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Anglican Parish in Orlando to Become Catholic on Sept. 16
140 People to be Received into Catholic Church
By Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield
Sept. 13, 2012
The clergy and 140 parishioners of the former Anglican Cathedral of the Incarnation will be received into the Catholic Church on Sunday, Sept. 16, during a 10:15 a.m. Mass of Reception at the church, 1515 Edgewater Drive, Orlando, Florida 32804. Orlando Bishop John Noonan will participate.
Incarnation was the home church for the Anglican Pro-Diocese of the Holy Family, under the guidance of former Anglican Bishop Louis Campese. He is among those becoming Catholic on Sept. 16. During the Mass, parishioners will be confirmed or, if previously Catholic, received back into the Catholic Church by Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, the head of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and a former Episcopal bishop who is based in Houston, Texas.
Incarnation is the first parish community in Florida to become Catholic as part of the Ordinariate. Equivalent to a diocese, though national in scope, the Ordinariate was established by Pope Benedict XVI earlier this year for Anglican groups and clergy seeking to become Catholic as a group, while retaining elements of the Anglican heritage and liturgy. There are only three Ordinariates in the world, in the US/Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Since January, nearly 20 communities and 22 former Anglican or Episcopal priests across the United States and Canada have become Catholic through the Ordinariate. This includes Reverend Nick Marziani, a former Anglican priest in St. Augustine, Florida.
"We rejoice with the people of the Incarnation Church for their faithfulness. We pray for them on this holy day that they may live steadfast to the Lord's covenant," Bishop Noonan noted.
"We offer a very special 'thank you' to the Holy Father for making this day possible for our community to be part of the Catholic Church and to guide us so that we are able to obey our Lord, in his prayer to the Father, as in John 17," Louis Campese said.
In preparation for their reception into the Church, the members of Incarnation participated in Catholic religious education classes, studying the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.
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