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A New Diocese for Faith

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A New Diocese for Faith A New Diocese for Faith By Beth Griffin t’s faith driven by love. We’re so happy to be part of the Catholic “IChurch, the joy and enthusiasm help us overcome obstacles,” says Msgr. Jeffrey N. Steenson. He is the ordinary, or leader, of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, which receives Catholic Home Missions (CHM) funds. One of Msgr. Steenson’s biggest challenges is that his responsibility extends to people throughout the United States and Canada. And, for added measure, he can only visit them on weekends. Read on! The Ordinariate is an ecclesiastical struc- ture similar to a diocese, established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 to serve groups of for- mer Anglicans who seek full communion with the Catholic Church. It is based in Houston, Texas, and serves four dozen worship commu- nities of widely differing sizes spread across “Pope Benedict’s vision Parishioners celebrate two countries. the first anniversary of was that groups of the establishment of the Under the terms of the 2009 apostolic Anglicans would bring Personal Ordinariate of constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus (“Groups the Chair of St. Peter at our tradition intact and the Shrine of Our Lady of of Anglicans”), the newcomers maintain keep it alive for the Walsingham, Houston. distinctive elements of their Anglican her- Photo courtesy of The future. Both the liturgi- Personal Ordinariate of itage while entering into full membership cal and pastoral ethos the Chair of St. Peter. in the Catholic Church. Congregations are of our old life would led by former Anglican priests educated and come with us, particularly our liturgy, which ordained as Catholic priests. Masses and draws from the Book of Common Prayer.” other worship services reflect both Anglican Fr. Ronald Roberson, CSP, says, “The and Catholic traditions. Anglican tradition is a real gift to the Church. “We’ve been united to, not absorbed by, It’s a fundamental principle of ecumenism the Catholic Church,” Msgr. Steenson says. …continued on page 2 WINTER 2015 A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER FROM MISSION AMERICA …continued from page 1 Ordinariate by Pope Benedict and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, the arch- that the goal of unity does not mean FROM THE bishop of Galveston-Houston. uniformity. Everything does not have The young Ordinariate is working to become alike, and there are differ- hard to establish its identity and proce- CHAIRMAN ent gifts in different communities.” dures. Former Anglicans who want to Dear Friends, Fr. Roberson is associate director become Catholics in the Ordinariate In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI of the United States Conference of must submit individual petitions for established a new ecclesi- Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Office of membership to Msgr. Steenson, he astical structure here in the Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. United States that you may says. “The apostolic constitution is The Ordinariate functions like not know about. This new very clear that members come from a diocese, and Msgr. Steenson has ecclesiastical structure, the Personal Ordi- Anglican or other Protestant tradi- powers equivalent to those of a dioc- nariate of the Chair of St. Peter, is similar tions. We don’t exist to serve Latin to that of a diocese and is operated out of esan bishop. However, his jurisdic- Rite Catholics, and we respect that Houston, Texas. However, the Ordinariate tion covers a specific class of people, they belong to a territorial diocese,” does not serve a particular geographical former Anglicans, rather than a region but rather a group of particular he explains. geographical territory. people: Anglicans. Specifically, this new The only exception is for Catholic Msgr. Steenson was the Episcopal “diocese” serves Anglicans who are seeking adults who never completed the rites bishop of the Diocese of Rio Grande, full communion with the Catholic Church. of initiation, including Confirmation, Pope Benedict XVI created the Ordinariate Texas. He became a Catholic in 2007 but who develop a relationship with a not only to unite our Anglican brothers and and was ordained a priest in 2009. former Anglican worship community. sisters with our Church but also to preserve Msgr. Steenson is the only non-bishop the Anglican traditions of worship. We are Procedurally, the catechesis and member of the USCCB. He cannot overjoyed to assist the Ordinariate in becom- preparation to receive people into be a Catholic bishop, because he ing a substantial element of evangelization the Ordinariate is deliberate and is married. and unity here in our Church at home. takes time, Msgr. Steenson says. “You The Personal Ordinariate of the In this issue, read about what life has been can’t jump from one team to another Chair of St. Peter is the second to like for