Cardinal Vincent Nichols urged members of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham to help with the new evangelisation of Britain, when he preached at a packed Mass to mark the 10th anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s Anglicanorum coetibus.
The apostolic constitution, issued in November 2009, authorised the creation of ordinariates for groups of ex-Anglicans who wished to enter full communion with the Pope while retaining elements of their tradition.
The Mass was held at the Church of the Most Precious Blood at London Bridge and featured the church’s noted children’s choir. Ordinariate priests and lay people had gathered from across Britain for the event, and the cardinal, quoting Benedict XVI, reminded them of the ordinariate’s mission, to be a bridge between Christians and a form of true ecumenism.
He emphasised that the ordinariate is no “halfway house” and that members are full members of the Catholic Church with a special calling. He asked, in particular, that they play a full part in the re-dedication of the country to Our Lady, which has begun with visits of the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham to various shrines and cathedrals.
“May we celebrate Our Lady’s joys – at a time when joy is lacking in the public mood in Britain,” he said.
Listing some of the traditions that the Anglican heritage is bringing to the Catholic Church, he mentioned a knowledge of pre-Reformation saints including Julian of Norwich, Frideswide and Edith of Kemsing – sometimes not well known among cradle Catholics – and the contribution of Anglican divines including Lancelot Andrewes and John Keble.
The Mass, concelebrated by ordinariate leader Mgr Keith Newton, was a Votive Mass of St John Henry Newman, and included Newman’s famous hymns “Praise to the Holiest” and “Firmly I believe and truly”. It was followed by a reception in the parish school hall.
Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.
Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here
Make a Donation
Processing ...
Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund