James Ramsey, the pastor, retired on April 30.

Charles Hough, IV, who has received the necessary permission from the Holy See to be ordained as a Catholic priest, will assume this office on July 1, after his ordination. He and his wife, Lindsay, together with their two sons, will move from Fort Worth to Houston in June.

"Chuck Hough comes from a family with a very distinguished record of ministry, and he has himself demonstrated significant leadership gifts while serving in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth,” said Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson. "His father served for many years as canon to the ordinary in Fort Worth, one of the best mentors for ministry there can be."

He was received into the Catholic Church during the Anglican Use Conference in Arlington, TX, a year ago. A former Anglican priest, he has been preparing for Catholic ordination through the Ordinariate’s formation program at St. Mary's Seminary in Houston. Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth, one of three bishops initially appointed by the Holy See to oversee the creation of the new Ordinariate, will ordain him a priest in June...

Read the rest at the web site of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.

Hat tip to Mary Ann Mueller.

40 Ordinariate groups in English Ordinariate

Msgr. Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham writes:

Nevertheless much has been achieved in the short time since the Ordinariate was erected in January 2011. We now have 60 priests, the most recent being Fr James Bradley and Fr Daniel Lloyd ordained at the end of April and both under 29 years of age. We now have a working Governing Council, which meets every three months to counsel and advise me. Around 200 more people were received into the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate this Easter.

There are more than 40 Ordinariate groups of varying sizes meeting regularly for Mass and other devotions. Two of our priests have begun to study Canon Law by distance learning from Louvain University so that we can eventually have our own Canon Lawyers. Despite having to travel long distances, almost all our clergy were present at our first Chrism Mass at St James’ Spanish Place which was an inspiring and uplifting occasion. Several young men have offered themselves for ordination and will this month attend a selection panel. At the end of the month we hope that around 20 former Anglican clergy will be ordained to the Diaconate in Westminster Cathedral - God willing.

Read the rest of his column, and much else besides, in the May issue of The Portal magazine.

Pope makes donation to Ordinariate

Pope Benedict XVI has offered a generous donation to the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham to help support its clergy and work. The Vatican nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Antonio Mennini said the gift "is a clear sign of (the pope's) personal commitment to the work of Christian unity and the special place the ordinariate holds in his heart.”

A May 1st press release announcing the donation said that “the gift will help establish the ordinariate as a vibrant part of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.”

Msgr. Keith Newton, who heads the Ordinariate, said, "This gift is a great help and encouragement as we continue to grow and develop our distinctive ecclesial life, whilst seeking to contribute to the wider work of evangelization...

Read the rest at the site of Vatican Radio.

Hat tip to Charles Gilman.