HOUSTON – Pope Benedict XVI has established an ordinariate in Houston for Anglican groups and clergy who wish to become Catholic.
The first ordinariate in the U.S. and the second in the world will be at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Church in Houston. Many said the structure has been a long time coming.
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"I married a traditional French Catholic and I was Episcopalian and tried for years to bring him to my home and he tried to bring me to his home and we were out of sync for a long time," Margaret Pichon said.
The parishes and communities accepted into the ordinariate will be fully Catholic, but retain elements of their Anglican heritage.
The Pope also has named a Catholic priest serving in Houston and a former Episcopal bishop, Reverend Jeffrey N. Steenson, to lead the ordinariate.
"Everybody that is going to become a member of the ordinariate has to understand this isn't Catholic-light. It's going to be everything," said Steenson.
Steenson is married and has three adult children. He teaches at the University of St. Thomas and St. Mary's Seminary in Houston.
There are no concerns from the Catholic Church about his marriage, however, he will not be ordained a bishop and will not be able to ordain priests.
"I can speak from personal experience in Fort Worth where we have three pastor provision priests in a personal parish. It's not an issue," said Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth.
Already more than 100 Anglican priests have applied to be ordained Catholic priests at the ordinariate.