Virtueonline has posted the following story concerning The Very Rev. Steven Sellers, Dean of Gethsemane Cathedral in Fargo, North Dakota:
The Dean and rector of Gethsemane Cathedral, Fargo, ND, the Very Rev. Steven A. Sellers, is leaving his position and The Episcopal Church to seek ordination in the Roman Catholic Church. His duties at the cathedral will be taken over by the Bishop of North Dakota, the Rt. Rev. Michael Smith.
Gethsemane Cathedral, Fargo, North Dakota
In an e-mail, the Anglo-Catholic priest told VOL, "Our journey into the Roman Catholic Church has been a long process for Dixie and me, and it has come at the end of a year-long period of prayer and discernment. I have the utmost love and respect for Bishop Michael. He and I have become very close over the past several years, and we will continue our relationship in the coming months and years. I treasure his friendship. And I know that he is facing a very challenging few months here at Gethsemane Cathedral in Fargo, and in the diocese, as financial resources continue to fall and new ways of doing ministry are being explored.
"Our paid staff at the Cathedral is very small — a dean, a receptionist, a part-time music minister — and further cuts are anticipated. The financial realities resulted in my taking a 32 percent salary reduction, starting the first of this year.
"My decision to enter the Catholic Church through the Pastoral Provision process came at the end of last year, after I met at length with Cardinal DiNardo in Houston, and with Fr. Jeffrey Steenson, former Episcopal bishop of the Rio Grande and now a Catholic priest in Houston. Jeffrey has become a very good friend, and has served as a mentor and advisor for me. He is an amazing servant of the Lord.
"Because of the difficult financial shape in North Dakota, my wife has been teaching school for about 18 months in Houston, Texas, living with her cousins. Houston is home to us. I was rector of St. Cuthbert Episcopal Church there from 1994 to 1999. I am also a Texan — spending the first 18 years of my ordained ministry in the Diocese of Texas and the Diocese of Northwest Texas. We have been in Fargo almost four years. My wife is not a Texan — she's from Missouri — but she has been in Texas since 1984. We are looking forward to returning closer to our roots.
"I do not leave the Episcopal Church with any sense of bitterness or anger. You don't spend almost 30 years in a church when those things are present. I am simply following a new journey in a new direction."
Sellers said that the quick sale of his home in two weeks along with the return of his wife to Houston to teach as an elementary music teacher on January 4 of this year also prompted his decision.
In response to his departure, Bishop Michael Smith wrote at his blog, "It has come to my attention that Father Steve Sellers, Dean of Gethsemane Episcopal Cathedral in Fargo, has made public his decision to seek ordination in the Roman Catholic Church. I have deep affection for Father Sellers and his wife, Dixie. I wish them well and pray for God's blessing on them as they begin their journey to another part of the Body of Christ.
"Father Sellers' last Sunday at Gethsemane was to have been February 20. However, after visiting with him, we have agreed that it is best that he end his pastoral relationship with the cathedral immediately. Therefore, I will preside at the services at Gethsemane beginning this Sunday. I ask for your prayers as work begins with the Chapter in looking at next steps in organizing for the mission and ministry to which God is calling the cathedral community."
Let us keep Dean Sellers and his wife, Dixie, in our prayers as well as the people of Gethsemane Cathedral.
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We in Houston are very blessed, and grateful, that Cardinal DiNardo is our shepherd, and that Fr. Jeffrey is one of our great priests. We welcome Fr. Sellers and his wife, Dixie, of course, and will be praying for them.
By 'Pastoral Provision' does he mean the ORDINARIATE? One wonders.
Many Years and Many Blessings Father Steven.
Matthew,
You asked: By 'Pastoral Provision' does he mean the ORDINARIATE?
Apparently not. From the article, it appears that he is coming into the Catholic Church now and not awaiting the formation of an ordinariate.
Note that entering the Catholic Church now does not preclude joining an ordinariate upon its canonical erection. Since he will be in Houston, it seems likely that he will join the Parish of Our Lady of the Atonement and thus transition to the ordinariate with the parish.
I don't know what the current practice might be with regard to ordination of former Anglican presbyters who elect to enter the Catholic Church under the pastoral provision rather than waiting for an ordinariate to form, but it does seem very likely that this may have been a subject of discussion in his meeting with Cardinal DiNardo. It clearly does not make sense that those entering now should have to wait longer for Catholic ordination than those who join the ordinariate directly. Of course, the option to transition to an ordinariate for the United States upon its canonical erection might also have been a subject of discussion. If he receives Catholic ordination before the ordinariate comes into being, the transition requires just two very simple items of paperwork — an "indult of excardination" (that is, official release) from the bishop of his diocese and an "indult of incardination" (that is, official acceptance) from the ordinary.
One plausible scenario: he's received into the Catholic Church, ordained, and assigned as a parochial vicar of the Parish of Our Lady of the Atonment before the ordinariate comes into being, then moves to the ordinariate with the Parish of Our Lady of the Atonement.
Norm.
Thank you. Just a slight correction: OurLady of Walsingham is in Houston. Our Lady of the Atonement is in San Antonio.
In any event, things seem to be picking up here in the U.S.
