The Anglican Use Blog has news of two new AU groups forming in the state of Pennsylvania.
For those in the Lehigh Valley comes this piece from the newsletter of the St. Thomas More Society in Scranton, PA:
Just last evening I received a telephone call from Msgr. Francis Nave, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Bath, Northampton County, in the Diocese of Allentown. Msgr. Nave was appointed by Bishop John Barres, Bishop of Allentown, as his liaison to the group of Anglicans from the Lehigh Valley that the St. Thomas More Society has been aiding in their desire to be reconciled to Holy Mother Church. Msgr. Nave informed me that the bishop has granted permission for the group to be catechized together, with the intention that they would be reconciled to the Church at the Easter Vigil next year, April 23, 2011. Thus, catechism classes will begin as soon as possible, and for this reason an organizational meeting will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, 210 E. Northampton St., Bath, this Sunday afternoon at 4PM.
From Bucks County, Mr. Michael La Rue, K.M., sends notice of a new group forming in Holland, PA:
I am glad to announce that we will be beginning weekly Evensong according to the Anglican Use on Sunday, October 24 at 5 p.m. at St. Bede's Catholic Church in Holland, Pennsylvania. If you are interesting in singing, or otherwise helping out (and there is a lot to be done), please let me know.
If you have any questions, please call me, Michael LaRue, K.M. at (215) 369-2868. The site for St. Bede's, including location, is here: http://www.st-bede.org/. Many thanks to Cardinal Rigali, Msgr. Marine, and the Office of Worship, for helping us get this off the ground.
(The Bucks County group already has a page established at The Anglo-Catholic's Groups of Anglicans forum.)
Please tell any friends you have in these areas about these new groups, support them with your prayers, and also say a prayer of thanks for the support of Cardinal Rigali and Bishop Barres.
Be sure to follow our Moderator at Eccentric Bliss, his personal blog!
Bucks County is easily accessible from both the Philadelphia and Central New Jersey areas. Please come out and help!
Well isn't this welcome news! St. Bede's was my former parish. I will be in touch.
Two thoughts: 1. With the promulgation of "Anglicanorum Coetibus" why start up anything "Anglican Use?"
2. With the recent Pew Poll stating that over half of those identifying as Roman Catholic didn't know about or believe in the Real Presence in the Eucharist, who should be "catechizing" who?
Fr. Scheiblhofer, with all due respect, should we sit around and wait for an Ordinariate to be erected, and think glorious thoughts and play imagination church until it does? Or should we do the thing we can do–say the Office publicly and on a regular basis from the currently approved Anglican Use liturgical book–and get a core group formed so that we can be up and running when the Ordinariate actually exists and new liturgical books are issued? Do you really think that those books are coming any time soon, or that we ought to wait until they do?
As for catechesis, well, glass houses and all that. One hopes your future posts will be more temperate.
We can distinguish between "Anglican Use" as a term for the Anglican liturgy celebrated in communion with Rome, and "Anglican Use" as the present dispensation for particular parishes under the Pastoral Provision.
Ordinariate parishes will still be "Anglican Use", in the sense that the Anglican liturgy is categorized as a particular form of the Latin Rite. Similarly, the Ukrainian, Melkite, and many other Eastern liturgies are uses of the Byzantine Rite.
I agree that there is great value in creating new Anglican Use communities within the Catholic Church, even before the Ordinariates are created – just as for those members of a parish or diocese committed to the Ordinariate, it is good to work towards that group's entrance into Full Communion en masse. It depends partially on where you are. There are, of course, many people already in full communion with the See of Rome who long to return to their Anglican tradition and liturgy. In God's own good time, the various pieces will come together into a full-fledged, honest-to-goodness, Anglican Catholic Church.
Fr. Rob,
1. As of today there is as yet no Ordinariate to join. These groups, along with the rest of the Anglican Use or "Pastoral Provision" parishes and communities will become part of the Ordinariate at the first opportunity.
2. I am reasonably certain that NPC's (Nancy Pelosi Catholics) will not be involved in catechising these folks. Even if 60% of the self identifying RC's are subtracted that leaves a whole bunch of the faithful who do believe. Lets work together to increase that percentage.
Deacon Mike
J.M.J.
