FAQs

Our Parish was founded when many members of a local Protestant Episcopal church and their Pastor decided to come into the Catholic Church together as an intact congregation (see "Our Story" for more details). When this occurs, the Catholic Church graciously allows parishes such as ours to retain many of their longstanding traditions, as long as they are consistent with Catholic faith and practice. So, our Mass is a little different from most, but it is still a fully valid Catholic Mass; any Catholic can fulfill the Sunday or Holy Day obligation by attending here.

When a Protestant minister who is already married discerns that he is called to the Catholic priesthood (and when this calling is confirmed by the Catholic Church), he is granted permission by the Pope himself to be ordained through a special arrangement called the Pastoral Provision; as the title indicates, this is a special allowance made for unique pastoral circumstances. The celibate priesthood in the western Catholic Church is not a doctrine, but a discipline; doctrines can never be changed, but disciplines can be relaxed on a case-by-case basis for pastoral reasons.

Like the married priests of the twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome, a married man may become a priest, but a priest, once ordained, can never subsequently marry; nor may any Bishop be married; and, should our Pastor's wife predecease him, he can never marry again. As to the fairness question, the Catholic Church understands both marriage and celibacy as gifts, rather than marriage as a gift and celibacy as a burden. Since both married and celibate priests have unique gifts, niether is privileged or burdened in comparison to the other.

Yes... but don't just take our word for it! Our Priest was ordained with permission from the Holy Father himself; our Bishop was appointed by the Holy Father himself and sits on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops; and our liturgy is a valid, fully approved variation of the Roman Rite Mass.

No. Even though we are located within the geographical diocese of Scranton, due to the uniqe circumstances of our founding we are members of a "blanket" Catholic diocese that overlaps all the other territorial dioceses in the U.S. and Canada, called the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter. (This is similar to the Military Ordinariate, another "blanket" diocese that includes all Catholic members of the U.S. Miliatry, wherever they serve in the world.) Parishes and members of our Diocese all have a similar history as ours: the are former Anglicans, Methodists, and other Christians descended from the Church of England who were reconciled to the Catholic Church, and/or are family members. We have our own Bishop, and our own Cathedral, located in Houston, Texas. None of this, however, precludes any Catholic from participating fully in our worship and ministries! An FAQ page about the Ordinariate is available here, and a quick fact sheet is here.

The following words are printed in our weekly liturgy guide: "We ask that only those in full communion with the Catholic Church receive Holy Communion. Non-Catholics are assured that this is not an expression of exclusion, but of the fervent hope that all Christians will one day be authentically reunited, fulfilling our Lord’s prayer “that they all may be one.”

"Those not receiving are encouraged to express in their hearts a desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another, and to pray the Act of Spiritual Communion on p. 24 of the pew booklet. You are still most welcome to come forward for a blessing from the Priest (cross your arms across your chest and bow your head as a sign that you intend to receive a blessing).

"Holy Communion is typically received in this Parish kneeling, in both kinds, on the tongue (the Priest will intinct the Host in the Chalice and place it on your tongue). If disability or your Church tradition warrant standing to receive, you are welcome to do so."

A helpful video on this topic is provided below.

This is one of the traditions we have brought with us from our days as Anglican Christians. Properly understood, this posture for celebrating the Mass does not require that the priest "turn his back on the people," but rather, it ensures that the priest and the people are all facing the same direction, with their focus upon Jesus. We invite you to view the video below to learn more.