Press Release on the “Ordinariate Festival”

Here is a media release reporting developments for the Australian Ordinariate.

MEDIA RELEASE

FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE
AUSTRALIAN ORDINARIATE

An Australian Ordinariate Festival was held at St Stephen’s College, Coomera, Queensland, between February 1 – 3.

Anglicans from all States came together with Catholics to understand more about Pope Benedict’s offer of a Personal Ordinariate for former Anglicans seeking full communion with the Church. Participants included clergy, laity and religious women from the official Anglican Church of Australia (ACA) and the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia (Traditional Anglican Communion: TAC). Bishop Tolowa Nona of the Church of the Torres Strait (TAC) was accompanied by priests and laity.

Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the TAC, hosted the festival at the campus St Stephen’s College, Coomera, of which he is the chairman. He celebrated a solemn Anglican Eucharist in the college chapel to open the festival. On February 2, Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett of Lismore celebrated the Catholic liturgy for the Presentation of the Lord, with the customary blessing of candles.

The Episcopal Delegate for the Ordinariate, Bishop Peter Elliott, said that he sensed strong feelings of anticipation and enthusiasm among participants. Archbishop Hepworth said that many people are looking forward to the establishment of an Australian Ordinariate.

“Difficult questions were raised frankly.” said Bishop Elliott, “But I was moved when people gave testimonies of their journeys towards the Ordinariate. We all came to understand the urgent pastoral need for this unique community in full communion with the Successor of St Peter.”

After the festival, a national implementation committee representing all groups met for the first time to tackle practical issues. Local Ordinariate working groups are also being established in the States.

On February 26 another Ordinariate Festival will be held in Perth, at Holy Family church Como, hosted by Bishop Harry Entwhistle (TAC). Other festivals are envisaged for Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to inform people as plans for an Australian Ordinariate take shape.

Terra has some good comments on her blog.

About Schütz

I am a PhD candidate & sessional academic at Australian Catholic University in Melbourne, Australia. After almost 10 years in ministry as a Lutheran pastor, I was received into the Catholic Church in 2003. I worked for the Archdiocese of Melbourne for 18 years in Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations. I have been editor of Gesher for the Council of Christians & Jews and am guest editor of the historical journal “Footprints”. I have a passion for pilgrimage and pioneered the MacKillop Woods Way.
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3 Responses to Press Release on the “Ordinariate Festival”

  1. But it’s all very ‘small beer’, isn’t it, David?
    Ah well, I suppose small beer is better than no beer at all!
    Meanwhile, here’s an interesting take on it all:
    http://therevealer.org/archives/5883

    • Schütz says:

      Small in size, but significant in reality. This is something entirely new. It isn’t just a matter of individual conversions. These receptions into full communion have an “ecclesiological” significance. What the whole development will mean for the future is anyone’s guess at the moment. It is unfolding as we speak.

      Perhaps, in assessing the signficance of such a development, it might help if you tried to imagine what the effect would bee if even just one tiny congregation of the LCA and their pastor decided to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Would you call that “small beer”?

  2. matthias says:

    very interesting article pastor. I think what came out is the angst between catholics and anglicans. I was a member of an African studies Association and in talking to Africans there seemed to be little mention of this angst . A lot of praise for both the CMS and the White Father
    My Bible study group even had a Ugandan Anglican Bishop come and speak and he emphasised the need to spread the Gospel as Christians and did not mention any angst with the Catholic Church.
    ( a good source for all things African in this Region is the DIRECTORY OF AFRICANISTS IN AUSTRALASIA AND THE PACIFIC,edited by Counsel G and Pelling W- new one is to follow)

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