Solitary Anglican

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Hi everyone, I’m an Anglican who is in the process of joining the Catholic Church. I love the Anglican liturgy and the Book of Common Prayer so I was definitely happy to learn about the Ordinariate. There are, however, no Anglican Rite parishes near me. I was wondering what I can do as an individual to be a part of this great community. Any and all thoughts are appreciated!
 
I will look into this for you. You may be able to be recieved into the Catholic Church via the Ordinariate if you are able to travel to an Ordinariate parish for initial instruction and reception or if an Ordinariate pastor is able to arrange travel to you. Alternatively you may be recieved via the local diocese and become an associate of the Ordinariate. As The Customary of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is an approved form of the Divine Office anyone (Ordinariate member or not) may use it.
 
Schadk1 said:
Hi everyone, I’m an Anglican who is in the process of joining the Catholic Church. I love the Anglican liturgy and the Book of Common Prayer so I was definitely happy to learn about the Ordinariate. There are, however, no Anglican Rite parishes near me. I was wondering what I can do as an individual to be a part of this great community. Any and all thoughts are appreciated!
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Greetings!

I can’t help you with finding a parish near you (unless you are in Adelaide, Australia!), but you did say that any and all thoughts would be appreciated, so I’ll chip in.

I was raised an Anglican, and loved the liturgy and music, however I joined the Catholic Church as a twenty-one year old, more than thirty years ago. I have never had one moment of regret with that decision, however in that time the Catholic liturgy, as commonly practiced in Australia, has caused me some grief. From time to time I have done something about it. I’ve tried: visit other parishes; join the parish liturgy committee, attend a Traditional Latin Mass (FSSP), visit the Anglican Ordinariate. After all this I am just back at my local parish, attending as a regular churchgoer (plus choir), and putting up with the liturgy. Part of the problem has been that the rest of my life (work and family), have been too busy to make any of the alternatives work. Another part of the problem is that after thirty years in the Roman Rite, I have come to like very much of it, and didn’t find either the Traditional Latin Mass or the Anglican so superior as to justify the extra effort of moving to a more distant parish.

So, if I have some advice, I guess it is that the life of an Anglican convert, who appreciates the best of Anglican liturgy, can be lonely in the Catholic Church. Investigate joining the ordinariate, but be prepared for a life of disappointment in this one area. It’s important, but it’s not the most important thing. Keep listening to good sacred music, read poetry, and keep that side of your mental life alive if it is not being satisfied in your parish.

HTH,

Edmundus
 
Welcome! I find Anglicanism very fascinating due to its rich culture and history. I have spoken with many Anglican converts but not one of them has told me why they converted. Would you mind telling me what led to your conversion?
 
I realise the question was addressed to the OP, but as I am an Anglican convert I hope you are interested in my answer.

Firstly, as someone who has met and also read many converts, my impression is that each story is different, ie. there is no one dominant reason for conversion. One could say that it is a personal call, in each case.

For me, my conversion as a twenty-one year old followed a re-awakening of my Anglican faith, and deeper study of the scriptures. Reading the gospels I became conscious of the humanity of Christ, and also of the directness and simplicity of his commands (eg. on divorce, on sin). Before this, I had not been particularly interested in theology, but I started asking Protestant friends, who gave me answers with the standard Protestant proof-texts from the epistles, and I also started attending different Protestant denominations, who were all well-meaning, but not in agreement with each other. I felt that my personal encounter with Christ was being obscured by theology. I came to see that Christ’s Church must be visible and human, as he was, and also that it must teach with his authority. I started reading about the Catholic Church and found everything very convincing.

Before this, earlier in my life I had known some Catholics and always found them a little bit “different”. I think they must have sowed the seeds. I had also had some bad experiences with Catholics, as is inevitable in a fallen world, but somehow that didn’t bother me.

So, for me, my conversion was that I read the Bible and had a personal encounter with Christ - and found led me into the Catholic Church.

As I mentioned in my first post, I cherish much of Anglicanism, however I don’t miss it so much as to have the slightest regret about that decision.

~ Edmundus
 
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Thanks for your reply Edmundus! Your conversion story is very cool! I know anglicanism is the “middle way” without any authority except for the bible and its commandments. I mean you can ask an Anglican what it means to be Anglican and get 5 different answers! Thank you once more, I love hearing conversion stories. 🙂
 
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You’re welcome! Your appreciation has made my little effort worthwhile. 🙂
 
Hi, I’m also a former Anglican. I left the Church of England when I realised that so many radically polarising theologies were tearing the church so far apart that wider unity was becoming a pipe dream.

I’m not sure where you’re from in the world, but I also considered joining the English Ordinariate when I converted. In the end, I decided against it as it felt a bit too much like a church within a church (and I’d already done that!), and I wanted to become Catholic to be part of something bigger. I don’t regret a thing, I love being part of my parish. The important thing is that you’re becoming part of the Church, whichever route you choose - many blessings on your journey 🙂
 
Lain said:
Hi, I’m also a former Anglican. I left the Church of England when I realised that so many radically polarising theologies were tearing the church so far apart that wider unity was becoming a pipe dream.

I’m not sure where you’re from in the world, but I also considered joining the English Ordinariate when I converted. In the end, I decided against it as it felt a bit too much like a church within a church (and I’d already done that!), and I wanted to become Catholic to be part of something bigger. I don’t regret a thing, I love being part of my parish. The important thing is that you’re becoming part of the Church, whichever route you choose - many blessings on your journey 🙂
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I was in exactly the same position as you, CofE and disillusioned with it. I also considered the Ordinariate, but I couldn’t really see the point of doing that when I could go through RCIA in a church very near my home and become a Catholic.
 
My grandmother told the following story;
In those days they didn’t have RCIA. They had instruction. It was one on one with the local priest. There were some problems she had accepting Catholic veneration of the saints and maybe a few other things. She was ill and at the hospital. In those days the hospital was an open ward with curtain dividers. Somewhere nearby there was this woman who cried out “Oh Mary! Oh Mary!” in a very loud voice and in distress. Some relatives came to visit my grandmother and brought a bouquet of roses to give her. She asked someone visiting her to give one of the roses to that woman who was crying out in pain. When the lady crying out in pain saw the rose she became very quiet. She said “I was asking Our Lady for a sign that she heard me and this is the sign I asked for.”
 
I could go into a long description of the last 10 years of study, buuuut really it comes to one thing. Every time I attend Mass I fully trust that Christ is truly and fully present in the Eucharist. Unfortunately for me when I attended a Eucharist Service at the Episcopal parish I was baptized in I could only ever hope that it was. Its nice to hope, but I prefer having the full faith and confidence that Rome provides.
 
Exactly that, there was no point travelling miles to be part of a tiny community that only seemed to want to look after itself, when I had a thriving diocesan parish on my doorstep.
 
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