Author Archives: Br. Stephen Treat, O.Cist

About Br. Stephen Treat, O.Cist

Br. Stephen Treat, O.Cist. is a monk of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank. Like many others, his path led from an evangelical childhood in the South to Anglicanism and into the Roman Catholic Church. Our Lady of Spring Bank is a small Abbey of the Order of Cistercians, generally known as the Common Cistercians, located on 600 acres near La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Next Gathering of the Society of St. Bede the Venerable, Collegeville, MN

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Society of St Bede the Venerable Schola 300x168 Next Gathering of the Society of St. Bede the Venerable, Collegeville, MN

The new SSBV Schola rehearsing for the March gathering.

Br. John-Bede Pauley, OSB, writes with the details of the next gathering of the Anglican Use Society of St. Bede the Venerable (SSBV) in Collegeville, Minnesota.

The music for the March Mass will be provided by the SSBV's new schola, recruited by Br. John-Bede and will include the music of Byrd, Willan, and Charles Wood as well as Anglican chant and plainchant in English.

Accommodations are available in the St. John's Abbey Guesthouse for those wishing to stay overnight on Saturday.

Evensong
Saturday, March 05, 2011 5:00 PM
St. Francis Chapel (St. John’s University)

Mass
Sunday, March 06, 2011 1:30 PM
Emmaus Hall Chapel (School of Theology, St. John's University)

Music of the Mass:
Introit: Plainchant (English)
Kyrie: Willan
Psalm: Anglican chant
Gospel Acclamation: plainchant
Offertory: Plainchant & Charles Wood, “Oculi omnium”
Agnus Dei: Byrd, Mass for Four Voices
Communion: Plainchant

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In Their Own Words: More Priests in the UK Say Yes to Anglicanorum Coetibus

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sevenoaksordinariatelogo 299x300 In Their Own Words: More Priests in the UK Say Yes to Anglicanorum CoetibusWe already had an earlier post from our new resident deacon about some of the weekend's developments in the UK as priests in four Church of England parishes announced their intention to enter the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Here's what they had to say in their own words:

From Fr. Ivan Aquilina of St. John the Baptist, Sevenoaks:

Christ is the human face of God; the fullness of Revelation. He lives in his church and operates through the baptised who are his hands, his feet and his merciful face. What the Church believes across all nations, by everyone and down the centuries is his unmistakable voice.

Christ is the human face of God; the fullness of Revelation. He lives in his church and operates through the baptised who are his hands, his feet and his merciful face. What the Church believes across all nations, by everyone and down the centuries is his unmistakable voice.

With the recent developments in the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion I have increasingly found myself in a situation where I cannot preach the Gospel of Christ and celebrate his sacraments with any integrity. It is the generous offer of Pope Benedict XVI in the form of the Ordinariate that gives me the joy of continuing this faithfulness to this Gospel. The move to the Ordinariate also gives me the opportunity to offer to you the greatest witness I can possibly give you.

For this reason I have written to the Bishop of Rochester notifying him that I intend to resign from this Parish in order to become a Roman Catholic in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Fr James has notified the same bishop that he intends to resign for the same noble reason.

Read the entire statement.>>>

Fr Ed Tomlinson of St. Barnabas, Tunbridge Wells writes:

After consultation with the Bishop of Rochester, and with his blessing, I can now publically announce that it is my intention to resign as vicar of Saint Barnabas in Tunbridge Wells on Palm Sunday and to cease public Anglican ministry from Ash Wednesday.

I will then undertake a period of preparation to enter the Roman Catholic Church as a member of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham alongside my family and the majority of my current parishioners.

My intention to resign is made public in the pastoral interests of all, both those remaining Anglican and those seeking a new life within the Catholic church.

Your prayers are encouraged at this time for both groups.

