Dozens of Episcopalians Follow Leader into Catholic Church

National Catholic Register ^ | February 16, 2005 | CARLOS BRICEÑO

[NYer]

BEAR CREEK - Judy Sanderson stressed that her decision to join Eric Bergman in his switch from the Episcopal to Roman Catholic church is not "a homophobic reaction" to a gay bishop's election in New Hampshire.
Gay bishop not basis of choice, woman says

[bourbon]

ping.

[ninenot]

...and this AM's news tells us that the folks in England are about to throw out the American Episcopalians altogether over the Queer Ordination problem.

We can pray for the Episcopalians--I think many more will be returning to Rome soon.

[Convert from ECUSA]

I think the trickle that began years ago may be gradually turning into a stream, then possibly a flood. Refugees from the Epsicopagan "church" of the USA have been coming to the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church for years. Whatever problems may be in these two communities, for sheer godlessnes and New Agey relativist paganism, the ECUSA has them beat by a long shot - though the PCUSA and ELUSA are not far behind. Whatever the problems are in the Catholic Church, and there are serious ones, the ECUSA is worse.

[NYer]

I'll ping you to a 'related' story.

[ArrogantBustard]

Excellent! Welcome aboard to all.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Ping away! Thanks!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Thanks. One thing I hope is that we might be able to get folks back to the old habit of waiting until the recessional has finished before 90% of the church empties like a thundering herd of elephants! The two ECUSA parishes I attended in Northern VA, which were still Christian places (and exceptions to the usual Episcopaganism), nobody moved until the recessional was finished, except for persons who had to leave to prepare rooms for Sunday School classes. The early "exodus" is one of my pet peeves, along with the pre-Mass jabber-fest. My own parish doesn't suffer too much from these things, but when I've traveled......oy vey! Both the pre-Mass jabber-fest and post-communion (much less post-dismissal before the recessional) thundering herd make it a bit difficult to mediate and pray.

[ArrogantBustard]

I find the pre-Mass jabberfest particularly annoying, though I notice it usually happens in "churches" where the Tabernacle has been relegated to a broom closet and the art and arctitecture are nihilistic.

[B-Chan]

I met Eric Bergman the other day. (He was attending Thursday morning mass in our parish.) He is an humble, self-effacing, and conscientious young man, and I think he will make an excellent Catholic priest.

In our parish, talking is prohibited inside the nave, especially before, during, and after the mass. We stay until the recessional is done as well. (Our organist is an excellent musician, so it's hardly a sacrifice!) I thank God for our Anglican Use parish -- it's been a blessing to my family and to a lot of people looking for a place to come in from the cold.

[Convert from ECUSA]

You've got that right. The vast majority of people at St. James conduct themselves pretty well, though even after a year and a half, I find it odd that the priest says "the Mass has ended" before the recessional; I assume that in the Novus Ordo, they changed the dismissal before the recessional so people could avoid the parking lot rush or the rush to get the coffee and donuts while they were fresh! I assume that the pre-Vat2 liturgy, the dismissal was spoken after the recesisonal. At least in the two decent ECUSA parishes in Northern VA I attended, the dismissal was said after the recessional. St. James has a few jabbers, but even they are fairly quiet, I can at least pray without much distraction. Most of the people there show proper respect. I guess I'm just one of those "uptight" and "pharisaical" converts! Oh well!

[marshmallow]

I'm with you. If there's one thing that drives me nuts it's the "fire drill Catholics". Those who can't get out of the Church quickly enough.

My own Catholic parish here in Georgia celebrates the Novus Ordo Mass about as well as it can be celebrated. Lots of "smells and bells" as they say and a reverent attitude from priests and altar servers.

Each hymn is announced (by a member of the choir)and before the final hymn the following is intoned: "Our recessional hymn is No. #. We thank you for respecting our custom of remaining in place and singing until the procession has exited the Church."

Nobody moves.

[Convert from ECUSA]

My home parish is an excellent one, a vast cut above the usual AmChurch airplane-hanger-lets-just-party-for-"mass" mess. There are no Anglican-Use parishes in Northern Virginia. But if there was one, especially like the one you describe, I'd certainly go to it once in a while, maybe even consider moving to it. In my limited experience with Byzantine Rite Catholic parishes, the reverent silence before and after Divine Liturgy is incredible.

I suppose I fuss about all this because last weekend I was in Solomons, MD and atteneded "mass" at a parish there that hit every hot button I have - the kindest thing I'll say about the place is that I met my Sunday obligation there and that is all. I'm used to leaving my home parish refreshed, nourished and strengthened.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Now that is the way to have church, as the old Southern saying goes. You're blessed to have a parish the conducts worship that way. Parishes like yours, mine, and a few others mentioned in this thread seem to be the exceptions. To me, especially as a convert, that is sad.

[Veto!]

Meanwhile, here on the Far Left Coast, the tide runs in the other direction, with liberal Catholic priests headed for the Episcopal Church, many with a boot in the tush by the Holy See. I've attended services at an Episcopal church with a priest who ducked out of Catholicism because he wanted to marry. He did it in the apropriate order. Nice fellow, great speaker, devout Christian.

And then there's Matthew Fox, a former Catholic priest who wrote books--a couple quite good and thoughtful--but also incorporated the witch, Starhawk, into his services, along with other New-age idiots. He got a warning or two and then was ejected from the Cartholic Church, only to cross the street and find a home at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral where he famously ran "Raves." I'm sure the pope and other Catholic officials were crazy about raves. LOL

[Convert from ECUSA]

Ah, Matthew Fox, one of several "catholic" candidates for the position of being the "catholic" John Shelby Spong! When Fox departed for the Episcopagan church, the scalawags welcomed him with open arms. Birds of a feather. I keep hoping for a population exchange, where the rad-lib-revisionist-kumbaya-1960s-leftover-New-Age types will leave the Catholic Church and all the Christians left in the ECUSA will migrage to the Catholic Church. SF Grace Cathedral is a pagan a place as St. John the Divine in NYC. Both places were, once upon a time long ago, Christian places where Christ was worshipped.

[Campion]

I assume that the pre-Vat2 liturgy, the dismissal was spoken after the recesisonal.

Nope. The recessional hymn is a nice custom, but I don't think it's an integral part of the Mass. I'm pretty sure that it's something we borrowed from the Protestants, actually.

Keep in mind that, pre-Vatican II, the typical Mass was a Low Mass, which had no choir and was a dialogue between the server and the priest. As such, the priest would say "Ite, missa est" and the server would respond "Deo gratias" ... and that was it.

[Unam Sanctam]

Welcome!

[ninenot]

I assume that the pre-Vat2 liturgy, the dismissal was spoken after the recesisonal

Nope.

The Recessional is simply not part of the Mass--ergo, the Mass ended before the recessional.

And people weren't all that much more polite then, either; usually, the priest exited directly into the sacristy off the altar, and when the priest left the nave, the rush began (for most, not all...)