Discernment Episcopal Priest

Episcopal community's faith journey led to Catholic Church

BLADENSBURG, Md. — In the fall of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution called "Anglicanorum coetibus" to provide a means for entire Anglican parishes or groups to become Catholic while retaining some of their Anglican heritage and liturgical practice.

That document "opened up a door that had previously been closed," said the Rev. Mark Lewis, rector of St. Luke Episcopal Parish in Bladensburg. At that same time, he had been studying a book on Catholicism and Anglicanism.

After a long period of discernment, the Maryland congregation announced June 6 that it would seek entry into the Catholic Church.

"I'm thrilled and tremendously humbled to take this journey with my people at St. Luke, and humbled that I could become a priest of the Roman Catholic Church," Rev. Lewis said in an interview with the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Washington Archdiocese.

Ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2001, he has been rector of St. Luke since 2006 and hopes to begin the process to be ordained a Catholic priest. Members of St. Luke will begin formal preparation to be received into the Catholic Church, likely later this year.

Patrick Delaney, a junior warden with the congregation, joined the rector in the interview, and said the community's taking that step reflected "the presence of the Holy Spirit at work."

Prayer and study, not any controversies, led the congregation toward unity with the Catholic Church, Rev. Lewis said, when asked whether Episcopal doctrine on the priesthood or sexual issues had precipitated the move.

Over the past several years, the Episcopal Church, the U.S. member of the Anglican Communion, has approved ordaining women priests and bishops, ordaining homosexuals and blessing same-sex unions.

"Those issues on the priesthood and sexuality have been around. The real issue that drove us was our study of the Catholic faith," he said. "The more we looked at it and compared it to Anglicanism, we were drawn to the Church of Rome. It was a natural progression."

Studying the Catholic faith, he said, provided "an opportunity to seek the foundation of our faith. When we discovered who we are, the choice was easy," said Rev. Lewis, who is married. He and his wife, Vickey, have two grown children.

In recent months, members of the congregation have been utilizing the Cathechism of the Catholic Church in their Bible study, and their upcoming formation also will draw upon the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults.

Episcopal community's faith journey led to Catholic Church | St ...

BLADENSBURG, Md. — In the fall of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution called "Anglicanorum coetibus" to provide a means for entire Anglican parishes or groups to become Catholic while retaining some of their Anglican heritage and liturgical practice.

That document "opened up a door that had previously been closed," said the Rev. Mark Lewis, rector of St. Luke Episcopal Parish in Bladensburg. At that same time, he had been studying a book on Catholicism and Anglicanism.

After a long period of discernment, the Maryland congregation announced June 6 that it would seek entry into the Catholic Church.

"I'm thrilled and tremendously humbled to take this journey with my people at St. Luke, and humbled that I could become a priest of the Roman Catholic Church," Rev. Lewis said in an interview with the Catholic Standard, newspaper of the Washington Archdiocese.

Ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2001, he has been rector of St. Luke since 2006 and hopes to begin the process to be ordained a Catholic priest. Members of St. Luke will begin formal preparation to be received into the Catholic Church, likely later this year.

Patrick Delaney, a junior warden with the congregation, joined the rector in the interview, and said the community's taking that step reflected "the presence of the Holy Spirit at work."

Prayer and study, not any controversies, led the congregation toward unity with the Catholic Church, Rev. Lewis said, when asked whether Episcopal doctrine on the priesthood or sexual issues had precipitated the move.

Over the past several years, the Episcopal Church, the U.S. member of the Anglican Communion, has approved ordaining women priests and bishops, ordaining homosexuals and blessing same-sex unions.

"Those issues on the priesthood and sexuality have been around. The real issue that drove us was our study of the Catholic faith," he said. "The more we looked at it and compared it to Anglicanism, we were drawn to the Church of Rome. It was a natural progression."

Studying the Catholic faith, he said, provided "an opportunity to seek the foundation of our faith. When we discovered who we are, the choice was easy," said Rev. Lewis, who is married. He and his wife, Vickey, have two grown children.

In recent months, members of the congregation have been utilizing the Cathechism of the Catholic Church in their Bible study, and their upcoming formation also will draw upon the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults.

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