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PDF versionEpiscopal nuns, priest join Catholic church
'Some feel we are abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy. We're not.'
Sep. 08, 2009
Sister Emily Ann Lindsey and Sister Margaret Muraki pray in the chapel at the Society of All Saints Sisters of the Poor convent in Catonsville, Md., Aug. 24. (CNS photo)
BALTIMORE -- After seven years of prayer and discernment, a community of Episcopal sisters and their chaplain were to be received into the Catholic Church during a Sept. 3 Mass celebrated by Baltimore Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien.
The archbishop was to welcome 10 sisters from the Society of All Saints' Sisters of the Poor when he administers the sacrament of confirmation and the sisters renew their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience in the chapel of their convent in suburban Catonsville, Md.
The Rev. Warren Tanghe, an Episcopal priest, also was to be received into the church and is discerning the possibility of becoming a Catholic priest.
In an interview with The Catholic Review, Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, Mother Christina Christie, superior of the religious community, said the sisters are excited about joining the Catholic Church. The women religious have been studying the church's teachings for years, she said.
Two Episcopal nuns who have decided not to become Catholic will continue to live and minister alongside their soon-to-be Catholic sisters. Members of the community range in age from 59 to 94.
"For us, this is a journey of confirmation," Mother Christina said. "We felt God was leading us in this direction for a long time."
Once the sisters join the church they hope to form the first diocesan institute in the archdiocese.
Diocesan institutes differ from religious communities of pontifical right, such as the Dominicans, whose governance model is under the authority of the Vatican's Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Members of a diocesan institute are overseen directly by a diocesan bishop.
Chancellor Diane Barr said the archdiocese is working with the Vatican in developing the diocesan institute. Whether or not the order will retain its name also is being discussed, she said.
Wearing full habits with black veils and white wimples that cover their heads, the sisters have been a visible beacon of hope in Catonsville for decades.
The American branch of a society founded in England, the All Saints' Sisters of the Poor came to Baltimore in 1872. They have been at their current location since 1917.
In addition to devoting their lives to a rigorous daily prayer regimen, the sisters offer religious retreats, visit people in hospice care and maintain a scriptorium where they design inspirational religious cards.
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Throughout its time in Baltimore the order has followed its charism, which focuses on hospitality. The order has ministered with Baltimore's poor, children with special needs and AIDS patients. Together with Mount Calvary Church, an Episcopal parish in Baltimore, the sisters co-founded a hospice called the Joseph Richey House in 1987.
Orthodoxy and unity were key reasons the sisters were attracted to the Catholic faith. Many of them were troubled by the Episcopal Church's approval of women's ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and what they regarded as lax stances on moral issues.
"We kept thinking we could help by being a witness for orthodoxy," said Sister Mary Joan Walker, the community's archivist.
Mother Christina said that effort "was not as helpful as we had hoped it would be."
"People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on (in the Episcopal Church)," she said. "By staying put and not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct."
Before deciding to enter the Catholic Church, the sisters had explored Episcopal splinter groups and other Christian denominations. Mother Christina noted that some of the sisters had independently contemplated joining the Catholic Church without the others knowing. When they learned that most of them were considering the same move, they took it as a sign from God and approached Archbishop O'Brien.
"This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit," Mother Christina said.
The sisters acknowledged it has not been easy leaving the Episcopal Church, for which they expressed great affection. Some of their friends have been hurt by their pending departure, they said.
"Some feel we are abandoning the fight to maintain orthodoxy," said Sister Emily Ann Lindsey. "We're not. We're doing it in another realm right now."
The sisters have spent much of the last year studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council. They said there were few theological stumbling blocks to entering the church, although some initially had difficulty with the concept of papal infallibility.
In addition to participating in ordinary Catholic Masses, the sisters are expected to receive permission to attend Mass celebrated in the Anglican-use rite, a liturgy that adapts many of the prayers from the Episcopal tradition. Mother Christina said several archdiocesan clergy members, including Auxiliary Bishop Denis J. Madden, have stepped forward to learn how to celebrate the Anglican-use Mass.
