After a period of deep discernment, the rector and parishioners of St. Luke\u2019s Episcopal parish in Bladensburg, Maryland have decided to seek entry into the Roman Catholic Church through a new structure approved by Pope Benedict XVI called an ordinariate. Saint Luke\u2019s is the first church in the Washington metropolitan area to take this step.<\/p>\n
The transition is being made with the prayerful support of Bishop John Bryson Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Catholic Archbishop of Washington.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the St. Luke community warmly into our family of faith. The proposed ordinariate provides a path to unity, one that recognizes our shared beliefs on matters of faith while also recognizing and respecting the liturgical heritage of the Anglican Church,\u201d\u009d Cardinal Wuerl said. \u201cWe also recognize the openness of the community to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their faith journey.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n