THE
P RTAL
September 2012
Page 14
Letter from America
Eucharistic Foundation
by Fr Timothy Perkins
In early May, Fr Eric Bergman, who was ordained under the Pastoral Provision in 2007, became the
first priest of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter. Then, on June 2, Fr Matthew Venuti was the
first to be ordained priest for the Ordinariate.
Through these events, the foundation
was laid on which the presbyterate
of the Ordinariate is being built. By
the end of another month, nearly
twenty others would be ordained
priests. Only half a year after being
established on the Solemnity of Mary,
the Holy Mother of God, a North
American Ordinariate has become a
visible reality.
privileges
It has been one of the greatest joys— Frs Chuck Hough IV, Mark Cannaday, Christopher Stainbrook, Joshua
and one of the greatest challenges!— Whitfield, Chuck Hough III, and Timothy Perkins with Mgr Steenson
of my life to be part of this particular
moment in the history of the Church. One of the
In and of themselves, these ordinations ould
distinct privileges has been to accompany many dear be cause for great celebration. But what is most
friends in this shared journey. I was encouraged by significant is that they empower the life and spiritual
and, by grace, was enabled to give encouragement to ell-being of the communities of the faithful for whom
faithful seekers who began preparation to be received each priest has esponsibility to provide pastoral and
into the Church over two years ago.
sacramental ministry. The importance of this cannot
be overemphasised.
Many of them helped me to form the first “community
in waiting” when we stepped out of our familiar
In the “Instruction on the Worship of the Eucharistic
Anglican parishes in order to respond to the Apostolic Mystery,” Eucharisticum Mysterium (1967), the
Constitution in late 2010 and early 2011. Members faithful are taught that “no Christian community
of that original group are now the core of two small- can be built up unless it has as its basis and pivot
but-stable Ordinariate communities. During the same the celebration of the holy Eucharist. It is from this
time period, I and several of the clergy with whom I therefore that any attempt to form a community must
served in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, met begin” (VATICANCOUNCIL II: The Conciliar and
regularly for prayer and mutual support and worked Post Conciliar Documents, Flannery, ed.).
to encourage others to respond favourably to Pope
be who we are
Benedict’s invitation to enter the larger unity.
Though we and our people had gone through
Ordinations
months, sometimes even years of instruction and
Even though our individual circumstances required formation; though we had deepened our faith and
that we move at different paces, we continued to strengthened our commitment through prayer and
strengthen our bond with one another as time service with and to one another; and though we were
progressed. This bond of Christian friendship blessed to make this journey together, in an important
has been an abiding blessing. It enriched us with way, we have only begun our true formation as
extraordinary joy and gratitude when six of us were Christian communities. We began to be who we are
ordained together, first as deacons on May 29, and when we celebrated our first Mass as communities in
then as priests on June 30.
full communion with the Catholic Church.