Ordinariate Watch: Church History is Made: The Anglican Ordinariate is a GO for America!

At the Tuesday afternoon session of the General Assembly for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Donald Wuerl reported that the Anglican Ordinariate in America will be officially erected on January 1, 2012, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. At that time an ordinary for the group will also be named.

The Ordinariate is scheduled to be erected just one year after the establishment of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales. Both intitiatives are being formed through the implementation of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, which was announced on November 4, 2009.

About one third of the way through his presentation, the Cardinal brought the ground-breaking news:

"On October 29, 2011, I received a letter from His Eminence Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, indicating that 'in an audience granted to me on October 28, 2011, Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has approved the erection of an Ordinariate in the United States."

"I therefore write to authorize you as this Congregation's Delegate for the implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus to address the plenary session of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, due to meet in Baltimore.in order to advise the Bishops of these developments.'"

As one who has been anticipating involvement with the new Ordinariate, I received today's announcement with great delight - and with goose bumps! This is truly an historic day for the Church. To read more, click here.