Catholics in the Temecula Valley who were brought up in the Anglican tradition have become part of a Roman Catholic community under the jurisdiction of a non-territorial diocese created specifically for those who share that background.
Holy Martyrs of England and Wales Catholic Mission has established a presence in Temecula Valley and will begin holding Mass in a Murrieta gymnasium on Pentecost Sunday, May 20. This faith community was formed by several families in the Temecula Valley that had been traveling to Irvine to attend Mass at Blessed John Henry Newman Parish.
That parish community falls under the jurisdiction of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, a non-territorial diocese that allows communities of former Anglicans in the United States and Canada to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. It is under the episcopal leadership of Bishop Steven Lopes.
“We know that cultural and liturgical traditions are an important element of our experience of God and this Personal Ordinariate allows for the continuance of the Anglican patrimony within the larger “family” of the Latin Rite of the Church,” reads a joint letter from Bishop Gerald Barnes and Bishop Lopes issued on Apr. 6 to clarify the relationship between the Diocese and Holy Martyrs of England and Wales community.
Efforts by Holy Martyrs of England and Wales to market itself in the local communities initially created some confusion among some Catholic parishioners and priests. According to the joint letter from Bishop Barnes and Bishop Lopes, those eligible to become members of Holy Martyrs of England and Wales would be:
• A former Anglican seeking to become Catholic
• An Anglican or Methodist who is seeking to become Catholic
• The spouse of a former Anglican who is Catholic
• An unbaptized Christian
• A baptized Catholic who is not fully initiated in the Church
• A fully-initiated Catholic who no longer practices their faith
The new community is to serve those who share a common liturgical, pastoral, and theological heritage of English Catholicism. Liturgically, the Order of the Mass and some prayers used by the Ordinariate are different than those used in diocesan parishes, but the basic shape and structure of the Mass remains the same.
Fully-initiated Catholics who belong to existing parishes in the Diocese are not eligible to become members of Holy Martyrs of England and Wales and should not seek to receive their Sacraments of Initiation there, according to the joint letter.
Full story at Inland Catholic Byte.
‘receive their rites of initiation there ….’ [last sentance, last paragraph]. What about receiving other Sacraments
there?
Mike m, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter website should answer your questions.
The English at this Mass is both beautiful and poetic as it is liturgical English using “thees” and “thous”. There is a contemporary English choice for the Mass also with fine wording. I have not been to one as there is none in my area, but I do have their Book of Divine Worship. Any one who was baptized in the Methodist, Episcopalian or Anglican churches before Catholic conversion can join. Other Catholics can take Communion there.
One wonders why Bishop Barnes seems to think that Roman Catholics should not be attending this Mass. Are not the bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Christ? Is going to this Mass any different than attending Mass at any of the other Eastern or other Catholic Rites in union with Rome? Sounds more like the near by Roman Catholic parishes may be afraid of losing parishioners. I am not aware of Roman Catholics in the Diocese of Orange being told not to attend these Masses.
There is nothing that says you cannot attend the Mass.
There is a difference between members of the parish of Holy Martyrs and members of the Ordinariate.
This article does not quote the letter correctly. Instead of saying that “Those seeking to join the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter must meet one or more of these criteria” as the actual letter from the bishops says, this article says “According to the joint letter from Bishop Barnes and Bishop Lopes, those eligible to become members of Holy Martyrs of England and Wales would be”.
The letter from the bishops can be read on Holy Martyrs’ website: https://www.hmcatholic.org
In fact, the letter says that any Catholic can be a member of the parish but remain members of the Diocese of San Bernardino if they don’t qualify for…
This information is not totally correct. Anyone can belong to Holy Martyrs Parish. To belong to the Ordinariate diocese, a person must be a convert or converting or “reverting” to Catholicism. If a member of the parish is not a member of the Ordinariate diocese and, for example, would like to be Confirmed at Holy Martyrs, then the pastor must contact the pastor of that person’s geographical diocesean parish to request permission.
The priest faces liturgical east at these Masses and the people receive Communion kneeling at an altar rail. You can find such full videos on line.
The Ordinariate Mass is lovely, as compared to the typical Novus Ordo.
Yes, any Roman Catholic can attend and it “counts.” The Vatican does not want you to be a “member” though, unless you have some tie to the Anglican Tradition. Why? Well, too many Catholics would do so, given the truly lamentable happy talk at most NO masses.
DO mak every effort to worship with others at these Masses. I am thso mother in law of an Anglican priest. He happens to live in ththe city of
Houston. The Cathedral- for the non- geographic Ordinariate Diocese is there. In another interesting connection – my SIL was at the Episcopal Seminary with th now- Catholic priest at the Cathedral. I know him and his family. My own grandchildren attend the school at the Cathedral. This is where Bishop Lopes resides. Being a former Anglican- it is a beautiful blend of my roots to worship at an Ordinariate Mass. Totally Catholic. Last time I visited the school and attended Mass with my grandkids I stopped and chatted with a Dominican sister/teacher. I said:”I bet most Sisters don’t have the…