The sisters expressed deep affection for Pope Benedict XVI. The pope exercises an authority that Episcopal leaders do not, they said, adding that the unity Christ called for can be found in the Catholic Church under the leadership of the pope.
"Unity is right in the midst of all this," said Sister Catherine Grace Bowen. "That is the main thrust."
Oh wonderful...women opposing
Oh wonderful...women opposing the ordination of women and the ordination of a gay bishop. Then they say their journey to Catholicism was the work of the Holy Spirit. Did it ever occur to them that the ordination of women and the ordination of a gay bishop in their denomination was the work of the Holy Spirit? Think about it, ladies.
Perhaps they thought about it
Perhaps they thought about it and realized the ordination of women and a gay bishop had nothing to do with Holy Spirit, sorry liberal you lost and will continue to do so....
Uh, no.
Uh, no.
What a great story. Did we
What a great story. Did we give up Richard McBrien, Joan Chittister, and a heretic to be named later in the trade?
Hopefully! The heretic to be
Hopefully! The heretic to be named is Akers! Fair trade!
Awesome ha ha ha ha, if it
Awesome ha ha ha ha, if it were only true!!!
Other Anglican orders,
Other Anglican orders, including the Society of the Atonement, left their religion to join the Roman Catholic Church.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_the_Atonement
Interesting that the nuns found it impossible to continue membership in a religion that is gradually granting equality to women and to homosexuals.
For more information about Anglican orders that have become Roman:
http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS257&q=angli...
Interesting comments below some of the articles, similar to the kind of comments posted here at NCR. Interesting, also, to see that Joan Chittister has expressed her opinion about the issue. She doesn't seem to worry that these newcomers will "swell the numbers of a group with what will eventually corrode it".
http://rbinsights.blogspot.com/2009_04_01_archive.html
As a Lutheran Pastor who has
As a Lutheran Pastor who has been told by my friend and local Roman Catholic priest that I am "more Catholic than he is" I celebrate the step made by these nuns. In the ELCA we find ourselves dealing with many of the same issues as the Episcopal Church in regard to unity, sexuality, but mostly Biblical Authority.
As I sit and look at my wife and children and wrestle with how to fight for orthodox inside a denomination that has become heterodox I wonder if perhaps God is calling many of us "home".
For all of us struggling with issues in our various sects of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church I can only echo the prayer, "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen"
Dear PrDB, with all due
Dear PrDB, with all due respect, I grow tired of hearing how wrong the Episcopals are for what I consider their valient efforts at dealing with some tough issues head on. The bashing sounds as though the Roman church has somehow overcome these issues with its edicts. Don't fool yourself. These issues are alive and well in the RCC. They just get shoved under the rug. The RCC does not talk about white elephants. At least the Episcopals are dealing with these issues out in the open and with honesty. They are not hiding behind their collars and arrogated authority to both interpret and teach the way the Roman church hides. Honesty with the potential for getting it wrong is a much better approach than the disingenuous approach taken by the RCC. The RCC simply closes the door and refuses to talk about issues that it does not know how to handle. If you want an environment where all the important issues get resolved by a bunch of celibate white males with no input from those who have to live it out and where questioning that authority gets you in hot water and maybe expelled, come on in. You'll long for your Lutheran community in short order.
Yes you people want the
Yes you people want the issues out in the open--and they are! They have been answered already--in the open! No secret teaching here. You just don't accept the answers. You can jump up and down all you want but that is not going to the change the answer. So, you can either sit in the sandbox and play with the big boys, or pick up your pail and move on.
