After an intensive, years-long period of prayer and discernment, the order of All Saints Sisters of the Poor will be received into the Roman Catholic Church by the Archbishop of Baltimore on Sept. 3.
“We are very sorry for any pain that this move might cause our friends,” said the Rev. Mother Christina, superior of the order, told The LivingChurch. “But everyone must try to follow where they feel God is leading them.
I congratulate them on their move and wish them well. Given the state of affairs in TEC it was probably the best course of action available to them.
In ICXC
John
I’m detecting a pattern here. It seems that some Episcopalians, after long periods of reflection, prayer and discernment resolve their only course of action is to head for Rome/Orthodoxy/LCMS/etc. On the flipside, we have some in other denomination who resolve that TEC looks good to them after they’re caught, as the bon mot goes, in bed with a dead girl or live boy.
As I said, an interesting study in migration patterns emerges.
The All Saints Sisters of the Poor were founded in the early days of the Catholic revival in the Church of England. The departure of this expression of the Catholic tradition from the Anglican communion (the British ASSP, btw, are apparently comfortable remaining where they are) strikes me as hugely symbolic. It is only twelve-to-fourteen sisters who are gently, gracefully, and diplomatically shaking the dust from their sandals, but that number has been known to make huge differences in religious history.
The sisters still wear a habit, have a daily office and live in community. To some Catholic religious today that amounts to being very traditional and even old-fashioned – although interestingly, it is often the more traditional orders that are among the few picking up vocations, like the Dominican sisters of Nashville Tennessee. May God be with the All Saints Sisters as they continue their journey of faith, and may they receive a warm welcome and understanding.
There is a beautiful photographic slide-show of the life of the All Saints Sisters at Catonsville, accompanied by a commentary from one of the sisters (including convent bells). You can find it at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-retreat-flash,0,4891236.flash
and I think many readers of this site will enjoy it, although I must admit that I quailed at little at the sight of that very traditional no-nonsense habit.
To paraphrase an old cliche of the 60s and 70s, every day in every way, TEC is getting worse and worse. The nuns probably thought that there was hope in remaining to fight the battle: at some point they realized they were slowly being drawn into the corruption of a church, the leaders of which had embraced something other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish them well, and pray that their witness may be given the respect it so richly deserves.
Jeffersonian wrote similar to what I was thinking–the migration pattern between TEC and Rome certainly helps reinforce traditional Catholicism in the RC while bequeathing to the TEC people who will help tear down anything resembling traditional Christianity and Catholicism remaining in the TEC.
As Dick Mitchell said on StandFirm, this event marks a particularly poignant moment for Maryland Episcopalians, past and present. Even those of us who had no continuing relationship with the Sisters (thru retreats, attendance at Mass, buying their gift cards, etc.) still found ourselves rather consistently aware of them. They were somehow an important presence, representing something deep and vital. For me, an ordinary kid growing up in Baltimore, these occasional associations were experienced: Our youth group visited the convent during Lent. Our priest used to speak of a young woman he had guided toward becoming an All Saints sister, where she happily found her place. Our bishop (Noble Powell–subject of an interesting biography, I hear) was a Low Churchman, who loved the Sisters and was deeply loved by them.
It wasn’t exactly that we were “proud” of the Sisters; we were just very glad they were there. The Maryland Episcopal church, I feel, has suffered a loss. And that comes thru especially as you read the approach reflected in the Sisters’ lines about why they left and about the effect of their leaving. There’s nothing of the current religious culture wars in those remarks. Makes their departure–necessary, they feel, and very carefully considered–all the more acutely felt for some of us, who can’t help seeing this event as truly marking a sea-change. True, the Sisters have always been conservative and Anglo-Catholic, but they pointed to the breadth that has always (had always) characterized the Episcopal Church, thru thick and thin–i.e., thru many kinds of battles over the years.
Thanks Terry for that marvelous link. What a lovely community they have.
Religious orders are largely independent of other church structures. Nevertheless, and I hate to be cynical, I bet the PB and her Chancellor and Bishop Sutton and his Chancellor are examining the law and canons very closely anyway. I do suspect Rome would have been very careful about any legal questions.
Its hard for a lot of us not to at least gaze at the Tiber once in awhile. I certainly can’t fault the good sisters for their decision. And with declining Catholic vocations, they were probably most welcome. May they prosper and be blessed.
I pray that the sisters will bring some very much needed orthodoxy into the sad state of religious orders in the Catholic Church.
Some of the most blatant heresy and rebellion is nurtured and affirmed and spread by our religious orders. To have an order which so clearly defends orthodoxy is a great blessing for us. I hope they are able to attract many vocations. May the Lord bless their work.
Now if only we could see the expression on Sister Joan Chittister’s face as she reads this news.
Re #10
Ahhh …Sister Joan Chittister
Every time I hear here name I have an uncontrollable urge to light a candle for her in church. I won’t say she is why I am Orthodox. But I will say that some of her articles helped ease my doubts about converting.
I will just point out here what I did on the similar thread over at Stand Firm. This isn’t the first time that a whole monastery or convent (or the great majority of it) has made the move from Anglo-Catholicism to Roman Catholicism. And it may not be the last.