If we re-read the first part of Anglicanorum Coetibus, it is clear what the Holy Father wishes to be done, and why. A question was asked. The Holy Father responded with an answer that is a roadmap for how groups can come into the Roman Catholic Family.
It should be noted that once a parish is formed under the Pastoral Provisions there is no canonical certainity of being able to be part of the Ordinariate unless approval is granted by the local Bishop.
It seems a bit impatient, when the Holy Father has gone out on a limb for Anglicans to come into the Church, to lack the dicipline to wait and follow the path he has established.
SWR
Sean,
The Anglican Use has been an established path for many years and I see no signs of impatience or impertinence here. In fact, we can be thankful that three Roman Catholic dioceses have recently given support to three groups they know are likely just passing through. While there have been difficulties in some dioceses in the past in setting up Anglican Use congregations, it would be supremely odd for bishops now to begin to allow these bodies only to somehow try to hold them hostage.
In the case of the Bucks County group, which is being led by Anglicans who have already entered the Catholic Church, I think you'll agree that the Anglican Use is exactly the path that is open to them. In other locations and situations, other options may be smoother. Whatever the path, I would hope that people can all support one another in reaching the common destination.
I am genuinely confused by this exchange. Are Fr. Fr. Scheiblhofer and Mr. Reed suggesting that we here in central NJ/Bucks County, PA should wait for Dr. Moyer or Dr. Ousley in Philadelphia to declare their intention to apply for the Ordinariate, if that is in fact their intention, and wait for that process to play out? They're a good 30-40 minutes away from us, depending on where you stand, and I don't know that what we're doing will overlap with what they do in Philadelphia. Is it somehow illicit to use the old model of forming a group around BDW Evensong and trying to form an AU mission from there, in the post-Ordinariate moment? Do let me know, because this book is getting awfully heavy.
J.M.J.
I am confused too – as to why you have not already written to the Archbishop of Washington DC to ask to join the Ordinariate.
You don't need Moyer or Ousley in order to apply and become part of the Ordinariate.
SWR
I did. I haven't heard anything in response. Meanwhile, Mr. LaRue has requested permission from no less than ++Rigali to put on Evensong, and His Excellency graciously gave his permission. Should we make sure that ++Rigali has run this by ++Wuerl? Do you really think that ++Wuerl will be offended that we are putting on Evensong and trying to attract others to join us?
Bishop Barres is a very young, very good Bishop. I am a Roman Catholic but would be very interested in attending any Anglican Use Mass in the Lehigh Valley if it ever comes to fruition. Prayers for the group in our Diocese who are thinking of coming into communion with us.
Peter
J.M.J.
No Brian, they won't be offended. I was merely trying to point out what will likely be your quickest path to having a parish there that is a fully integrated part of The Church and has clergy to serve it.
If you think that setting up an Anglican Use parish and then later moving that parish into the Ordinariate is the most effective way for you to proceed – have at it.
From Anglicanorum Coetibus:
"…this Apostolic Constitution provides the general normative structure for regulating the institution and life of Personal Ordinariates for those Anglican faithful who desire to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church in a corporate manner. .."
SWR
What would be the more expedient course, given a "coetus" of two current Roman Catholics, a handful of other possibly interested folks, and no priests?
In setting this up, I took great pains to consult with clergy and even a bishop (Moyer) of the ACA, as well as the Anglican Use pastors. It was decided that if we wanted to get something definite going in this area for Anglicanorum Coetibus, the best thing would be to have regular evensong according to the BODW, given our circumstances. I then went to the pastor, and the archdiocese, who after consultation, concurred with this course of action, and approved the present arrangement, even giving their encouragement.
Since then I have spoken with Fr. Hurd, who has instructed me afer 24 October to prepare a petition to be recognized a "group of Anglicans" under the terms of the AC. I have no sense in any of this that there will be any difficulty in our entering an ordinariate, nor have I met with any signs that those involved are being anything but helpful and aboveboard. It has also been made clear that current Anglican Use congregations will be considered "groups of Anglicans" for the purpose of the AC, as will continuing Anglicans (cf. the official Latin thereof): This point was in fact raised with Bp. Juan Ignacio Arrieta, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, during the AU conference this spring, and he gave an affirmative response.
This sounds straightforward, may God bless your community and may it be a beacon to bring others to visible unity.
Let us attract others by living holy lives, God grant us the most needed grace. May we attract others with goodness, truth and beauty.