Some guffawed and were certain that it would never happen. Others, after it happened, were certain that it would not last. Others thought (and some still think) that we are Protestants in disguise who have no business being in the Catholic Church. Well, they would think Catholic if they talked to any of our people for five minutes. The truth is that we are just too Catholic for many. And, after ten years we are growing by leaps and bounds - nearly 50 parishes in the US and Canada, with more in England and Australia. And, as I predicted back in the seventies to my erstwhile Anglo-Catholic friends (who were incredulous and poo-pooed the idea that it would ever happen), we are an entity in the Catholic Church and have our own bishop. Today, on what was another Sunday in 'Ordinary time' for most, we celebrated a Jubilee with a solemn pontifical mass of the Holy Spirit followed by a solemn Te Deum, then Solemn Evensong and a grand reception in the great hall of the Chancery. Our founding charter, Anglicanorum coetibus (Anglican groups) was promulgated by HF Benedict in 2009, making these 'Anglicanorum coetibus' an ordinariate. In addition to gratitude to HF Benedict, we also have a debt of gratitude to Cardinal Levada (may light perpetual now shine upon him) and to Cardinal di Nardo. The Most Rev'd. Stephen J. Lopes, our bishop, is a faithful father to us all, and a tireless father of his 'diocese', which is the entire US and Canada. We are grateful to Benedict XVI, and all who have furthered our cause and welcomed us into the Church which we love. (Walsingham actually pe-dates the Ordinariate! It was established nearly forty years ago (1982) under the "Pastoral Provision-Anglican Use' for ex-Anglicans by John Paul II.)
Here are the day's observances - Solemn Pontifical Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit - 11.15am
Organ Voluntary - on Veni creator Spirituss - - - Improvisation At the Procession - Hymn: 'Christ is Made the Sure Foundation' - - - Westminster Abbey
The Introit - Spiritus Domini - - - Mode VIII (Palmer-Burgess) Kyrie - Mass for Five Voices - - - William Byrd Gloria - Missa Sancta Maria Magdalena - - - Healey Willan
The Psalm - Psalm CVIII, Benedic, anima mea - - - Chant, William Turle Alleluya and Verse - Veni, Sancte Spiritus - - -Tone VI (AUG)
The Nicene Creed - - - Recto Tono The Prayers of the Faithful - - - Byzantine Chant
At the Offertory - The Antiphon - Confirma hoc - - - Mode IV (P-B) Anthem - 'Draw Us in the Spirit's Tether" - - - Harold Friedel
Sanctus - Mass for Five Voices - - - William Byrd Memorial Acclamation - 'O Saviour of the World' - - - Mode VIII The Our Father - - - Mode VII Agnus Dei - Mass for Five Voices - - - William Byrd
At the Communion - The Antiphon - Factus est repente - - - Mode VII (P-B) Anthem - Ecce quam bonum - - - Richard Proulx Hymn-Responsory - Magna opera Domini* - - - Richard J. Clark
Te Deum - - - Chants, E.G. Monk and W. Croft
Hymn - 'To Thee O Gracious Father'** - - - Thaxted Organ Voluntary - on Thaxted - - - Improvisation
*This hymn quotes Bishop Lopes's motto, 'Great are the Works of the Lord', and was commissioned for his consecration as bishop. **This hymn was written by the Rev'd. Christopher B. Phillips, former pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement, San Antionio. ____________________________________________
Solemn Choral Evensong - 4.00pm
Organ Voluntary - Psalm Prelude No. 1, Op. 32 - - - Herbert Holwells At the Procession - Organ Voluntary - - - Improvisatioon
Introit - 'Behold, How Good and Joyful' - - - Stanley Vann
The Preces - - - Thomas Tallis The Office Hymn - Veni Creator Spiritus - - - Sarum Plainsong, Mode VIII The Psalter - Psalm CXVIII,I-III. Chants, Sir Edward Elgar, Cambridge Chant, G.T.S. Talbot
Magnificat - - - William Byrd Nunc dimittis - - - William Byrd
The Suffrages - - - Thomas Tallis The Our Father - - - Robert Stone
The Anthem - 'The Spirit of the Lord', from The Apostles - - - Sir Edward Elgar
The Marian Anthem - Salve, Regina - - - Peter Philips
Hymn - 'The Day Thou Gavest' - - - St. Clement
Organ Voluntary - on 'O God, Our Help in Ages Past' - - - Sir C.H.H. Parry ___________________________________________
Ken - O quanta qualia happens to be my favourite All Saints' hymn. I grumbled (with tongue slightly in cheek) to our choirmaster that we didn't sing it at our All Saints high mass. Perhaps next year indeed!
