Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham II

Hundreds begin the journey home

Hundreds of Anglican faithful and clergy have begun the journey to the Catholic Church in services across England this weekend.

The candidates for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham celebrated the first part of their initiation into the full communion of the Church at large gatherings in diocesan cathedrals.

Fr Keith Newton, the first Ordinary of the Ordinariate, was present at the Rite of Election at Westminster Cathedral where, together with Archbishop Vincent Nichols, he welcomed 62 adults who came to celebrate their continuing call to conversion as candidates for the Ordinariate.

In Southwark over 160 laity, together with their pastors, were welcomed to St George’s Cathedral by Archbishop Peter Smith, Archbishop of Southwark, who reminded them that Blessed John Henry Newman had celebrated his first Mass as a Catholic Priest in the cathedral.

Manchester’s Ordinariate Group made its way to Salford Cathedral, whilst groups in the South West were present at a celebration in Plymouth Cathedral.

The Diocese of Portsmouth saw the largest number of new Catholics in almost a quarter of a century and welcomed over 60 candidates for the Ordinariate from three groups across the south, including the Isle of Wight.

Sunday marks the first of five Sundays of catechesis and preparation for Reception into the Catholic Church around Easter.

London, 12th of March of 2011