The Anglocatholic Church

Five years already, how time flies by! This has been a time of grace and of blessings!

Since the foundation of the Anglocatholic Church, we have seen a blossoming of fraternal relationships throughout the world. Although she is materially poor, she is rich in heart. As the Spouse of Christ she never ceases to love and to praise Him. Despite the trials she has seen, the image of Christ that she bears has aided her in surviving all manner of human tempests. Indeed, the present worldwide health crisis, which prevents her from meeting personally, has not succeeded in breaking her load-bearing walls. By God’s grace this Church continues to sustain herself. The words of Christ recorded in Matthew 16 .8 are upon her lips : ‘ And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this Rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. ‘

May the thrice holy God continue to bless her and to beautify this Church. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit that his gift of true vocations may abound within her. May those vultures who would seek acceptance within her priesthood and then abandon her ranks and cast her aside with ease be not found within her walls. May God protect her most sacred treasure, the fulness of the priesthood. Grant unto her to be discerning and ever mindful of the will of the Lord for his sacred ministry, for He said as recorded in Matthew 7 .6 ‘ Do not give holy things to the dogs, nor throw your pearls before swine lest they trample them underfoot, they turn around and tear you to pieces. ‘ . May the Anglocatholic Church be ever united as one with her beloved Patriarch. May she share with him a common will to build this communion of souls that, in God’s good time, she may be brought to the heavenly Jerusalem.

May blessing be to men of good will.

+ + + Primate Raphael Marie Villiere

Dear Friends in Christ,

The five-year anniversary of the Anglocatholic Church is upon us and our hearts overflow with thanks for this precious gift from God. The challenge before us in the next five years is, I believe, to think and act ecclesially within the unity of our unique expression of the Catholica.

We are as yet a new grafting of a wild olive shoot unto the rich root of the green olive tree that is Christ. 1) From his deep, strong roots we draw divine energies in order to blossom and flourish in God’s good time despite significant adversity. Again, we are that freshly plucked green olive branch in the beak of the dove that speaks of the subsistence of the flood waters that washed clean the ruin of the primeval world’s failure before God. 2) Though many, we draw nourishment and strength from our unity in Christ. We are one in body, in Spirit and in the hope of our calling for the equipping of the saints, for ministry. 3) Thus, within our dioceses and parishes we are not alone, but rather rejoice in our commonality, our vocational unity in the life and ministry of Christ. Rejoicing in our unique and varied charisms, we must work as worthy of our common vocation. Just as the spokes of a wheel are joined at its hub, so too all our varied activities find unity in the single goal of establishing the kingdom of the Father and the maintenance of Christ’s continued presence in human society. 4) When we think, act, speak, love and forgive as a single body drawing its life from Christ, surely, we will share appropriately with the angels in the harvest of the world. St. John places the Lord’s dialogue with the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well within an understanding of the harvest of the world. – open your eyes and look at the fields that are ripe unto harvest. 5) We who follow Christ are both sowers of the seed and ingatherers of its harvest 6) reaping benefits of the divine labour. We work alongside our Lord in the unity of the one body that ‘the earth may be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea ‘ 7) that, ‘at the Name of JESUS, every knee should bow … and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. ‘ 8)

Let us then in our next five years come together in heart and in soul, in mind and in strength as coworkers with Christ 9) for our own salvation and for that of the whole world.

+ + + Archbishop David Smith

Notes : 1) Romans 11.17 : 2) Genesis 8.11 : 3) Ephesians 4. : 4) Chorus text proclaimed at the Congress of the Young Catholic Workers Association in Paris, Pentecost 1937 quoted in be Lubac Catholicism p.54, n.24, Ignatius, San Francisco 1988 : 5) John 4.34-38 : 6) Luke 8.4ff : 7) Isaiah 11 .9 : 8) Philippians 2 .10,11 : 9 Ephesians 2 .10

We just recently learned, that the videographer Vaado Sarapuu, had passed away. May he rest in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ!
R.I.P. + VAADO SARAPUU.

The Anglocatholic Church ministers in 27 countries of the world in 9 archdioceses and 14 dioceses with 76 parishes. There are 22 bishops, 119 priests, and 51 deacons serving 29,978 faithful members.

The Anglocatholic Church was established by the grace of God on February 21, 2016. So soon it will be five years old. For this reason, as a request of The Patriarch, there will be in all Anglocatholic Church parishes and missions (where it will be possible) to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of The Anglocatholic Church with THE SOLEMN MASS on February 21, 2021.

The collect of the day is – “Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst deign to enrich the earthly Body of thine only Son, the Holy Church, by the birth of a new family of faith: Mercifully grant to us, we beseech Thee, the healthfull Spirit of thy Grace, that we may ever please Thee in truth, and be filled with the dew of thy heavenly blessing, that, in our witness and ministry, we may bring forth a fruitful harvest of souls to the honour and glory of thy great Name; Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Please send to the General Office of Tallinn Patriarchate the photos of the 5th Anniversary Solemn Masses. Thank you!

His Eminence, The Most Reverend Dr. Jeffrey Pangilinan Orellana, DD, with some items he got from The General Office of Tallinn Patriarchate.