A Treasure To Be Shared

Archangel Michael stands prominently within Divine Worship: The Missal, where his presence reflects the Ordinariate’s deep continuity with the Western liturgical and devotional tradition. Most notably, he appears in the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar , where the priest invokes “St. Michael the Archangel” among the heavenly hosts who assist the Church’s worship. This placement is significant: before ascending to the altar, the celebrant acknowledges the cosmic struggle between light and darkness and seeks the protection of the prince of the heavenly armies. In this way, Michael’s role is not decorative but theological—he embodies the Church’s confidence that divine worship participates in the victory of God over evil. HOLY MICHAEL, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray, and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to hell Satan and all wicked spirits who...

This past week the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith released a document acknowledging the vital contribution of communities of the Personal Ordinariate to the spiritual health of the Church. The document highlights important aspects of the Ordinariate charism and the character of communities that have developed since Pope Benedict issued the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus on November 4, 2009, the Feast of St. Charles Borromeo. What are some defining features of the Ordinariate within the life of the Church? A Distinctive “Ecclesial Ethos”.  The Bishops first spoke of a distinctive “ecclesial ethos,” marked by the broad participation of both clergy and laity in the life and governance of the Church. This culture, grounded in relationships that shape the ecclesial life of each Ordinariate, is inherently consultative and collaborative . It is also characterized by a capacity to welcome converts into Catholic communion while preserving the uniqueness of their spi...

Does the weakening of Catholics' testimony to Christ stem solely from the Second Vatican Council? Council teaching was susceptible to manipulation by rival groups, each keen to assert their claim to magisterial power, given that it was established during a period of revolt. Easy scapegoat. Three tales concerning Annibale Bugnini, the president of the consilium tasked with revitalizing the holy liturgy and the poster child for conspiracy theories, are frequently shared by opponents of the liturgical reform. Some versions even claim that Paul VI was a Freemason or that an impostor took his place. Archbishop Bugnini was a Freemason who attempted to deceive Pope St. Paul VI and compromise the Liturgy. In order to appease Protestants, Bugnini purportedly changed the Catholic liturgy by deleting aspects that were essential to Catholic identity. This assertion is sometimes connected to a comment that Bugnini is said to have made about getting rid of everything that Protestants would find ...

A PENITENTIAL OFFICE for the BLESSING of ASHES EXAUDI NOS Psalm 69.17, 1     HEAR me, O Lord, for thy loving-kindness is comfortable: turn thee unto me according to the multitude of thy mercies. Ps. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul. Glory be… Hear me… The Celebrant now turns to the people and says: BRETHREN, it has been the custom in the Church from ancient times to observe with great devotion the days of our Lord’s Passion and Resurrection, and to prepare for the same by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided also a time in which converts to the faith were prepared for holy Baptism. It was also a time when such persons as had, by reason of notorious sins, been separated from the body of the faithful, were reconciled and restored to the fellowship of the Church by penitence and forgiveness. Thereby the whole Church was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution contained in the Gospel of our Saviour, and ...

In the Ordinariates, we are fortunate to have clear guidance on the language of worship. Anyone who has attended Divine Worship will recognize the traditional ‘thee/thou’ language woven throughout the sacred Liturgy. This elevated style helps focus our hearts and minds on the worship of God, offering a tone that is both intimate and reverent, perfectly suited for communication between creature and Creator. Let's take a brief look at the instruction concerning the concluding doxology that accompanies prayers. Notice the respect given to the language used in the Roman Missal, the book of the typical diocesan or Ordinary Form liturgy. Notice, too, how the language of the Ordinariate Form liturgy complements the language of the Roman Missal. 5. Regarding “Ever One God” in the Divine Worship Collects In May 2020, the Congregation for Divine Worship wrote to the English-speaking conferences of bishops regarding the concluding doxology of the Collects in the Roman Missal. Specifically, th...

Est. 6 minute read time. Anyone who has migrated from the typical diocesan Novus Ordo Mass to a Latin Mass (1962) or to Divine Worship in a community of one the Personal Ordinariates, or has explored an Eastern Catholic liturgy, knows that there are obvious differences in the "feel" between the typical Novus Ordo liturgy and the others. Many, if not most, diocesan liturgies tend to be casual to the point that one could reasonably speculate as to whether or not the priest and congregation realize that they are there to worship God. Other forms of the Mass are typically reverent, solemn, God-centered, and carefully prepared and celebrated. The Novus Ordo Mass, unfortunately, is often reduced to a social gathering with awkward improvisations that distract from a focus on the worship of God. Ritual gestures come across as half-hearted and fail to acknowledge the profound reality of Jesus’ eucharistic gift—his Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Hidden among the weeds... . There are ...

At the COAT Facebook page (Catholic Ordinariates of Anglican Tradition), a post highlights the recent reaction from GAFCON (Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans), predominantly made up of African Anglicans, in the wake of the elevation of Sarah Mullally to the Anglican See of Canterbury. The Most Revd Dr Laurent Mbanda, Chairman, Gafcon Primates’ Council, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Rwanda, wrote a response published on Thursday 16th October, 2025. 8 Theses nailed to the internet door of Canterbury. https://gafcon.org/communique-updates/the-future-has-arrived/ Edited for length. [...] Comments are italicized between parentheses. The first Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) gathered in 2008 in Jerusalem to prayerfully respond to the abandonment of the Scriptures by some of the most senior leaders of the Anglican Communion, and to seek their repentance. In the absence of such repentance, we have been prayerfully advancing towards a future for faithful An...

The Barque of St. Peter as a constellation. Coelum Stellatum Christianum (1627) by Julius Schiller [ Read Time: 7 minutes ] Most Anglicans and Catholics have little or no opinion about the Personal Ordinariate because Ordinariate communities exist off their radar. Similarly so, Eastern Rite Catholics are often a mystery to Latin Rite Catholics. People curious about the Ordinariate often learn about it through internet searches or word of mouth. Expanding access to diocesan information systems could help reach current and former Anglicans, Episcopalians, and those with Methodist backgrounds, for whom the Ordinariate is intended. Many cradle Catholics are discovering in the Ordinariates a Catholicism that is rich in wisdom, beautiful rituals, and devotions that accompany worshippers into a deeper communion with Jesus Christ and His Church. Sadly, from time to time, we in the Personal Ordinariates learn of accusations by diocesan priests and laity of sheep-stealing when dio...

(CNS photo/Vatican Media) Lights, smoke, an elevated platform, guitars, drums, keyboards, and a large crowd facing the performers. A religious service or a rock concert? Candles, incense (... maybe), an elevated platform, guitars, drums, keyboards, and a large congregation facing the clergy. Same question. 'Praise and worship' is a label borrowed from evangelical and charismatic Protestant lexicons. The Catholic understands that God desires to be worshipped and praised in the Divine Liturgy. In the Mass, the Catholic can say, "I was gathered into the offering of the Son to the Father. I participated in the self-offering of God today." God has revealed to us how He wants to be worshipped. Jesus established the model for Catholic worship (St. Matthew 26:17-30). The Latin Rite liturgy has expanded or contracted over the centuries. Universal adjustments were modest until the Bugnini Concilium (1964 - 1969) instituted considerable revisions. A later council of ten faithful...