Follow future developments at the Tunbridge Wells Ordinariate Blog.>>>

In Derbyshire, Fr. Simon Ellis of  St. Laurence, Long Eaton, and Holy Trinity, Ilkeston wrote in part:

Many have come to see, by contrast, that the Catholic Church in this country has become the main conscience of the nation, able to offer biblical truth and the gospel life of true freedom which people so desperately seek in this age of relativism, despair and fundamentalism.   More importantly, the offer from the Catholic Church to Anglicans [Anglicanorum Coetibus,  announced November, 2009] to move as groups in to the fullness of communion with Catholicism – whilst maintaining their spiritual patrimony – is something we have prayed for over many years and is, I believe, a prophetic moment for the wider church and the world.

As for the Church of England, I assure all those who continue to serve within it of my prayers and best wishes. Friendships will still remain and I shall continue to attempt to build positive ecumenical relations with all of God’s holy people. God (and you) forgive me for the times of failure which we pastors feel keenly.  We are, indeed, earthen vessels.

I am so overwhelmed with thanks for so many blessings and hope that you will hold Kate, Rebecca and Anastasia and I in your prayers as we prepare for this new chapter in our lives and in the life of God’s Church.

Read the entire letter at Ordinariate Portal.>>>

Finally, The Northern Echo carries a story about the visits of Fr. Keith Newton to the parish of St. James the Great, Darlington and the announcement of its priest, Father Ian Grieves, that he intends to enter the Ordinariate:

In the 22 years he has been priest, Fr Grieves has increased the size of the followers from just 18 and helped fund hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of improvements to the church which was previously at risk of closure.

However a new Catholic congregation may have to find a new building for worship.

Fr Grieves added: "It is the most monumental decision of my life. We are not afraid because we have been here before. We started with nothing."

Read the entire article.>>>

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84 Groups of Anglicans on the Map and a Viable U.S. Ordinariate by Anglican Standards

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Ordinariate Google Map 11 02 12 300x192 84 Groups of Anglicans on the Map and a Viable U.S. Ordinariate by Anglican Standards

The Emerging Anglican Catholic Ordinariates Google Map as of February 12, 2011

It has been two weeks since we visited the Ordinariate Google Map and, as usual, the pins have kept coming.  As of this morning, the count by country is:

Canada:                  30

United States:      36

United Kingdom  18

TOTAL                     84

More groups seem to be on the way in the three countries we have on the board and Australia is yet to come.

Most of you know that I am usually reluctant to speculate, but I thought a quick look at some statistics might be reassuring to those who worry about what the future might hold.

Let’s take a look at what these numbers might mean in the United States.

Let’s assume that the 36 groups currently on the map in the U.S. would enter a newly erected American Ordinariate with an average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 2500, which I think would be an incredibly conservative estimate.

This number assumes that:

  • no new groups form,
  • no more existing groups vote to enter,
  • the current groups do not grow,
  • Anglicans who have already entered the full communion of the Catholic Church show no interest in the Ordinariates, and
  • no cradle Catholics attend Ordinariate services on a regular basis.

All of these assumptions would run contrary to our experience thus far.

Given these Malthusian parameters, here's what an ASA of 2500 would look like in comparison with The Episcopal Church:

  • The average parish attendance would be 69, three larger than the 2009 Episcopal Church parochial ASA of 66.  (67% of Episcopal parishes had an ASA of 100 or fewer in 2009.  Only 5% had an ASA of 300 or more.)
  • The average Sunday attendance of the American Ordinariate would be approximately 15% larger than that of the combined ASA of the three Episcopal Dioceses of North Dakota, Northern Michigan, and Western Kansas.
  • It would be 25% larger than the combined ASA of the two old Biretta Belt dioceses of Eau Claire and the portion of the Diocese of Quincy that remained in the Episcopal Church.
  • The Ordinariate ASA would be more than one-third larger than the TEC Dioceses of Montana, Eastern Oregon, and San Joaquin.
  • The American Ordinariate would be one-quarter larger than the Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania, the Utah, Idaho, and Alaska
  • It would be at least ten percent larger than the Dioceses of Springfield, Spokane, Northwest Texas, Nevada, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Fond du Lac.
  • It would be slightly larger than the TEC Dioceses of Pittsburgh and Northern Indiana.

