The Archdiocese of Baltimore added a new religious order of nuns Tuesday, its first in decades and one that began as an Anglican community.
The All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor left the Episcopal Church for the Roman Catholic Church two years ago. By a decree from the Vatican, they are now an official diocesan priory, or order, the same designation carried by the School Sisters of Notre Dame or the Daughters of Charity.
“We feel we have broken ground,” said Mother Christina Christie, leader of the community and a nun since 1966.
I’m happy for them. Our loss as Anglicans is Rome’s gain. These sisters are wonderful, all that nuns should be. I’ve never been on retreat in Catonsville myself, but the friends I know who have been extol the deep piety and radiant holiness of this faithful community.
God bless them!
David Handy+
As long as they don’t entertain the naive notion that they are moving to a pure and pristine safe and utopian church or the one true church…
There is only [b]one “true Church[/b]: All of Christianity!
God bless these Sisters! If only they would be an inspiration to raise up more faithful women in religious orders.
#4, Amen.
Re #2
[blockquote] As long as they don’t entertain the naive notion that they are moving to a pure and pristine safe and utopian church or the one true church… [/blockquote]
No such thing as a “pure and pristine” church. But if they don’t believe they are entering The One True Church, then they lied when they made their profession of faith as Roman Catholics. The Roman Church doesn’t claim to pure pristine or problem free. But It DOES claim to the TOTC, a belief that is binding on all of its members. Agree or disagree with it, Rome has never blinked on that dogmatic assertion.
Fr. Earle Maddux who wrote the American Missal was at one time chaplain to the All Saints’ Sisters. Ten members of the community joined the Roman Catholic Church, two remain Episcopalians. They did not fight about the property which remains a wonderful place for retreats.
The sisters retain many friends among Maryland Episcopalians, and their convent in Catonsville is one of the handsomest church properties in the region. The Episcopal Church made no claim on the convent property.
Ad Orientem, I don’t think your summary of RC teaching is quite correct. The Catholic Church says that the fullness of meaning of the word Church subsists in the Catholic Church. This means that the Catholic Church shares ekklesia with others, most notably the Orthodox, who are for example true church in their sacraments. As for the Anglicans/Episcopalians on this site who so often beat themselves up, let me tell you: I have heard some ghastly sermons in Catholic churches, and some wonderful, faith-filled ones in Anglican churches. Yes, as a Catholic priest I do believe what we teach: at the same time the humbling of the Catholic Church recently has shown that we are, in the words of St Paul, earthen vessels.
RE: “The Episcopal Church made no claim on the convent property.”
Heh.
Heh heh — and that’s news indeed.
Also, I’d like to point out that The Episcopal Church has made no claim on [i]my[/i] property as well!