Signs of Christian Unity: Episcopal Parish Received into Catholic Church

Pastor and People from Former Episcopal Parish Received into Catholic Church - U.s. - Catholic Online

The following excerpt is from Cathoic Online:

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Sunday morning, October 9, almost 80 parishioners of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Bladensburg, Maryland were received into full communion with the Catholic Church by Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington during Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

St. Luke's parish is a small, tight-knit congregation with a majority of their members from Africa and the Caribbean. While enjoying a rich cultural diversity, the church has been unified in it's one dream - becoming a part of the new Anglican Ordinariate as Catholics in full-communion with the Church.

Cardinal Wuerl was visibly joyful throughout the confirmation Mass and expressed his personal delight, during his homily, in receiving these faithful pilgrims. [His prepared remarks are available in a separate article.]

The cardinal spoke of the increasing momentum toward unity in the Church since Vatican II, with the Anglican Ordinariate the most recent response to those who desire to enter in.

"In recent years," he stated, "there have been communities in the Anglican Communion who said, 'we're ready!'

"Pope Benedict XVI, hearing that call, said 'Why do we not prepare a vehicle to allow this corporate reunion to take place?'

The Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus became that vehicle, as a way for the Church to receive individuals and parishes that desire to enter into full-communion. They have also been invited to bring their rich Anglican heritage with them.

The Cardinal stated that the St. Luke Community eagerly anticipated the announcement of the Ordinariate in America and their establishment as a Catholic Parish with the ordination of their pastor. He also said they approached him about moving forward.

"They asked, 'Rather than wait; why can't we just start now?' In God's good time the Holy See will announce the Ordinariate."

Today's Rite of Reception was the culmination of their preparation.

Read more: Episcopal Parish Received into Catholic Church