Archbishop invites ordinariate into 'the very heart of the diocese'
By STAFF REPORTER on Friday, 2 May 2014
Archbishop Stack and Deacon Sixtus
Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff has offered the mother church of his diocese as a home for the ordinariate.
A group of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham will have its first Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of St David in two weeks' time, on Thursday May 15.
A chapel is being prepared in a semi-enclosed area for use by the ordinariate, with its own altar, reredos and statues of Our Lady of Walsingham, St David and one other saint associated with the ordinariate.
The cathedral dean, Canon Peter Collins, said: "We are delighted to welcome the ordinariate into the heart of the diocese, which seems very appropriate. They are a small group as yet, but they make a very important contribution to the life of the Catholic Church and we want to see them, and the ordinariate generally, flourish."
Canon Collins said a number of Anglicans in the area were contemplating their future at present and that the ordinariate had "a great contribution to make to supporting their decision-making."
Until now the ordinariate group of south-east Wales has been based at St Cuthbert's, a small church near Cardiff docks, which it has shared with worshippers of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
News of the move came as it was also announced that the group's pastor, Deacon Bernard Sixtus, is to be ordained to the priesthood at the cathedral on Wednesday, 2 July 2014.
Deacon Sixtus said of the move: "It is great news for us that we will now be praying in the very heart of the archdiocese and that we will also have access to excellent facilities for social events and study meetings. We are very grateful indeed to the Archdiocese for their appreciation and support."
The ordinariate's first Mass in the new chapel at the cathedral will be celebrated by Fr Peter Clarke of the Bristol Ordinariate Group on Thursday, May 15, at 6.30pm.
The ordination to the sacred priesthood of Deacon Bernard Sixtus is at 6.30pm on Wednesday 2 July 2014, also in the cathedral.
The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham was set up by Pope Benedict XVI to allow former Anglicans to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church, bringing with them some of their Anglican patrimony.