(All Saints) Sisters Doing It For Themselves (Anglican House converting en masse)

Sub Tuum ^ | 6/15/2009 | Br. Stephen, O. Cist

[markomalley]

The All Saints Convent chapel at Catonsville.

NLM is reporting this morning that the Anglican All Saints Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville, Maryland have announced their intention to be received into the Caholic Church on September 3. These are wonderful women and this is wonderful news.

As an Anglican, I made two retreats with the sisters when the men's order I was an associate of held it's chapter at Catonsville and I've visited one or two other times. One of their sisters was assigned to St. Anna's, the small house they maintain in Philadelphia, and I knew her quite well from my days at S. Clement's.

The sisters have been in discernment about their future and the rumor mill has been churning for some time, so this is not unexpected, but it is very good to hear. Their resident chaplain, Rev. Canon Warren Tanghe, announced his submission some time ago. Their previous chaplain was also received four or five years ago. They've been in my prayers and those of many others.

This is a hard decision to make and the announcement notes that two sisters, including the former superior, will be remaining Anglican. Those of us who have already crossed the Tiber should do our best to stay focused on the good news in this rather than taking yet another opportunity to congratulate ourselves and slag on the Anglican Communion. As I said someplace else recently, I don't remember anyone ever deciding to cross the Tiber because someone kicked a lot of sand in his face while he was standing on the bank.

The main convent building at Catonsville.

Founded in England at the famous All Saints Margaret Street, the sisters opened a house in the U.S. at the request of the rector of Baltimore's Mount Calvary, an early bastion of the Anglo-Catholic movement. True to their full name, The All Saints Sisters of the Poor, the sisters lead a mixed life, chanting the office from the Anglican Edition of the Monastic Diurnal and also working in the hospice they founded in downtown Baltimore.

Fr. Edward, the former chaplain with then-superior Mother Catharine Grace, and Canon Offerle of St. Clement's Philadelphia.

I remember being in the convent chapel for a Holy Hour several years ago. At the exposition, Mother Virginia came out from behind the organ console, which is in the visitors area, and knelt on the tile floor. And knelt and kept on kneeling. Mother Virginia could be the mother or grandmother of all the people who were there on retreat. She stayed on her knees on the tile for an hour, so we stayed on our knees on the tile for an hour. These women are serious business.

The back of the convent showing a bit of the grounds.

When I had made my own submission and was beginning to visit religious communities, it was Sr. Elaine who gave me some of the best advice I got on vocation. She said, "Don't sweat this too much. When you find your community, it will fit you like a glove." She was right.

Welcome to this side of the Tiber, sisters. I hope it fits you like a glove.

[Salvation]

Markomalley
Is this confirmed anywhere else?

[NYer]

Welcome home, sisters!

[gridlock]

But we got Fr. Cutie...

I think the Catholics got the better part of this bargain...

[NYer]

Won’t the Chapel have to be re-consecrated as Catholic?

[markomalley]

Is this confirmed anywhere else?

Just on the blogosphere.

However, on the sisters' website, there is a little news article from last February indicating that they were in discernment at that time.

[markomalley]

Won’t the Chapel have to be re-consecrated as Catholic?

A more pertinent question is if the Episcopals will let them keep the property (or let the Church buy it). Think about what has happened when individual Anglican parishes have tried to leave.

However, assuming that the property goes with the order, then I would imagine that they would have to consecrate it (since the Church doesn't recognize Anglican orders, it hasn't actually, technically, been consecrated in the first place)

[vladimir998]

“One of their sisters was assigned to St. Anna’s, the small house they maintain in Philadelphia, and I knew her quite well from my days at S. Clement’s.”

St. Clement’s?

Boy, oh boy, do I wish St. Clement’s - the whole parish -would swim the Tiber.

[EDINVA]

The announcement says the Mass in the convent chapel will be led by the RC Archbishop of Baltimore .. so I would assume part of the Mass would be the consecration of the chapel, as part of accepting them into ‘full communion with the Holy See.”

I really don’t know, but I would imagine ownership of the property is more likely that of the Order than the Episcopal Diocese in Baltimore.

[newguy357]

Just like one would think that churches built by Anglican parishes that existed prior to the formation of the dioceses they were later incorporated into would take their church property with them when they left the episcopal church.... But they have not (California, Colorado, etc.)

[Salvation]

I would agree with you on the better part of the bargain. LOL!

[Salvation]

That’s enough for me. Praying and discerning for nearly six months.

[Unam Sanctam]

Great! We really could use new orders of orthodox nuns in habits in the Church. The pantsuit brigades are dying out and don’t seem to be attracting new members.

[kalee]

You think the Episcopal Church will let them keep the property? That’s prime real estate and TEC has something called Denis Canon. The national church owns everything.
I think it is doubtful TEC will allow them to depart with the property.
Not much different from your side...
Welcome home Sisters, btw....do we get your property?

Gracious.

[AnAmericanMother]

This is great news!!

I have a mild connection with this whole event.

The article notes that their chaplain had already converted. I knew Fr. Tanghe when he was the rector of the little ultramontane Episcopal/Anglican parish here in Atlanta - Our Saviour, Virginia-Highlands. It had the flavor of a pre-VCII Catholic parish, only much more so.

We visited Our Saviour when we were trying to determine what to do after the GC 2003 debacle. We ultimately decided not to join, because it was apparent that the parish was in tumult over whether to stay, secede or just go Straight Over to Rome. Fr. Tanghe himself was mulling his own future. But we had several long discussions with him regarding the alternatives for shocked and stunned High Church Piskies, and we corresponded for awhile.

The last letter I had from him, he had decided to stay with the Episcopalians, but become chaplain of this convent. He seemed a bit ambivalent about it, though, and it looks like the Hound of Heaven ran him down at last.

I'm going to pray for him like mad.

[MissDairyGoodnessVT]

bump for l8r

[SoCalPol]

All the Episcopal orders still wear the old habits.
They should be allowed to wear them.

This is no surprise as the orders are Anglo Catholic
to begin with.

[EDINVA]

Last I heard, the Episcopal parishes in VA that bolted from the ECUSA Diocese in Richmond got to keep the property as that of the parish. Two of them are the largest, wealthiest in the Commonwealth, too. Tho, I have to admit, I haven’t followed it in the past few months.

[AnAmericanMother]

Virginia has a unique statute that tips the balance in favor of the local parish.

Have no idea what the story is in Maryland, but under US Supreme Court precedent individual parishes in "hierarchical" churches are pretty much behind the 8 ball.

[dangus]

You are correct; Truro and Falls Church, the two great parishes of Virginia have won their court battles (along with nine other churches) and have departed the Episcopalian church.

I might think that a parish might have more difficulty than a convent. Among Catholics, a parish is a part of a diocese; a convent is not. I would think that among anyone, if a diocese were to agree to anything, the parish would likely be part of such an agreement, so if a diocese accepts the Denis canon, than the parish, by remaining affiliated with the diocese, probably could be said to be partaking in whatever covenant exists. But how would a convent affirm or reject such a document? The order could; the convent could; but did anyone force the order or the convent to do so?

If the order signed onto the Dennis canon, the ECUSA could have an argument, I suppose that the convent, as a part of the order signed on. But if the order did not sign on, through what is the convent attached?

This is precisely the hierarchical problems that limited Bishop D’Arcy’s responses to Notre Dame. The most he could do would be to expel the order from his diocese, but the diocese, even in the Catholic church where the diocese really does directly own parishes, could not take ownership of the university.