The vestry of Mount Calvary Church (Episcopal), a small but historic Anglo-Catholic parish in Baltimore, has voted unanimously in favor of two resolutions: first, to leave the Episcopal Church and second, to become an Anglican Use parish in the Holy Catholic Church under terms of Anglicanorum Coetibus, the apostolic constitution announced last year by the Vatican that provides for “personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering full communion with the Catholic Church,” while allowing them to retain most elements of Anglican worship using a modified version of the Book of Common Prayer.
The rector of Mount Calvary, the Rev’d Jason Cantania, has sent his parishioners a letter (posted below) announcing a special meeting on October 24th at which the vestry’s resolutions will be voted upon by the parish. Fr. Catania writes: “The result of these developments is that the Archdiocese of Baltimore now stands ready to welcome Mount Calvary as a body into full communion with the successor of St. Peter, and the process of establishing ordinariates in various countries, including the United States, has begun.”
When I served in Maryland there were a half-dozen Catholic Episcopal parishes in the Baltimore area. Mount Calvary had a significant endowment but few people and was the most Anglo-Papal. The 2009 ASA is 40. Grace and St. Peter’s nearby was more moderate – ASA abt 55, Advent in South Baltimore ASA abt 60, St. Andrew’s northeast 55. St. Peter’s Ellicott City ASA 80. By comparison Emmanuel (liberal evangelical) ASA 145, Old St. Paul’s (centrist) ASA 175.
We ordinariate-bound Episcopalians and other Anglicans rejoice. What a wonderful thing if 815 allowed them to retain their building. I hope that they will allow St. Barnabas, Omaha go as well.
Ordinariate bound
I concur with Tom. A small, spiky and endearing parish with a very caring community. They’ve had an up-and-down relationship with All Saints Sisters of the Poor, but evidently there’s been a ripple effect.
My wife and I were married there six years ago (their first wedding in some years) and we’ve kept them in our hearts, despite almost immediately moving away to Pittsburgh (there’s an irony for you). I don’t know how some of the old timers in the congregation will feel about the move, though.
And I doubt the Diocese of Maryland will let them go without a fight.
[url=http://catholicandreformed.blogspot.com]Caholic and Reformed[/url]
I should have read the whole thing – apparently the Diocese is open to a settlement and 815 won’t object on this one – because it’s a departure for Rome! The logic escapes me (although the parish’s ability to hire good lawyers from its endowment may be a factor).
#4- The logic is that TEC is only interested in suing small new organizations where it thinks it has a hope of winning. The Pope could fund a multi-million $$ defense by selling one of the lesser paintings that are in the basement of his residence. And the Church thinks in terms of centuries- it could draw out the case for a longgggg time. Not to mention, err…., I don’t think the TEC hierarchy argument would hold up long in a trial vs. the Catholic Church. And then there is the problem that the Vatican is a recognized state with an ambassador…..
They might have also considered the logic of reclaiming one building from Rome…..imagine what might happen if ROme decided to retaliate by requesting all of its former buildings in England!!!
#6 I expect that to happen, shortly after France is returned to us.
6&7 Should CoE loose its buildings to Rome, the consolation prize would be that the Bishop of London could reclaim Trinity Wall Street and all those nice churches in Virginia and the Carolinas seized from him by act of war in the 1770s and 1780s. Of course, if you extend KJS’s logic, he could take them back now, and not wait for the return of Normandy and Aquitaine, or the invasion of the Swiss Guard to seize the cathedrals.
Rugby playing priest: if you want to sink the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, give it back all the pre-Reformation churches and cathedrals. We can hardly keep our heads above the water as it is. Add more expensive historical plant and the future would become too ghastly to contemplate. Unless of course we got back as welll all that land confiscated from the monasteries …