What a joy to attend the ordination of Jurgen Liias to the Catholic priesthood on April 2o, 2013 at the beautiful Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, ordained the former Episcopalian minister and gave a homily on Christian unity. He spoke of how much hope there was after Vatican II for unity, especially with the Anglican Communion, but how subsequent events have shown the prospect is less likely. Christians have become complacent with the many divisions, he said. I was delighted also to see Msgr. Jeffrey Steenson at the event. Here are some pictures. And here’s a link to a lovely story in one of the local newspapers.
On Saturday morning, more than 400 people gathered to see Jurgen Liias join the Catholic priesthood. Included among them were his two children, his grandchildren and his wife, Gloria.
The ceremony was not in defiance of the Vatican policy of celibate priests — rather, Cardinal Sean O’Malley officiated, instituting a policy set during the tenure of Pope Benedict. In 2012, he established the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, welcoming to the Catholic fold Anglican clergy dissatisfied with their own church.
This followed an earlier welcome to their unhappy parishioners from Pope John Paul II.
Liias literally grew up in the Episcopal Church and served as a minister for 40 years, including 14 at Christ Church in Hamilton. He now finds he cannot reconcile with new policies like welcoming homosexual clergy and countenancing abortion.
He describes these policies as an attempt to “compromise and sell everything out in an effort to be liked. … The Catholic Church is closer to the things that are right and true.”
Foolishness to the world 
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Deborah,
You wrote: What a joy to attend the ordination of Jurgen Liias to the Catholic priesthood on April 2o, 2013 at the beautiful Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church in Beverly, Massachusetts.
Great pics, and glad that you were able to attend! I suspected that you had come to the event when the blog fell silent over the weekend.
I had hoped to be able to meet you in person at this ordination mass, but unfortunately some personal matters required urgent attention so I could not make it. Hopefully another time.
Norm.
Great news! Have you been able to attend the inaugural Eucharist of this wonderful community?
+ pax et bonum
No, unfortunately, I was making my way back to Ottawa at the time. I would have loved attending, but I’ll have to try to make it on some other trip to the Boston area.
What is the “earlier welcome to their [Episcopalian clergy’s] unhappy parishioners under John Paul II” to which the second article refers? Has the reporter got the Pastoral Provision the wrong way round?
EPMS,
You asked: What is the “earlier welcome to their [Episcopalian clergy’s] unhappy parishioners under John Paul II” to which the second article refers? Has the reporter got the Pastoral Provision the wrong way round?
No. The so-called “Pastoral Provision” facilitated Catholic ordination of married former Anglican clergy in the United States, but it also provided for dioceses to erect personal parishes and chaplaincies for the so-called “Anglican Use.” Several of the congregations that came into the Catholic Church under the “Pastoral Provision” remain parishes of the Roman Catholic diocese within which they are located, though they probably will move to the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter in due course.
Here, I should point out that the novel innovation of the “Pastoral Provision” actually was not its provisions to facilitate the granting of rescripts for ordination of former Anglican clergy. The Vatican had granted such rescripts routinely going back at least to the 1950’s, but the number of requests had been quite small until the ordination of women clergy in the Episcopal Church — U. S. A. (ECUSA), now known as The Episcopal Church (TEC), drove hundreds of clergy to leave that body. Rather, it’s actually the provision for so-called “Anglican Use” parishes that was truly novel.
Norm.
the description of the view of the Episcopal Church’s view of marriage “some may beleieve in the sanctitiy of marriage and some may not” is simply wrong. Does this mean that some encourage infidelity? The description of being rescued from the need to use one’s intellect seems to be saying that Catholics must not think or, if they do, they shouldn’t admit it. What is the difference between this and fundamentalism? On a more personal note, if Father has been an Episcopal “minister” for forty years, he would be retired or close to retirement as a member of the Episcopal clergy one would think.
Richard,
You wrote: the description of the view of the Episcopal Church’s view of marriage “some may beleieve in the sanctitiy of marriage and some may not” is simply wrong. Does this mean that some encourage infidelity?
In this regard, what do you make of the episcopal election and ordination of a presbyter who abandoned his wife and children to shack up with a homosexual consort?
I’m speaking here, in particular, of the election and ordination of Gene Robinson as Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire about a decade ago. With that action, The Episcopal Church lost all credibility with respect to the sanctity of marriage.
Norm.