In all, this would make an American Ordinariate—in a worst case scenario—larger than 21 of the domestic dioceses of The Episcopal Church.

If an American Ordinariate were to launch with an ASA of 3,000, it would be approximately the same size as the Dioceses of Iowa, Lexington, Eastern Michigan, Easton, Vermont, Nebraska, and Hawaii.

If an American Ordinariate were to grow to an ASA of 5000, it would be either larger than or roughly the same size as 59 of the domestic dioceses of The Episcopal Church.

These are still very small numbers in Catholic terms, but, in Anglican terms, I would say that an American Ordinariate looks quite credible.

(For those who want to look at the raw numbers, TEC's 2008 and 2009 ASA data are available here.)

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Be Generous in Your Welcome: The Rite of Calling for Ordinariate Candidates

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From site of the Reading Ordinariate Group:

As previously reported the RC dioceses are playing a prominent role in the genesis of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. It is hoped that by next year there will be a principal church and that there will be the human machinery in place to enable the Ordinariate and the Ordinary to stand on their own two feet. If all this happens, next year the Ordinariate will probably have its own Rite of Election. For the 'first wave' the dioceses have generously invited those entering into the full communion of the Catholic Church to join in with diocesan Rites of Election. The liturgy will probably vary slightly from place to place, but thanks to Fr Keith Newton, the Ordinary, and the Diocese of Westminster we can begin to see how the Rite of Election has taken shape and accommodated the Ordinariate innovation. Reproduced below is the 'use' of the diocese of Westminster as agreed with the Ordinary.

The Rite of Election was originally designed for catechumens (i.e. the unbaptised) but developed in modern times to include a rite for those who have been baptised but are entering into the full communion of the Catholic Chruch. Previously Anglicans and people from other denominations have gone through this route. Clearly the Ordinariate is a different route and this is recognised in this year's Rite of Election. The liturgy seems to be based on the US Combined Rite of Election and Calling of Candidates. This can be found along with the rest of the RCIA material in 'Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults' published by Catholic Book Publishing Co. with the relevant section being found on pp.69-83.

In order that there is a distinction made between the parochial candidates and the Ordinariate groups use has been made of the variant forms available. The Ordinariate groups are called with a text adapted from Option A, while parochial candidates have Option B with the series of questions for sponsors. It seems to be envisaged therefore that Ordinariate groups will not necessarily have sponsors. In addition it appears that they may be called as a group rather than by name.

In the adaptation of Option A there are significant references to words spoken by Pope Benedict XVI and his recent visit to Britain. This is both found in the bishop's introductory words, and significantly in the exhortation to the assembly to 'be generous in your welcome and offer them a place in your hearts and in your communities. Be ready, in turn, to be enriched by the gifts they may have to offer'. This echoes the Pope's words: 'It helps us set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all. Let us continue to pray and work unceasingly in order to hasten the joyful day when that goal can be accomplished.'

Here is the relevant text. I have chosen to follow the edition that uses 'bishop' though of course in Westminster and other places 'Archbishop' will be used:

CELEBRATION OF THE CALL TO CONTINUING CONVERSION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE PERSONAL ORDINARIATE OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

Bishop: The Holy Father, Pope Benedict, when he spoke at the end of his visit to this country asked that we should be generous in our welcome of those who seek to be received into the full communion of the Catholic Church within the Ordinariate.
Within our own diocese groups who seek this full communion have been preparing for admission to the Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist at the end of Lent.
I now invite those who desire to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church, to stand. (or come forward).

The Candidates stand or come forward

Bishop: My dear friends, these candidates, our brothers and sisters, have asked to be able to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Catholic Church. Those who know them have judged them to be sincere in their desire. During the period of their preparation they continue to reflect on the mystery of their baptism and have come to appreciate more deeply the presence of Christ in their lives. They have shared the company of their brothers and sisters, joined with them in prayer, and endeavoured to follow Christ's commands more perfectly.

And so I am pleased to recognise their desire to participate fully in the sacramental life of the Church.