the leaders of the Ordinariate. Msgr. and just change uniforms. This is Jeffrey Steenson, the ordinary, shares what be erected, after England and Wales. very serious.” the Ordinariate is all about at its core and Its principal church is Our Lady He outlines a process by which discusses the road to distinguishing its identity. of Walsingham in Houston, a for- individuals or groups of Anglicans Funds from a Catholic Home Missions mer Catholic church given to the grant have been able to help the Ordinari- begin their discernment process with a ate of the Chair of St. Peter establish the much-needed fundamentals of any new organization, from financial processes to leadership and staffing. We are able to continue helping our new community of brothers and sis- ters because of your generosity. Please continue to remember our new neighbors in faith who have fewer resources in these early stages. Your donation, no matter how small, truly makes a difference. With your assistance, Catholic Home Mis- sions will continue to support basic ministries in home mission dioceses and provide an opportunity for each person to live out his or her faith. Let us help one another with open hearts, strengthening the Church at home. Yours in Christ, Bishop Richard E. Pates anoints Fr. Chori Seraiah’s hands at his ordination. Fr. Seraiah is currently serving at a parish in the Diocese of Des Moines. Photo courtesy of The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. Bishop Peter F. Christensen Diocese of Boise PAGE 2 | WINTER 2015 clergy leader. Msgr. Steenson prepares Episcopal parishes pay a salary to a dossier and sends it to the Vatican their priests. Catholic priests receive a DID YOU KNOW? Congregation for the Doctrine of the stipend from the diocese. Faith (CDF) for initial consideration. If Most priests of the Ordinariate, • The Personal Ordinariate of the the CDF approves, the clergy begin a including Msgr. Steenson, support Chair of St. Peter is not a rite, akin to the Eastern Catholic Churches, period of discernment and catechesis at themselves and their families with jobs but is considered a “use” within a local seminary. Lay people are cate- outside their worship communities. the Latin Rite of the Catholic chized in the same way as individuals in “We’re all tentmakers. We have to sup- Church. It uses an Order of the any Catholic parish, through a series of plement or make our income,” explains Mass approved by the Vatican classes or presentations on the doctrines Msgr. Steenson. Congregations for the Doctrine of of the Church. He teaches at St. Mary’s Seminary the Faith and Divine Worship. “Furthermore, the transition for in Houston during the week and heads • The Ordinariate stretches from an Anglican clergyman to become out into his vast diocese on the week- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in the north to Miami in the south, a Catholic priest requires special ends. “We’re a quasi-diocese, and I’m a and from British Columbia consideration. The pope must give bishop without portfolio. It’s important and California in the west to each clergyman dispensation from to be with the people so we can build a Massachusetts in the east. the requirement for clerical celibacy. community. I depend on airlines to get • There is only one paid staff mem- Msgr. Steenson works with the dioc- me around,” Msgr. Steenson says. ber for the Ordinariate. Other staff esan bishop to arrange an ordination Priests of the Ordinariate have estab- serve pro bono, rely on retirement and collaborate on establishing an lished fraternal relationships with local pensions, or are paid through local Ordinariate worship community within clergy, but some serve in isolated geo- dioceses and parishes. the diocese. “Most people find this is no graphic areas, and clergy and laity alike • What about celibacy? Married cake walk,” he says. appreciate the vital pastoral support of Anglican clergy are allowed to While the seminary program was a visit from their leader. Ordinariate become Catholic priests of the Ordinariate, but Msgr. Steenson accelerated by the Vatican to make priests are permitted to confirm chil- says, “The Ordinariate is expected sure the first worship communities dren of their communities, as well to grow into the discipline of and their leaders were not separated, as converts to the faith, but Msgr. celibacy. We’re expected to produce future priests of the Ordinariate will Steenson says his presence at those sac- priests the same way as dioceses do. undergo formation developed for the ramental occasions is a visible tie to the This will be a big challenge for us Pastoral Provision. The Provision was Ordinariate. “It is especially vital when in the future. We’ve come from a tradition where we’ve always had a made by Pope John Paul II in 1980 a community as a whole comes into full married clergy, and we don’t want in response to requests from married communion with the Church,” he says. to underestimate the difficulty of former Episcopal clergymen for inte- Msgr.
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