The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter in Toronto
Anglican Patrimony within the Communion of the Catholic Church
Further Information
About the Ordinariate in Canada
About Anglican Use and Ordinariate Use Liturgies
Anglican Use liturgy is the liturgy of The Book of Divine Worship (BDW). This liturgy was formulated and authorized in response to Pope John Paul II's 1980 Pastoral Provision that allowed Episcopalian priests and laity in the United States to join the Catholic church while preserving elements proper to their Anglican tradition. Its principal sources are the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and the Roman Missal. A revised and adapted form of this liturgy, called "Ordinariate Use", was released in Fall 2013 for the newly established personal ordinariates around the world. It was officially presented to the public in a Solemn High Mass celebrated at Our Lady of the Assumption and St. Gregory, London, UK on October 10, 2013. We began using it at STM on Advent 2, December 8, 2013. The new Missal containing this liturgy was completed in 2015, and is called Divine Worship: The Missal.
Through the document Anglicanorum Coetibus in 2009, Pope Benedict XVI established a new and improved structure to allow groups of Anglicans to become Catholic while preserving elements proper to their tradition. Rather than merely making it possible to establish Anglican Use parishes under local bishops, as the 1980 Pastoral Provision had done in the United States, this structure allows parishes to exist under their own bishop, called an ordinary, in non-geographical personal ordinariates. Due to numbers, we are not yet able to form our own ordinariate in Canada. For the time being, Canadian ordinariate groups exist under the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, which has jurisdiction over all of North America, and comprise what is known as the Deanery of St. John the Baptist. We are extremely grateful to Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, for all of the work he has done to implement Anglicanorum Coetibus in Canada.
About Other Ordinariate Parishes and Communities
Questions about Joining the Ordinariate
Do our Masses fulfill the obligation for all Catholics?
Absolutely. Our masses are fully Roman Catholic.
Is it necessary to have an Anglican background to attend?
Not at all. Catholics of any background are welcome, as are all those who are interested in learning more about the Catholic Church.
Do we have our own regular priest?
Yes. Fr. John Hodgins is our priest-administrator. We are truly thankful for all of the visiting priests who have assisted for the last two years and especially for Fr. Eric Rodrigues, who has overseen the birth of this mission parish from the beginning.
North America
The Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter
Deanery of Canada
St. Benedict Public Association of the Faithful, Edmonton, AB
St. John the Evangelist Parish, Calgary, AB
The Sodality of St. Edmund, King and Martyr, Kitchener, ON
Sodality of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ottawa, ON
Fellowship of Blessed John Henry Newman, Victoria, BC
The Anglican Use of the Roman Rite (blog)
United Kingdom
Ordinariate Portal (UK Ordinariate News)
Australia & New Zealand
The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Who can be a Member of STM and the Ordinariate?
A) If you are an Anglican (Episcopalian), a former Anglican, or are married to or in the family of an Anglican or former Anglican you can be a member of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.
B) If you are a non-RC of any denomination and wish to be received into the Catholic Church through the Ordinariate you can belong to the Ordinariate. We just received a family of Mennonite background.
C) Those who have been baptized in the Catholic Church but have not yet been confirmed and have received first communion may also be prepared and complete their Christian Initiation in Ordinariate missions and parishes. Of course, any Catholic can attend Ordinariate Masses, fulfill Sunday obligation and partake of the sacraments (Penance, etc.) through the ministry of an Ordinariate priest or chaplain.
Do I have to stop attending my local Mass and attend the Ordinariate every Sunday?
You can continue to attend any Catholic Church and attend the Ordinariate Mass when possible. Once a member of the Ordinariate though, you cannot hold an official office in another parish e.g. Parish Council. This would not affect most of those in our community.
Do I have to be a resident of Toronto?
Any Canadian who meets the criteria above can affiliate with the Ordinariate in Canada and may attend the closest Ordinariate mission parish or sodality when possible. If in doubt on this or other issues, fill out a form and we will have the Ordinariate Chancellor review the case.
How do I join?
Those who are eligible for affiliating with the Ordinariate must complete the appropriate form, which is available from the parochial administrator of each community.