THE
P RTAL
October 2012
Page 11
Letter from Australia
Joyous days in Melbourne
by John Parkes
After the wonderful beginning
to the Personal Ordinariate of Our
Lady of the Southern Cross in Perth
in June, we have seen a succession
of joyful, blessed days as Melbourne
became the second Ordinariate city in
Australia.
ordained deacon
First former Anglican priests: Fathers
Christopher Seton, Ramsay Williams,
Neil Fryer and James Grant went on
retreat with our Ordinary, Father Harry
Entwistle. On Thursday 6 September,
the last night of the retreat, they were
ordained deacons in the Catholic Church by Bishop were a mixture of solemnity, triumph and spectacle
Peter Elliott under letters dimissory from Father Harry. and a wonderful setting for the new Ordinariate laity
to make their first communion. At the end of the
Laity received into
service Father Harry thanked the Catholic bishops,
the Catholic Church
particularly Archbishop Hart and Bishop Peter Elliott,
On the following evening the laity were received for their support.
into the Catholic Church and chrismated by Father
Harry in the presence of family and friends and many the Holy Father’s vision
well-wishers of the Catholic faithful. It was our first
He said the Holy Father’s vision included priests
time together in Holy Cross Church, South Caulfield, of the Ordinariate and the local diocese working
the lovely, big church provided for us to share with alongside each other to grow God’s kingdom. “What
the local Catholic congregation. The service was greater sign of this sharing of the task can there be than
amazingly moving. We experienced joy, wonder, for the priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and
relief and thanksgiving and a feeling that we had the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross to
come home.
be ordained side by side in one ordination service?” he
said. “This is indeed an historic moment: one Church,
an historic moment
one priesthood, one bishop, but enriching the tapestry
Next morning, on the Feast of the Nativity of Our of the Catholic Church by bringing our own liturgy
Lady, in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne, the and our spirituality as a gift to be shared by all.”
Archbishop of Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart,
ordained to the priesthood our four Ordinariate exciting time
deacons, again under letters dimissory from
The blessings continued. Next day, Sunday 9
our Ordinary, along with four deacons from the September, at Holy Cross Church, Father Harry
Archdiocese of Melbourne, in the presence of concelebrated High Mass with our 4 Ordinariate
Cardinal George Pell, the bishops of the Archdiocese, priests and the priest of the local congregation, Father
the Bishop of Lismore, our Ordinary, 120 priests of the Ross McKenny. It was such an exciting time to be
Archdiocese, seminarians and a packed Cathedral.
gathered together from the various Anglican churches
from which we had come, worshipping our Lord as
After the Ordination Archbishop Hart concelebrated members of the Catholic Church. We topped off these
mass with the newly ordained priests, Father Entwistle joyful days with Evensong and Benediction that night,
and the other clergy. The stirring 2½ hour proceedings praising God for His love and provision for us.