Our Lady of the Atonement in San Antonio celebrated the tenth anniversary of Anglicanorum coetibus and the Feast of St. Cecilia with a Solemn Evensong tonight. The Sonoro chamber choir, along with the San Antonio Recorder Quartet, performed.
Prelude: Fantasy for Viols, No. X (Purcell) Introit: Your voices tune (Handel) Preces and Responses (Tallis) Hymn: O gracious light (Schramm) Psalm: 35, Judica, Domine (Barnby) Lessons: Proverbs 27:1-22, 1 John 5 Canticles: Collegium Regale Service (Howells) Apostles’ Creed and Lord's Prayer chanted recto tono Interlude: Almighty and everlasting God (Gibbons) Anthems: Festival Te Deum, op. 32 (Britten) A Hymn for St. Cecelia (Howells) Postlude: Maestoso (Ives)
I am a little bit late to this conversation, but Happy Tenth Anniversary of Anglicanorum Coetibus to my fellow members, parishioners, and allies of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, and all of them. More on this later, as I am about to have family lunch.
Having just taken up an organ spot at an Ordinariate parish, I shall wish happy tenth anniversary to you all as well. The first few weeks there have been so refreshing to my soul!
I think is may be a tribute to the endurance of the rich Anglican tradition that one of the the largest Ordinariate congregations - including the Cathedral ends up in the middle of flatland Texas!
Greg - It is, indeed, curious that your 'flatlands of Texas' have been host to the nascent Ordinariate. Texas (except for the diocese of Fort Worth) has long had a reputation for being the lowest of the low when it comes to liturgy. One might have thought that a more thoroughly Anglo-Catholic diocese, such as Fond-du-lac, would have been the breeding ground for those who would cross the Tiber. But no, it was low church Texas.
I'm going back to visit my old Anglo-Catholic parish (St. James, Cleveland) on Christmas Eve. I had long thought that going Ordinariate was their only hope of survival. But the Fr. Treco affair has made it hard for me to advocate for that position.
Fr. Treco was the pastor of St. Bede Ordinariate Parish in St. Louis Park, MN (they were hosted by my territorial Roman Rite parish). Earlier this year he began making disparaging remarks towards the Holy Father and his own church leadership during his homilies (and posted them to the internet). One way or another Bishop Lopes caught wind of this and asked him to recant/tone it down. Fr. Treco refused and was dismissed from active ministry and the parish has since been suspended lacking a permanent pastor. Not a good situation but the nascent Ordinariate doesn’t need these controversies to tarnish its reputation. I know some of the people that were affected by this and they’re obviously upset that everything panned out like this, but they’re hopeful that they can eventually “reactivate” the parish and get a resident pastor again.
Bravo for Bishop Lopes. I wouldn't let that (surprising as it is!) scare me off from the Ordinariate. Such attitudes and speech are a commonplace amongst purely Roman rite people and clergy - and, unlike in the Ordinariate, they go undisciplined. Just remember how HF Benedict was excoriated and mocked by scads of folk, high and low, in and out of clerical orders. On the other hand, those who championed Benedict excoriate Francis without fear of discipline.
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