Website for The Fellowship of Saint Alban
(The pictures for this post are very low resolution because they are single frames taken from video clips. A camera that is not a true digital video camera was used to make the clips so please forgive the roughness of the images. As usual, click on the images to see a slightly better picture.)
Some former Episcopalians –but most recently from the Traditional Anglican Communion– have crossed the Tiber River (joining the Roman Catholic Church) and have established a community in the Rochester area. Dr. K of Cleansing Fire posted a story previously about this community (see here).
Fr. Scott Hurd, Vicar General of the Personal Ordinariate, celebrated the Eucharist at the Confirmation Mass October 21 in Henrietta.
Fr. Hurd reads the Gospel at the Confirmation Mass, October 21.
The community is called the Fellowship of Saint Alban and consists of mostly folks from the Traditional Anglican Communion who have reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church and are allowed to continue worshiping according to traditional Anglican ceremonial. The Fellowship of Saint Alban is under the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and is part of the policy established by Pope Benedict XVI in Anglicanorum Coetibus.
There are some friends of the Fellowship who are Anglican. They are welcome to worship with the Saint Alban community but are unable to receive the sacraments without formally joining the Catholic Church.
The Ordinariate’s Vicar General delivers the sermon at the October 21 Mass.
The procession of the Book of the Gospels to the center of the nave.
The fellowship held its first Anglican Use Mass on Sunday, October 21 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Henrietta (location here). During the Mass six members were confirmed and received into the Roman Catholic Church. The eventual ‘administrator’ -the group is too small so far to form a parish- will be John Cornelius, a former Episcopal priest of many years. He is presently the groups ‘leader’ and will be ordained a Catholic priest January 26, 2013, in Wellsville, NY (Buffalo Diocese).
The confirmation of Christopher Bayer.
Andrew Jordan (he was confirmed at the Mass) is the one who seems to have provided the lay leadership to make this happen although he is quick to mention that nothing would have materialized without the patience and faithfulness of the other members of the Fellowship. With the help of Rev. Daniel Condon, Chancellor and Director, Legal Services, Rochester Catholic Diocese, he approached the Diocese in 2010 about beginning a local community in light of Anglicanorum Coetibus. Many in the group had wanted to pursue establishing a local group since 2009 when the Apostolic Constitution was first announced. The delay in creating the Fellowship was due to the fact that the Holy See did not create the United States Ordinariate until January of 2012. All along the Rochester Catholic Diocese has been receptive.
“The Diocese of Rochester has been truly wonderful to us, and we are deeply grateful for their help, and welcome. In particular, Fr. Daniel Condon has been unfailingly kind through this long process. Fr. Joseph Hart has also been a great help to us. This would not have happened without them, and the hospitality of Good Shepherd church in the parish of St. Marianne Cope,” Jordan said.
The Fellowship of Saint Alban is the only such group in New York State so far. Many similar groups in the United States and Canada are still waiting to be received into the Ordinariate.
Andrew Jordan served as the Thurifer for the Confirmation Mass.
The priest is incensed at the preparation of the gifts.
Incensing the faithful after the preparation of the gifts.
John Cornelius welcomes Fr. Hurd to the Fellowship’s Confirmation Mass, October 21.
The Anglican Use Mass looks and feels very much like the Traditional Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) except it is usually completely in traditional or ‘hieratic’ English; Latin, however, is possible for the Canon and Greek for the Kyrie. The congregational hymns are traditional classical hymns. Jordan expects the Fellowship to eventually use some Gregorian chant as well as Anglican chant.
Helen Scott, confirmed during the Mass, receives the Precious Blood at the Communion of the Faithful.
The Elevation of the Precious Blood of Christ at the Consecration.
Until January 26 when John Cornelius will be ordained, the Fellowship is meeting at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Henrietta for Evensong at 3 p.m. every Sunday. The group extends a warm invitation to their fellow Catholics to join them for the Sunday afternoon Anglican heritage version of Vespers.
Starting January 27 the Fellowship will offer the Anglican Use Mass, also at Good Shepherd and also at 3 p.m. every Sunday. Good Shepherd (the older building on East Henrietta Road, facing the road) will be the Fellowship’s home. Many Catholics, especially to the south of the city in places like Henrietta, Rush, and Pittsford may want to experience the Anglican Use Massfor something different and, yet, the same.
A social was held after the Confirmation Mass.
You can see video excerpts from the Confirmation Mass of the local community on October 21 on the Fellowship’s website. The group is small and just getting underway and so the Liturgy and its environment are not quite as richly elaborated as we associate with Anglican worship. “We have plans,” Jordan says.
The Catholic Courier will be including a story on the Fellowship in one of its upcoming issues.
Take a Sunday and visit the Fellowship for Evensong, 3:00 p.m. at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 3318 East Henrietta Rd. (14467). Then participate in an Anglican Use Mass there (same time) after January 26, 2013.
I appreciate Andrew Jordan taking the time to explain everything to me and for proofing and correcting the content of this post.
(see here).