Well, of course the church
Well, of course the church hierarchy has the authority to address and decide certain issues, and has done so with respect to many that the Episcopal church continues to struggle with on a daily basis. Having the authority to declare a resolution is not the same as declaring the right resolution. Don't fool yourself as to the nature of your assent. My point is that when a substantial number of the faithful (don't go splitting hairs on this word) do not agree with the answers declared, then imposing that answer amounts to nothing more than authoritarianism. And authoritarianism is not consistent with the approach that Jesus took with his disciples. He never shoved anything down their throats. He invites and tells stories to persuade. Now, if you choose to accept the method of deciding issues that the hierarchy has chosen, that is strictly your choice. You will find yourself in good company. Personally, I find it demeaning and less than Christian to treat rational adults in such a childish manner. I object to their manner, in other words, and cannot fathom for the life of me why church authority is so afraid of continuing a conversation that others do not think is over. Except to use the same immature language that you used--pick up your toys and go to another sandbox. How silly and childish is that!
PrDB, pay no mind to Jay...
PrDB, pay no mind to Jay... we will welcome you on your journey. Please ignore the man's cynicism. Thank you for your thoughts. You and the community mentioned remain in my prayers.
PrDB: I'm wondering - as you
PrDB: I'm wondering - as you look at your wife and children -- how would you live with one of your children telling you he/she is homosexual. How would you as a pastor and father handle this situation? Reality of life issues needs to be faced instead of repressed as the Roman Catholic Church seeks to do with refusing the ordination of married men and women and closing of churches - as they are fewer and fewer celibate males.
Dear PrDB, Pray. Think.
Dear PrDB,
Pray. Think. Pray some more.
We'll be here when you're done. We'll leave the sanctuary light on for you.
DQM
Hogwash. Unity does not trump
Hogwash. Unity does not trump liberty and fraternity at the expense of diversity. Those sisters, and their chaplain, are obviously misguided; they are not following God's will, but escaping into a larger religious sect where they will be able to more freely exclude their brothers and sisters in Christ. They should be sent to an Old People's Home where they belong.
Loved the article. I will
Loved the article. I will keep you (sisters)and your loved ones in my prayers. Welcome my sisters in Christ to the Church. The Holy Spirit does such amazing work. I once attended Baptist churches, but our sweet Jesus patiently had other plans for me. I have grown in my relationship with Jesus that I didn't even know existed. This faith I have now at times is beyond my human thought process. God bless you for obedience. May I know you all in heaven one day.
Unfortunately, these nine
Unfortunately, these nine sisters represent the extreme right wing elements in Anglican religious communities. Rather than inclusive respect for their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, they instead have chosen the path that many right wing elements in the Latin Rite have chosen: Disenfranchise and devalue people who have no choice in their sexual orientation and marginalize these human beings so they will not feel equal membership in the body of Christ. This will be lauded by the right wing reactionary elements in the Roman Catholic branch of the Holy Catholic Church because these women have all of the outward trappings such as a medieval habit and subscribe to the authoritarian male model of Catholicism. Fortunately, most of the Anglican or Episcopal women's communities followed their sisters in the Roman Latin Rite churches who renewed and reformed their communities as a result of the directives great Second Vatican Council. The vast majority of Episcopal sisters in the United States are modern communities who serve all people, NOT just those who exclude and serve ONLY those who believe in a very narrow and fundamentalist mindset.
O dear God! Here we go
O dear God! Here we go again...coming into the Church because they disapprove of women's ordination and gay men made bishops! And the poor Holy Spirit is being blamed-"this is the work of the Spirit", says the Rev. Mother! The church's bishops love nuns in habits!
Ah! True ecumenism. Welcome
Ah! True ecumenism. Welcome home!
It would do Louise Ackers
It would do Louise Ackers some good to read this article.
Similar story to the Sisters
Similar story to the Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church in Spokane, Wa (except they used to be radical traditionalists). It is great that these things happen, unity is worth any cost but truth.
I wish these sisters and
I wish these sisters and priest well. They are very welcome. Their comments and habits have a decidedly traditional, pre-Vatican II ambiance.
Cannot help but notice the irony, however, of the fact that many "traditionalists" on this web site holler at their Catholic brothers and sisters who may have different opinions than theirs, "Go leave and join the Episcopals!" And here we have the Episcopals leaving and joining the Catholics.
Unity and peace are good goals, but not if they are used to minimize or cover injustice, child abuse, discrimination, politics disguised as pastoral teaching, or sexism.