Recognition of the Candidates

Dear Candidates, the Church reognises your desire to be sealed with the Holy Spirit and to have a place at Christ's Eucharistic table. Join with us this Lent in a Spirit of repentance. Hear the Lord's call to conversion and be faithful to your baptismal covenant.
Candidates: Thanks be to God.

The Bishop addresses the whole community

Bishop: My dear friends, I ask you to support these candidates in faith, prayer and example as they prepare to participate more fully in the Church's Sacraments. Be generous in your welcome and offer them a place in your hearts and in your communities. Be ready, in turn, to be enriched by the gifts they may have to offer. May they see in you a love for the Church and a sincere desire for doing good. Lead them this Lent to the joys of the Easter mysteries.

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Some Words of Blessed Maria Gabriella of Unity

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Bl Maria Gabriella 229x300 Some Words of Blessed Maria Gabriella of Unity

Bl Maria Gabriella of Unity, 1914-1939.

As some of you may remember, I posted an entry last week on the life of Bl. Maria Gabriella of Unity, a young Trappestine nun who offered her life for the unity of the Church and died at 25 from tuberculosis.  I have had a list of quotations from Bl. Maria Gabriella on my desk for the last two weeks that express both the simplicity and the clarity of her faith.  I began reading about this remarkable young woman because of her role in Church unity, but as I learned more, I was even more taken by what she had to say about faith in God’s goodness and living the Christian vocation.

As those in the United States, Canada, and Australia wait for the erection of ordinariates in their countries and anxiety does battle with hope, I thought that I would pass along these words that have spoken to me.  I hope that they might offer solace and inspiration to those of you who find yourselves living in an in-between time, waiting for the unity that your hearts desire, but also facing uncertainty and loss.

In simplicity of heart I gladly offer everything, O Lord.

The Lord put me on this path, He will remember to sustain me in battle.

To His mercy I entrust my frailty.

I saw in front of me a big cross…, I thought that my sacrifice was nothing in comparison to His.

I offered myself entirely and I do not withdraw the given word.

God's will whatever it may be, this is my joy, my happiness, my peace.

I will never be able to thank enough.

I cannot say but these words: "My God, your Glory."

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The St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC and Northern Virginia

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STC Lessons and Carols 300x272 The St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC and Northern Virginia

Lessons and Carols at St. Anselm's Abbey in DC.

Many of you probably noticed our mention of the St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC and Northern Virginia in our recent stories on the March for Life and the Mid Atlantic Gathering in Baltimore.

Through their comments in the discussion threads on those stories, I got in touch with some of the folks from St. Thomas of Canterbury and asked if they would share their story with the readers of The Anglo-Catholic.  Heide Seward of the blog Seward’s Folly sent me this history, which I share below along with some photos from the group’s very attractive new website.  If you are in the DC area, get in touch and stay posted for upcoming events.

The St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC & Northern Virginia

- A Brief History -

The St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC and Northern Virgina (STCS), like other similar communities, owes its existence to the generosity and foresight of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, who, on November 4, 2010, promulgated the apostolic constitution, Anglicanorum coetibus (“Groups of Anglicans”).  This document and its Complementary Norms is a pastoral response to the numerous petitions of Anglicans over a long period of time who have hoped to be reconciled with the Catholic Church, while retaining some elements of their traditional Anglican patrimony.

In response to the Holy Father’s offer, an effort was initiated in the Washington, DC/Northern Virginia area, thanks to the diligence of several people who originally made contact through the Anglo-Catholic blog online forum, (also called “Groups of Anglicans”).  Our inaugural meeting to discuss the possibility of forming an Anglican Use parish, with five people in attendance, was held in Alexandria, VA, on June 12, 2010.

Once word got out about this effort, over the course of the next few months we grew in numbers and have gradually coalesced as pilgrims in one stage or another on the road to Rome.  That is, some of us have already been received into the Catholic Church or are “cradle” Catholics.  Others have not yet “crossed the Tiber.”  All of us have seen our faith in Christ nurtured and deepened by the Anglican patrimony and are grateful to the Holy Father for his generosity.

