Anglican/Episcopalian Use parishes when becoming Catholic

[JesuXPIPassio]

It’s such a marvelous thing when Anglicans decide to make the move to become Catholic. But, because it’s so rarely ever done (I don’t think I’m personally aware of even one parish that has done this), a lot of questions arise.

For starters, how does an Anglican parish decide to become Catholic? Is it done by unilateral decision by the pastor? Do all the clerics at the parish need to decide together? Does a parish council vote on it? Does the entire parish have to consent? If so, does it have to be unanimous?

If the last case is so, what if some parishioners dissent? I can’t imagine any scenario wherein they’d be forced to become Catholic even if they didn’t want to. We’re not in the business of forcing people to become Catholic, so it really has to be the person’s choice. Are they just, then, essentially evicted from their parishes?

It’s vulgar to talk about property ownership when it comes to things like this, but it’s an unavoidable topic. In purely secular legal terms, who owns the parish? Would it be the clergy or the Anglican bishop over the area? If the parish decides to become Catholic, I’d imagine that, if he were the legal owner of the property, the Anglican bishop would be reluctant to give it up to our Catholic Church. How is this worked out? Would the entire parish need to just find another venue? If then, wouldn’t their old parish church suddenly become empty without priests and parishioners?

How is the entire congregation formally brought into the Catholic Church? I’d presume it’s done by a Mass, I’m guessing by the parishioners’ new Catholic Bishop. Baptism wouldn’t be needed anymore because they’re already Christians, but would the entire congregation need to undergo Confirmation at the same time? Would the priests also be duly ordained again at the same Mass, or is it done beforehand at another special Ordination Mass?

Parishes tend to be very, very large. Would the entire congregation of the one parish need to be in the same singular Mass to receive them into Catholicism, or would they do the usual thing and break it up into several different congregations for whatever time of day they want to attend? I have a bit of difficulty imagining such a big crowd coming into Mass at the same time. The parish would be overflowing, and if they have something to formally accept each of them into Catholicism individually such as Confirmation, that could take hours.

How does this all work out logistically?

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Here’s a description of how it happened in our diocese. I’m sure each member of the congregation freely and individually makes the decision whether to convert or not. (I don’t have the answers to your property ownership questions.) dioceseofscranton.org/News/BergmanOrdinationMarch15th2007.asp

 

[Digitonomy]

As I understand it concerning property…
In the Catholic Church we are used to the diocese owning the church properties in most cases. It’s a bit more of a mishmash for Episcopalian churches, where the diocese may have established a particular church, or a town or group of settlers may have done so. Often it’s not crystal clear who has rights to the property, so lawsuits take place if the individual church breaks from the diocese (usually to join a conservative Anglican movement). In the case of Anglicans in this country, it is likely that the individual church has rights to its own property, as it either successfully seceded from its Episcopal diocese, or more likely had to start fresh upon breaking with the former parish or diocese.

 

[joshua1]

Theres a parish right up the road from here thats going through that very thing. The parish got tired of the apostasy and broke away from the Episcopal diocese. There has been a big fight over who owns the land in the courts for three of four years now. I guess the breakaways won, because the more “liberal” part of the group has now aquired and built there own little church. Btw, the more traditional part broke officially from he diocese but still a member of the anglican communion.