I agree. There is so much of
I agree. There is so much of this monstrous behavior in most other blogs.
Do we really need to do jump on one another on a web site given to our religious belief system?
Or, is it that some feel a sense of entitlement, as a result of what they believe??? We need to look hard at how we express what we do and recognize that difference is something to celebrate.
Where is tolerance and justice and peace? Think again folks, and consider that all of us see things a bit differently!
Truly a sad commentary on this culture!
It is a tribute to their
It is a tribute to their longtime commitment to each other that all 12 nuns will continue to stay together, even though only 10 have joined the Catholics... Are there any more ecumenical cross-religious orders???
God bless them all!
The blessed sisters may be
The blessed sisters may be chanting a different hymn when they find themselves being examined by a visiting committee of bishops to determine their doctrinal orthodoxy.
Welcome, to these ladies.
Welcome, to these ladies. Glory and thanks to God for having brought them into full communion with us. May they continue to be a wonderful example to the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.
It is quite interesting how
It is quite interesting how so many Episcopalians are finding their "home" in the Roman Catholic Church only because it is a haven from the things they find repulsive in the Anglican communion. When all the people who don't like women in ministry, gays who marry, Democratic presidents, and Vatican II come into the Catholic Church, where will the rest of us go?
The Episcopal/Anglican
The Episcopal/Anglican communion like Vatican II? I thought The Catholic Churches were the home of the Second Vatican Council and subsequent problems arising from its misinterpretations.
We must be doing something right to draw in some serious Christians like these.
Welcome home to Rome!
Welcome home to Rome!
Yes, you should do well.
Yes, you should do well. While you would have been accepted in the Episcopal communion in spite of differing views; in the Roman communion, where conformity is the primary value, you would have been expelled for views that do not conform to the official standard.
Indeed, you should do well.
Yes you could have stayed
Yes you could have stayed where being "inclusive" is the most important thing there is--even above Truth. Should marriage be between a man and woman, 2 men or 2 women, 3 or 4 men and women, 2 men a woman and a poodle, a man and an 8 year old boy, 2 brothers, a father and daughter--everything goes! We can't exclude anyone. Is Jesus God--it doesn't matter! You won't be excluded if you think Buddha is the son of God. Want to kill babies--go for it! Everyone is accepted in the church of inclusiveness.
Episcopal nuns and chaplain,
Episcopal nuns and chaplain, the nuns aged 59 to 95, 10 of them joining the Roman church, 2 not joining but accompanying their sisters,come over.
Why? Because they will not abide homosexual bishops or priests? What planet are they from? The RCC has numerous closeted (or discrete, or outed, ) homosexual priests, cardinals and bishops.
Hypocrisy is what they are endorsing. Hypocrisy, as many of the RCC bishops, priests and cardinals are closeted homosexuals.
Do they not realize or are they uninformed that the popes John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI favorite theologian is controversial Hans Urs Von Balthazar who has a homoerotic concept of the eucharist being the self-sacrafice of the male priest's momentary issue of his organ which only men can do ... this is true, that the pope admires the homosexual, male only take on why only men can be a priest in RCC written by Balthazar.
Scientifically this Balthazar junkotheology is silly, because women too during orgasm have sexual fluid released too, so to base male only clergy on this "psuedo-scientific" nonsense of Balthazar "male only self-sacrafice that men can only achieve for a moment with an organ of their body " is even more wrong!
Women were picked by Jesus as his apostle co-workers and Paul confirms this! For these nuns who come over to oppose women ordination, and coming over to RCC for that , is also wrong! Ordain women, stop opposing Jesus and what he did for the world, which is he welcomed all and chose women too to be his image to the world!
I don't think you fully
I don't think you fully understand what you're saying either. All you are doing is spouting more hate.
Von Balthazar is a heretic
Von Balthazar is a heretic since he believed in universal salvation. But what you are spouting is pure bile & nonsense.