Perhaps more Episcopalians will take heart and make the leap or take small steps towards Rome.
Matthew,
You wrote: Thank you. Just a slight correction: OurLady of Walsingham is in Houston. Our Lady of the Atonement is in San Antonio.
My bad. I got the parishes crossed. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa, my sincere apologies to our own Fr. Christopher and to the members of both parishes, and my sincere thanks to you for correcting my absent-minded blunder.
Norm.
This is very encouraging news to all Catholics and future converts from other separated churches. The Lord is truly manifested in this great time when people are confused about their moral choices. May God bless his family.
Any word on whether he's interested in the Ordinariate, or does he want to be a diocesan priest?
Michael,
Any word on whether he's interested in the Ordinariate, or does he want to be a diocesan priest?
It's a fairly safe bet that he and Cardinal DiNardo came to an agreement during their meeting, but I don't see an indication of the answer in the article.
Norm.
Since he is entering through the Pastoral Provsion, I would assume since all the Anglican Use parishes are entering the Ordinariate, that he would also choose to be part of it. I believe he could also serve in a local diocese if there is a need. That would give him the opportunity in the future to have an Anglican Use parish.
It seems to me that the pastoral provision is his only option at the moment. The Apostolic Constitution is geared toward groups. He's not part of any group, but could certainly affiliate in the future.
Went to the VOL article and noticed an article about the Ordinariate in Australia. The article states that the ordination of 6 Anglican Bishops and 24 priest should be finalized by June 12.
Does this mean the Bishops and Priests will be ordained then?
Leading to the question…..What is going on with the States and Canada?
Fr. Mark,
You asked: Went to the VOL article and noticed an article about the Ordinariate in Australia. The article states that the ordination of 6 Anglican Bishops and 24 priest should be finalized by June 12.
Does this mean the Bishops and Priests will be ordained then?
Probably. IIRC, the announdent from Bishop Peter Elliott, the delegate for establishment of an ordinariate in Australia, indicated that the ordinariate would be around by Easter and that parishes and clergy would be received and functioning by the end of June in 2011.
You also asked: Leading to the question…..What is going on with the States and Canada?
I think that there was a statement somewhere indicating an expectation that ordinariates for the United States and Canada would be erected by the end of June, 2011. Of course, these timetables could slip — and a large number of geographically scattered communities seeking to enter these ordinariates would require more coordination and thus make such slips even more likely.
Norm.
I know this is somewhat OT but help me understand something. Dean Sellers wrote and I quote "Because of the difficult financial shape in North Dakota…" The state has a budget surplus of 1.2 billion dollars and the unemployment rate is 3.7%. Anyone looking for a job can get one. I don't quite get his thoughts here.
Don,
The TEC Diocese is losing members and therefore tithes and pledges. On the VOL webpage a gentleman called statman has given the ASA and plate/pledge.
What you see happening to TEC Dioceses across the States is the TEC losing members very fast. North Dakota is cutting staff and has been in financial difficulties for some time. From what I have been reading on Anglican blogs etc is the indication the TEC is surviving on endowments and the sale of property.
Fr. Mark,
You wrote: From what I have been reading on Anglican blogs etc is the indication the TEC is surviving on endowments and the sale of property. (boldface added)
If so, this would explain why they are litigating so aggressively to retain older buildings that are so expensive to operate when whole parishes leave.
Norm.
Don,
You asked: I know this is somewhat OT but help me understand something. Dean Sellers wrote and I quote "Because of the difficult financial shape in North Dakota…" The state has a budget surplus of 1.2 billion dollars and the unemployment rate is 3.7%. Anyone looking for a job can get one. I don't quite get his thoughts here.
He was discussing the finances of Gethsemane Cathedral and the Diocese of North Dakota of The Episcopal Church (TEC) — not the state government. A lot of folks have already left TEC, and more are leaving every day. When those who were generous givers to a parish or a diocese leave its denomination, they stop giving. Thus, its income drops precipitously and its existing budget for facilities, utilities, staffing, and operational expenses becomes unsustainable. The problem apparently is very acute for this diocese and the congregation of its cathedral church, such that the cathedral can't even afford the salaries of a dean, a receptionist, and a part time music minister.
Norm.
He means by that sentence the difficult shape of the Episcopal Diocese of North-Dakota. With fewer and fewer dwindling congregations, with less than 30 persons at Sunday services in most parishes, this diocese struggles with great difficulties. And merging cannot be a solution because the ECUSA wants to have at least a diocese per state.
Don,
You wrote: And merging cannot be a solution because the ECUSA wants to have at least a diocese per state.
At some point, the leadership of The Episcopal Church (TEC), formerly known as the Episcopal Church – U. S. A. (ECUSA), may have to face the reality that what they want may not be sustainable.
That said, I wonder to what extent the "diocese per state" policy is driven by a desire to sustain the illusion that everything is fine….
Norm.
Just to add to the discussion, TEC made drastic cuts to the budgets of mission Dioceses, of which North Dakota is one. This has exacerbated the situation in the Diocese there. Interesting that litigation has a higher budget priority.
Fr. Dean,
Interesting that litigation has a higher budget priority.
They apparently expect litigation to yield a tidy profit through sale of the recaptured properties….
Norm.