London, England, Mar 15, 2011 / 18:57 pm
About 900 prospective members of the new ordinariate, including 61 former Anglican clergy, prepared for their reception into the Catholic Church in England and Wales over the weekend.
They were among the more than 4,700 others who gathered for the Rite of Election in cathedrals across England and Wales over the weekend of March 12-13 to prepare to be received into the Church during Holy Week.
“I am greatly encouraged that these people will be received into the Catholic Church at Easter as members of the ordinariate,” said Fr. Keith Newton, the ordinary heading Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. “During the next few weeks they will continue their prayerful preparation for this significant step.”
Pope Benedict XVI established the ordinariate, a special church structure, to allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while retaining some of their customs and liturgy.