It's good to see some real
It's good to see some real nuns joining the Catholic Church! You liberals should not disparage their journey. The mainline Episcopal Church is a joke anyway. I guess their discernment was between the Catholic Church and a conservative Anglican grouping. All of the conservative Episcopalians should abandon the sinking ship of Robinson & Jeffords and form a new association of Anglicans. I've read of such an association but it is not well advertised. The Catholic Church should allow for an Anglican rite to let these people feel comfortable in the Catholic Church if that is their discernment.
They already have one!
They already have one!
Wonderful!
Wonderful!
Whatever else may be said,
Whatever else may be said, ages 59 to 94 don't seem to suggest a very promising future. This group seems to be dying out. I am sure it is a painful time for them.
What no one has mentioned
What no one has mentioned here is that this group of ladies sits in property that is very valuable. At present the agreement is that they will keep ownership of it. However, because of their age and lack of new vocations, in a few years, the property will go to who??? Certainly not the Episcopal church that has nouished them for years and given them the property! Hmmmm!
Their order will probably
Their order will probably retain ownership of their property as it is now the case with nuns in the US. That is why the Vatican needs to be careful about slapping around these nuns that it is investigating. They own their own property and have their own means of support. They do not need nor do they get any financial support from the Vatican. If the Vatican rides them too hard, well... you get the drift.
You mean like those
You mean like those "sojourning" Benedictines of Madison, Wisconsin, who managed to funnel all of their money into secret accounts and organizations so that when the last 2 nuns finished moving beyond Jesus and the Church, that had effectively stolen all that was given to them?
Hmm, perhaps they learned
Hmm, perhaps they learned their accounting practices from the Legion of Christ.
I have not bothered to reply
I have not bothered to reply to all the hate posts on this site but you are very ill informed about All Saints Convent. The Episcopal Church did not give them their property. They own it. Nor, for many years, has the Episcopal Church "nourished" these sisters. Rather the opposite.
I write this a few years after this post but know they already have two new Sisters at All Saints and I am sure there will be many vocations.
Jay, what worries me is the
Jay, what worries me is the nuns have a poverty vow which bishops do not have.
If nuns must obey bishops, can bishops seize the nuns property.... the "Visit" of U.S. nuns : incentive to declare nuns "undoctrinal" so that this takeover of their property happens so scandal depleted bishops can regain their lavish lifestyle they are used to having?
Nuns were forced out of a modest home so that the bishop, who already lived in a huge mansion, could upkeep his lavish lifestyle, I forget the name of the city they were living in (U.S.A). This happens too often to nuns who have had donated convents or property given to them.
Why else does the "Visit" of nuns have so many questions about property, and if any has been transferred to anyone lately... likely the bishop wants it transferred to him after he finds out who has the deed! Awful abuse of the nuns!
I wish that the Balthazar
I wish that the Balthazar stuff was not accurate. Unfortunately this is what is actually in the """ theological???? """ writings of Balathazar. This is another reason why he is so controversial. It is so sad and disturbing that he is one of Pope Benedict XVI 's favorite theologians.
This order's Mother House is
This order's Mother House is in England. The property belongs to the Anglican Motherhouse, which is part of The Church of England. It will never relinquish this property to the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of England believes The Church of Rome has been in error since the Reformation. The sisters who left the Episcopal Church are very elderly and have generational issues with the many changes that have taken place in society. Their exclusion of gay and lesbian sisters and brothers, as well as their narrow mindset when it comes to women being priests and bishops, contributed to their decision to abandon the Episcopal Church. The local Episcopal Bishop Protector also has a say in the property issues of their American province. Hypocrisy, hatred and ignorance also come into play here. Shameful reasons to become Roman Catholics! When I saw the ancient Habit they were wearing, it said it all. Most Episcopal Nuns wear modified habits or contemporary dress as a result of the renewal that happened in Roman Catholic sisterhoods after the Second Vatican Council. It is not the Habit that makes the nun or sister, it is the HEART! Jesus loved every person. He excluded none. He did not marginalize or disenfranchise others because they were different. These ten elderly sisters have not followed Christ's example. They have followed the right wing reactionary fundamentalists instead. There are no winners here, because there is no love.