On Saturday, September 11, 2010, we held our first service of Evening Prayer at St. Anselm’s (Benedictine) Abbey in Washington, DC.  We are tremendously grateful to the brothers of St. Anselm’s and their prior, Fr. Simon McGurk, who have welcomed us enthusiastically and have allowed us to use the Abbey Chapel for subsequent Evening Prayer services on the third Saturday of each month (at 4:45pm) since then.  Following our Evening Prayer services we have been able to use their lovely Ft. Augustus Room in the building next door to get to know each other and to welcome newcomers.

In October of 2010 the group elected a Leadership Council.  We have continued to meet on a monthly basis to discuss a variety of issues pertaining to our ultimate goal of forming an Anglican Use parish in the area that will, we hope, eventually become part of a future Ordinariate in the US.  In October we sent a letter to (then Archbishop, now Cardinal) Wuerl, in his capacity as delegate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) to guide the formation of an Ordinariate in the United States, informing him of our existence.  We similarly notified Bishop Loverde of the Arlington Diocese (Northern Virginia).  The response from Cardinal Wuerl’s assistant, Fr. Scott Hurd, included a Community Profile to be filled out and submitted by the end of 2010.  Eighteen people eventually agreed to be numbered as interested in the Ordinariate by the time the Profile was submitted on December 31, 2010.

On December 18, 2010, instead of our regular Evening Prayer we held a service of Advent Lessons & Carols in the Abbey Chapel, with a (semi-professional) choir that included several STCS members.  Several of the brothers from the Abbey and a number of family & friends joined us for the service and the social hour afterward.

Mt.Calv .STCStrimmed 300x229 The St. Thomas of Canterbury Anglican Use Society of Washington, DC and Northern Virginia

A St. Thomas group photo from the January Mid Atlantic Gathering.

On January 15, 2011, following months of discussion and prayer about the selection of a patron for our group, the executive council officially adopted St. Thomas of Canterbury as our patron.  Later that month we launched our website (http://www.stthomascanterbury.org/links.html).

The occasion of our introduction to the wider Ordinariate world was the Mid-Atlantic Gathering of Ordinariate-bound Catholics and Anglicans, on January 23, 2011.  Fr. Eric Bergman (chaplain of the St. Thomas More Society (STMS) of Scranton, PA and of the Anglican Use Society) celebrated an Anglican Use Mass according to the Book of Divine Worship at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in downtown Baltimore, MD.  Afterwards we reconvened a few blocks away at Mt. Calvary Church for a reception.  Mt. Calvary is the Baltimore church whose congregation voted overwhelmingly in October of 2010 to leave the Episcopal Church and seek reception into the Catholic Church.  The next day, January 24, several of us also participated in the annual March for Life, under a large banner proclaiming, “Thank you, Holy Father, for Anglicanorum coetibus!”

History continues to be made almost daily regarding the St. Thomas of Canterbury Society—and certainly the same can be said of the Ordinariate itself.  Keep an eye on our website for news and updates.

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Traditional Anglican Communion Global News Roundup

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St Agatha Portsmouth Traditional Anglican Communion Global News Roundup

St Agatha, Landport.

There have been several stories from the Traditional Anglican Communion over the last few days.  First there has been more news of the Anglican Church in America (ACA):

Three bishops of the ACA have issued a pastoral letter, following a statement by their chancellors, calling for an immediate separation between the ACA and the Patrimony of the Primate.  You can read the full statement at the ACA website.

In response to all of the recent developments in the ACA, Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion, has given an extensive interview to Mary Ann Mueller outlining the situation as he sees it.  You can read that interview at Virtue Online.

And, while the internet was buzzing with these developments, other things were happening as well:

In Australia, Bishop Harry Entwhistle has given an interview to The Record saying it's "All or nothing for Anglican Catholics," with news of the recently completed festival in Australia and information on the upcoming festival in Perth.  Read the whole story at The Record.

Christ the King Towson Traditional Anglican Communion Global News Roundup

Christ the King, Towson.

