Ordination of Fr. Andrew Bartus in California

Unusual Mass Turns Anglicans Catholic
An Episcopal priest and Anglican congregations from Orange and San Diego counties join the Catholic Church in San Juan Capistrano on Tuesday.

Fr. Bartus gives his first blessing to Ordinary Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson at the conclusion of the ordination Mass.
Nearly 500 years after the Church of England broke away from Roman Catholicism, a small group of Episcopalians returned to the fold Tuesday during a special Mass at Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano.

As part of a reunification program authorized by Pope Benedict, two Episcopal congregations and a married Anglican priest were welcomed into the Catholic faith during the service, which was led by Bishop Tod Brown.

The Anglican churches, Blessed John Henry Newman of Santa Ana and Vista-based Saint Augustine of Canterbury, are now organized in “ordinariates,” geographic regions similar to a Catholic diocese.

In addition, Anglican priest Andrew Bartus was officially ordained as a Catholic priest Tuesday, even though he is married and has a child. Like others joining the Catholic Church across the nation, his congregation will maintain distinctive elements of Anglican practices.

All told, about 70 members of both congregations were confirmed as Catholics at the ceremony.

“What a joy it is for me to be a part of this holy work today," Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson told the crowd...

Read the rest of the story at Mission Viejo Patch.

Hat tip to Deborah Gyapong writing at The Anglo-Catholic, which also includes Msgr. Steenson's homily at the Mass.

Southern California Ordinariate Day

By Father Bartus / 30 June 2012 

I ask your prayers for Tuesday, July 3, as thirty-six members composing the entirety of the new Ordinariate community of St. Augustine of Canterbury in Oceanside, California, and twelve members (with two more intending to be confirmed as soon as possible later on), a part of Bl. John's, Orange County, will be received into full communion and confirmed Catholics! Please pray for these fifty people and their families as they become the first members of the Ordinariate here in California!

 (Fr. George Ortiz-Guzman during a Maundy Thursday service.)

Please also pray for George Ortiz-Guzman, who is the administrator of St. Augustine's, and for William Ledbetter, who are in the ordination process, and being received on the third also.

At this same service, I will also be ordained a priest, Deo volente, to serve the new community of Bl. John's. To say that building a parish from scratch in Orange County, and rebuilding a parish in San Diego County, are monumental understakings, is just hardly accurately describing this scenario! But we are composed of very dedicated and faithful people who are putting their all into seeing this happen. And everyone knows that the purpose of this endeavor is the salvation of souls, and the unique way in which the Ordinariate can help faciliate this.

If you live in California and can schedule some time away from work on Tuesday at 11:00am, please join us at the Mission Basilica.

Bishop Brown of Orange, Bishop Flores of San Diego, and Msgr. Steenson of the Ordinariate will be present for this momentous occasion.

From the Anglican Patrimony blog

Andrew Bartus ordained to the diaconate for the Ordinariate in Orange County, CA

The future Blessed John Henry Newman Catholic Church of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter now has a deacon. [On June 9th] at 9:00 a.m. in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles (yes, that one) the Rev Mr Andrew Bartus was ordained to the sacred order of deacons. We weren't allowed to take pictures (we will ignore the fact that we forgot to bring a camera anyway) so we have no pictures to show you. And there doesn't seem to be anything else up on the web to link you to. There is mention on the website of The Tidings of the diaconal ordinations but our deacon isn't mentioned as he was something of a last minute addition and being ordained for another jurisdiction.
(from The Inn at the End of the World)

There are photos on the web site of Blessed John Henry Newman Church of Orange County.

Hat tip to John Cahill.