The first principle of the Ordinariate is then about Christian unity. St. Basil the Great, the Church’s greatest ecumenist, literally expended his life on the work of building bridges between orthodox brethren who shared a common faith, but who had become separated from one another in a Church badly fragmented by heresy and controversy. He taught that the work of Christian unity requires deliberate and ceaseless effort...St. Basil often talked with yearning about the archaia agape, the ancient love of the apostolic community, so rarely seen in the Church of his day. This love, he taught, is a visible sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed present and active, and it is absolutely essential for the health of the Church.

- Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson, Homily on the Occasion of his Formal Institution as Ordinary

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Upper New York state fellowship to be received into full Communion on October 21st

From the website of the Fellowship of St. Alban in Rochester, NY.
Following on the heels of the announcement of our local church home, we now have a date of reception for the rest of our group. On this date at 3pm, Fr. Scott Hurd, Vicar General of the Ordinariate, will celebrate mass for the Fellowship of St. Alban, according to the Anglican Use, as well as confirm and receive the remaining founding members into the Catholic Church.

The date is significant for several reasons. First, it is the feast day of St. Ursula, the British princess, virgin and martyr who, as sacred legend tells, was martyred on her return journey from Rome. Second, it is three years and a day since the Vatican press conference announced the coming existence of Personal Ordinariates. Third, Blessed Marianne Cope will be declared a saint on this day in St. Peter's Square. The saint-to-be is the patron of the parish hosting our Fellowship. She also grew up in upstate New York and started her religious life in the area.
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