In the UK, Fr. Christopher Colven, former Anglican priest and Rector of Spanish Place in London, gave the sermon at the patronal festival of St. Agatha's Church, Landport.  You can read the entire sermon at Ordinariate Portal.

Finally, in the States, Fr. Ed Meeks of Christ the King in Towson, Maryland delivered a sermon titled, "The Ordinariate:  Where We Are Today,"  which reminds us all of the fundamental theological issues raised by Anglicanorum coetibus.  I recommend it highly to all who are considering entering the Ordinariate and as a good reminder to all who have decided to come.  The full audio is available on the Christ the King website.

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Congratulations to Fr. Bartus!

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Bartus Ordination Congratulations to Fr. Bartus!

Over the weekend, Fr. Andrew Bartus, curate of St. Mary of the Angels in Hollywood and  the mainstay of the Anglican Patrimony Blog, was ordained priest. He catches his readers up on life on the West Coast in a new entry at Anglican Patrimony.

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The Ordinariate Won't Be Quaint or Exotic in the Diocese of Portsmouth

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Ordinariate Portal is running this very nice piece on the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, which appears in the diocesan magazine, Portsmouth People.

Diocese of Portsmouth: Anglicans’ long journey to Rome nears its end

Portsmouthcatholiccathedral 225x300 The Ordinariate Wont Be Quaint or Exotic in the Diocese of Portsmouth

The Cathedral Church of St John the Evangelist, Portsmouth.

Here in the Diocese of Portsmouth, we are close to having a number of new Catholic neighbours. They are Anglicans in our area hoping to join the Catholic Church under the provisions of the Ordinariate announced more than a year ago by Pope Benedict.

These are exciting but uncertain times for them. Exciting because in Holy Week they should finally be received into full communion with the Church for which they have been yearning for a long time. Uncertain because it’s not yet clear how things will work in practice.

Under the arrangements announced by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in November there are several stages. Already, by the time you read this edition of Portsmouth People, at least three former Anglican Bishops are likely to have been ordained as Catholic priests to serve in the Ordinariate. In this area, these include the former Bishop of Ebbsfleet, Andrew Burnham, who lives in Abingdon in the north of our diocese. Also Rome will have appointed an ‘Ordinary’ who will be responsible, together with the local Catholic bishop for the ongoing life of the Ordinariate.

Before the beginning of Lent, retired Bishops, including Edwin Barnes the former Bishop of Richborough who lives in Lymington, are also due to be ordained.

Also before the beginning of Lent former Anglican clergymen intending to lead groups of faithful into the Ordinariate will begin ‘a period of intense formation’ for ordination as Catholic priests. In this area, there are expected to be groups from Reading, the Isle of Wight and Christchurch, amounting to a few dozen people in all, though precisely how many is not yet clear.

During Lent, these groups, or candidates as they will be by then, will be prepared for reception into the Church, either on Holy Thursday or during the Easter Vigil. Their pastors, assuming all goes well, will be ordained into the Catholic Priesthood around Pentecost.

Although members of the Ordinariate will not be part of the main structure of our diocese, Bishop Crispian has been involved in making the local arrangements and they will be fellow local Catholics. And we are likely to bump into some of them in our churches. During Lent, before their own pastors are ordained, they may be joining us at Mass. Welcomers take note!

By the summer, the ordinariate groups could have their own Mass times in our churches. And, if they are using our buildings, they make it clear they would help with things like church cleaning and flower arranging. The clergy I have spoken to are all prepared to fill in for our own priests when they are on holiday, and hope that our priests will be able to do the same for them. They are anxious not to be seen, in the words of one, ‘as rather quaint, exotic groups.’

Will the Ordinariate be a temporary or a permanent structure? Former Bishop Andrew is disarmingly honest about this.

‘The first wave will be quite small, but it could be followed by many others, so the Ordinariate would grow.

‘It is also possible that it turns out not to be viable, in which case those in the Ordinariate would fold into the existing Catholic Community. In a way, it doesn’t greatly matter. The important thing is that those called to make the journey have the chance to do so.’

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