Chris, that is not very
Chris, that is not very inclusive of you to portray these sisters that way. I think perhaps you need to change your narrow mindset.
It looks like you're engaging
It looks like you're engaging in ageism! The body starts to decline in old age but the mind can still be as sharp as a tack. These sisters simply have eyes in their head and their soul to see the evil (priestesses & gay celebration) in the modern Episcopal Church. Their Church turned its back on them. They have now found refuge in the one true Church, the Catholic Church!
As far as their Mother House in England goes, Henry VIII stole plenty of property from the Catholic Church. Maybe they can give this little convent to the Catholic Church as a token of reimbursement & ecumenical good will!
Very well said, Chris Smith!
Very well said, Chris Smith! I hope you are correct that bishops can not grab their property, which could happen any time with another "apostolic visit" of nuns, just to declare "undoctrinal" those nuns with property the Vatican or bishops want. Terrible times since 2005 and PBXVI came on board.
we welcome all of you
we welcome all of you admirable and loyal servants of Our Lord and Thank You Jesus for sending these marvelous women to us
The Sisters have been an
The Sisters have been an integral part of my religious life since I met them when I was age 15. I am now in my 50's AND the Sisters remain an important part in my faith....in my life. They were in discernment for a long time. They prayed, they talked, they prayed.....they prayed, on their knees to God...for guidance...for strength....they prayed. These women are important to the Catonsville/Baltimore community. They give.....of themselves, selfless souls, women....strong faithful women, who believe in the Bible...the word of God. What they need is prayer from all of us ...... in agreement or not with their decision. Not judging, not being critical, not arguing about their decision. It was theirs to make.....not ours....theirs. The Sisters are among the most faithful women I have ever met.
God bless you ladies, for
God bless you ladies, for making such a challenging decision. You are walking the path to Glory. Just as Paul wrote Corinth on their back sliding, so you have called the Epis. up on their back slidden ways. The scriptures clearly spell out homosexuality is sin, and in Heaven there can be no sin.
Amen on your decision.
These nuns, the Sodomite
These nuns, the Sodomite Episcopals, and the RCC will all burn in hell!
They are apostate!
Revelation 18:2-5 NASB And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
(3) "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
(4) I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
(5) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
Welcome to the true church
Welcome to the true church Episcopalian Nuns. Soon other Anglican Nuns like the Episcopalian Order of Teachers of the Children of God are thinking of becoming Catholic also.
An Episcopalian who has known
An Episcopalian who has known these sisters for nearly 20 years, I am concerned that they will -- in time -- become very disappointed in their decision. One of the biggest motivating factors not mentioned in the article was the ability to get new, younger members to join their community -- a task much easier in the RCC, as most young Episcopalians are encouraged to become priests, not nuns. I believe the "joke" of appearing sexual morality in the RCC will wear on them in time. Truth is, most of the older virgins are Episcopalians like me' whereas all of my devout RCC friends from college all slept with or lived with potential spouses before marriage. These ladies are very smart, with almost all of them holding at least a bachelor's degree -- some hold advanced degrees; so they know that many claim to be true Roman Catholics but "don't follow the rules" -- I simply doubt that they know how great the extent of the nonadherance (especially among higher-ranking clergy). Why claim the RCC is the true church when you refuse to follow it's teachings and mandates? If you're going to be Roman Catholic, then don't have sex outside of marriage and don't use any form of birth control: If you do, then you should voluntarily leave the church -- to become an Episcopalian, of course. The ten mentioned will be true Roman Catholics in every sense of the word, offering a fine example to those among you who profess to be Roman Catholic, but break ever rule in the book.
What an AWESOME testimony of
What an AWESOME testimony of God's love! What a wonderful encouragement of the Holy Spirit's workings in the hearts of humanity! These nuns will be a refreshment to the Church at large, God bless the nuns who've made this courageous step of faith into the Church. :-)
Welcome home Sisters!!
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