A famous example took place about a century ago, when the Graymoor Fathers left for Rome. However, they retained an affection and concern for Anglicanism and a desire to see the two communions reunited. It was the Graymoor Fathers who started the custom of devoting the week between the Feast of the Confession of St. Peter (Jan. 18) and the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 25) to earnest prayer for the unity of the whole Church, but especially for the reconciliation of Anglicanism and Catholicism. The custom caught on and has since spread very widely and ecumenically.
I trust that the much loved and respected sisters in Catonsville will, like the Graymoor Fathers, continue to pray for their former Anglican brothers and sisters. And those many Episcopalians/Anglicans who’ve been inspired and helped by the faithful sisters have even more reason now to pray likewise for our fellow Christians who are in full communion with the Successor of Peter.
May the ties that bind the two great world fellowships together in Christ continue to strengthen and deepen, until that great day when at last there will be One Flock, and One Shepherd.
David Handy+
A follow up. The “Graymoor Fathers” is an informal name for the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement. The order began in the Episcopal Church in 1898, and was received into the Catholic Church 100 years ago, in 1909. And they continue to see their vocation especially in terms of fostering reconciliation not only between God and humanity (the atonement), but also in terms of fostering Christian unity and better ecumenical relations.
And with the participation of Ad Orientem on this thread, perhaps I should mention that this ecumenical dream involves not only the reconciliation of Protrestants (Paul, if you will) and Catholics (Peter, if you will), but also of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox (John, if you will) with the rest of the Body of Christ.
David Handy+
[blockquote] Communities in The Episcopal Church hold title to their own property, so there is little likelihood of a property fight. [/blockquote]
Hopefully that will help
Concerning the property, I would be very surprised if all property issues haven’t been fully worked out beforehand between the RC archdiocese of Baltimore and the TEC diocese of Maryland. By “beforehand,” I mean before the announcement was made. This has been a very long process — even longer than the year or two of discernment mentioned in most reports. The sisters have looked at the question of where to go or whether to stay from every angle and have had no dearth of advisers. Moreover, RC hierarchs are generally very cautious about ecumenical “faux pas” (would that Bp Frade and Cutie had shown a similar sensitivity). So I’m tempted to say that the question of property is a non-issue (and will be shocked should things prove otherwise).
As for the sisters’ liturgy, my guess is that it will see little change unless the sisters themselves wish to make changes. Religious orders have an ancient tradition of a certain degree of autonomy where liturgy is concerned, and the sisters’ liturgical practice has been firmly rooted in tradition in the best sense of the word. Moreover, this papacy is one that seems to be freeing the RC Church from the Counter-Reformation’s stance (which was arguably justified in its time) of one and only one form of the Latin Rite. So the sisters’ entire liturgy (eucharistic and liturgy of the hours) will probably need very little adaptation, if any.
Paula’s point is the most relevant to our reflections. Put another way, it was the Roman Catholics, and not the Anglicans, that invented the “New Age Nun.”
TEC is up to its eyeballs in theological disorder to be sure, but let’s not get sentimental about Rome. The irony is that the long standing jab of the Anglican Church being a “a paper church” is more true of Rome these days. Great theological order in paper pronouncements, much disorder in the pew a convent. Especially in America.
Agree fully Albany+ that Anglicans mustn’t get sentimental about Rome. It’s not smooth sailing in the barque of Peter. (If it’s smooth sailing anywhere, something is wrong.) But the “paper church” claim vis-a-vis Rome doesn’t hold for the simple reason that the center does hold. Were it otherwise, the “New Age nuns” would have simply shrugged off the recent announcement that Rome will be looking at the state of things among women religious in the U.S. Their response could have been, “Pope? What pope?” Instead, there was an outcry from those quarters. Messy yes. Paper church? I honestly don’t see it.
Very fair point, Monksgate, that in the end “something can be done” due to the structures of authority. But it has taken forever for a reason and the “messy” part makes my point also.
Agree, Albany+. I think it’s not an exaggeration to say that generationS (plural — meaning at least two twenty-year periods since Vatican II) of RCs have suffered — including those who didn’t even know they were wandering in the wilderness — b/c of weirdness, dodgy un-official teaching at the local level, etc. So my advice to any Anglican pondering swimming the Tiber would be, “Grace abounds over here, but don’t forget to be as innocent as doves and as cunning as serpents.”
Thank you for sound counsel and reflection. Peace of Chrsit.
There is a glow of light on the horizon for US religious orders. Heads imploded at National Catholic Reporter over the news that the Congregation For The Doctrine Of The Faith (the inquisition!) was launching an investigation of the Leadership Conference Of Women Religious also known as raging lunatic leftist pathetically clinging to their love beads and Che posters nuns. Seems their constant challenge to Church teachings on matters such as the priesthood, sexuality and the whole durn magesterium have finally gotten noticed. Finally!!!
I suppose the concern is that besides the mean ole Vatican bullies picking on fair tender damsels is that this will create such a climate of opression and fear all those thousands lining up to join said orders will cower away. Oh wait they must be amongst the same thousands waiting to join the now inclusive TEC.
Yes these orders are fizzling out. Both because God is calling some members home and because they truly do not sell a product that faithful Catholic women see as being a way to serve God and man.
But newer orthodox orders both for men and women are growing and thriving. They are true witnesses to the Gospel and that calls to people’s hearts, souls and minds.