Updates on Australia and England & Wales

This month events are fast moving and will probably remain that way until Pentacost, at least. Things will look very different six months from now. Here are three updates about Australia and about England and Wales.

First from the English Catholic blog, a blog from France by a TAC

clergyman who is intending to enter an Ordinariate, comes this update about Australia (formatting mine):

A Festival Introducing the Anglican Ordinariate for Australia

Learn about the Ordinariates! Celebrate the Anglican heritage! Meet those from all parts of Australia interested in the Australian Ordinariate!

Hosted by:

Bishop Peter Elliott, Delegate of the Holy See for the Australian Ordinariate

Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion

Venue: Saint Stephen’s College, Reserve Road, Coomera (Gold Coast) Queensland

Dates: Noon 1st February until 2.00PM 3rd February 2011

The post then gives all the details including the hour-by-hour schedule, costs and registration form. If you are at all interested, check out the post and attend the conference. Even if you are not sure that the Ordinariate is for you, even if you are leaning against joining, I am sure that your participation would be welcome. Use it as part of your discernment process.

Will there be a Papal decree setting up the England and Wales ordinariate this month? The National Catholic Registers (US-based) reports so in its article, "In London, three Anglican bishops received into church", on the recent reception held at Westminster Cathedral:

They will be ordained as Catholic deacons at Allen Hall seminary, London, Jan. 13, then as priests at a ceremony in the cathedral Jan. 15. They will be incardinated into the English ordinariate, which is expected to be formed by papal decree the second week of January, when Pope Benedict XVI is also expected to appoint an ordinary.

Finally, former retired Church of England Bishop Edwin Barnes has announced on his blog Ancient Richborough his and his wife's reception into the Roman Catholic Church and his ordination as a priest:

So it is good to be able to announce that the intention is that Jane and I should be received here in Lymington, at the Church of Our Lady and St Joseph, at the 9.30am Mass on January 21st. Bishop Crispian says he will ordain me Deacon in his private chapel on the morning of February 11th, and my ordination to the Priesthood will follow three weeks later at 2.30pm on Saturday March 5th in Portsmouth Catholic Cathedral.

Stay tuned for more updates during these exciting, history-making months.