The U.K. ordinariate was established on January 15, 2011 after Monsignor Keith Newton (a former Anglican bishop) was installed by the pope as the designated Ordinary for England and Wales and ordained into the Catholic priesthood on the same day. On March 17, 2011 he was elevated by the Holy Father to the rank of Protonotary Apostolic. Other Anglican clergy have also come over to the Catholic Church and the U.K. ordinariate now promises to become quite a considerable force in a rather short period of time. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, as it is officially called, will begin in earnest after Easter of this year. It is expected that other ordinariates will soon follow in the United States, Canada, Australia and other parts of the world.
The emerging U.S. ordinariate has also seen a significant increase in the number of parishes and groups that have committed to the cause. As it stands right now, the U.S. ordinariate could not be established quickly enough, as it already has a working model in place with the Anglican Use Pastoral Provision. One can only hope the Holy Father does not wait too long to establish the American ordinariate as a growing number of American Anglicans are extremely eager, practically chomping at the bit really, to come into full communion with Rome. It would be tragic for such enthusiasm and zeal to be hampered by a protracted "waiting period" before Rome makes it's next move. The United States was historically the first Anglican province outside the Church of England and has once again demonstrated it's readiness to stand side-by-side with her ordinariate brethren in the U.K. May God hasten the establishment of the U.S. personal ordinariate for Anglican Catholics.
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