"We are Ordinariate Bound!"

St Luke's Parish, Bladensburg, Maryland is taking the swim.

It is with great joy St. Luke's announces its intention to join the Personal Ordinariate of the Roman Catholic Church. We have been discerning the leading of the Holy Spirit since the Holy Father's announcement of Anglicanorum coetibus in October of 2009. Since that time we have been in close dialogue with both the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and the Archdiocese Washington.

This is a case of letting the cat out of the cellophane bag; St. Luke's Bladensburg is a long-time stalwart of orthodox Anglo-Catholicism. Given the state of the Episcopal Church these days, it would have been astonishing if the parish had elected not to encamp for Rome. Still, it is good news indeed for liturgy loving Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington.

UPDATE: I misspelled "Bladensburg." Who knew it wasn't spelled with an "h" at the end? I've corrected it.

UPDATE 2: Kudos to the Rt. Reverend John Bryson Chane of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, who has shown uncommon grace handling the departure of this parish from his flock. Not only is he not suing them over their property, he has reached an agreement with them that they may lease it with an option to purchase. Whether or not one believes, as Episcopal Church does, parish properties belong to their dioceses (I think they do not), Bishop Chane has handled this matter in a gentlemanly and Christian manner and deserves great credit for it.