Bishops News Letter

From the Bishop

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Many of you will know that I have just returned from Rome after a week of stimulating meetings.  I return both exhausted and, at the same time, joyful and excited – maybe this is what the apostles felt like on the evening of Pentecost?

The trip to Rome was, in the first instance, for the annual gathering of the bishops of the three Ordinariates; that meeting moves around the globe – last year in the USA next year in England…  This year we were invited to assemble in Rome and our gathering became three distinct meetings:  

a) An audience with the Holy Father; 

b) A half day with the Cardinal Prefect and Superiors of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; 

c) The annual meeting of the three bishops.   

Sadly, Bishop Anthony, from the Australian Ordinariate was stranded in Dubai as a result of the current conflict, however he joined in the meeting of the Ordinariate bishops via zoom and when he finally made it to Rome the Holy Father met with him. Detailed conversations remain confidential but there is much about those days which I can share with you. 

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Papal Audience

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Pope Leo has a reputation as a man who listens and we quickly discovered that that reputation is well deserved.  The Pope listened to me and Bishop Lopes as we shared the journeys of our respective Ordinariates.  I began by recalling the years of prayer, as Anglicans, for Unity;  the beauty of the documents of Vatican 11 and the ease with which we were able to relate to them owing to their being rooted in Scripture and Patristics rather than scholasticism.  I spoke of our excitement at the time of ARCIC and the real belief that Unity was around the corner.  Then also the sadness that much of the Anglican Communion did not share that goal.  That our thirst for Communion with Peter remained and that we rejoiced that the Holy See had entered into conversations with groups.   

I also shared our joy at the announcement of the Ordinariate and how our journey was ecclesial – priests and people moving together led by bishops.   There were sacrifices to be sure – especially in some cases for wives and families – but we never looked back.  The Holy Father understood that this was about Truth; that we needed to be in Communion with the See of Peter in order to be fully the Church.  That the Ordinariate is not a Ghetto but a vehicle for evangelization.

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We also spoke about the current situation and mission of our communities; the Ordinariate is part of the Church, our distinctive missionary activity is part of a wider whole.   We work in close collaboration with the local dioceses, in many places our priests also serve diocesan parishes and, with their Ordinariate laity, bring something distinct and refreshing to the wider Church.

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Bishop Lopes spoke in similar terms regarding the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter, with its particular history from the former Pastoral Provision, giving it a greater strength both numerically and pastorally.

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The Holy Father listened attentively and then asked some deep questions which arose from what he had heard.  It struck me how amazing God is!   All those gone before us who prayed for Unity with Peter and now we have that unity and here was I sitting in the room talking with Peter’s successor.

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Meeting with the Prefect and Superiors

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This meeting was illustrative of the excellent relationships which now exist between the Dicastery and the Ordinariates.  Our discussions were positive and good fun!  We focussed specifically on the Transmission of the Faith, noting that there is a growth in the number of adults exploring the faith.  We reflected on ways in which the Ordinariates do and can contribute to this evangelization.  I reflected that our tradition is built on relationships – by and large our communities are far smaller than most diocesan parishes and thus priest and people know each other – indeed there is a different relationship between the bishop and the people he serves (we can at least thank the CofE for the Act of Synod and the powerful model of episcopacy that flowed from it).   We noted the beauty of liturgy and the care for the poor and weak.  But also, reflected more deeply on the need for individuals to be loved and understood for who they are, to enable them to see Jesus, in whose image they are made.  To bring the good news of salvation into the mess and despair of much of human life.

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Bishop Lopes and I thanked the Prefect for his concern for and appreciation of the Ordinariates – he remembers and values his time here for my Ordination.  I am confident that the dicastery sees the Ordinariates as of vital importance in bearing witness to Christian Unity and as having an important role in the universal church.   

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Meeting of the 3 Bishops

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This meeting is always a time of support, reflection and fun!    We discussed the current situation in each of the Ordinariates and noted, in particular, the new growth and greater stability in Australia.

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All three Ordinariates have seminarians in formation and thus there is greater confidence in the future.  We also discussed the different approaches to the formation of priests and explored ways of further collaboration.

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We have also begun to explore ways of working more closely together, immediate examples are the secondment of an American priest to Australia and the beginnings of a link between Mr Winsome and her sisters and the Ordinariate of the Chair of St Peter.

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I hope that this account of my time in Rome will assure you of the love and appreciation in which we are help by Pope Leo and the Holy See.  To be a Catholic in the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is demanding, there are times of reward and times of sacrifice; however, it is of God!  We bear specific witness to Unity with Peter as essential to the life of the Christian; we are honoured and humbled to be part of this missionary endeavour; Peter is not an aspiration or a distant hope but the reality of our daily lives.

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I look forward to seeing many of you at the Chrism Mass

In Christ

+ David

In Recent Press: Anglicans, Catholics, and a Growing Conversation of Hope

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A few items of recent press coverage has highlighted something quietly remarkable: over the past three decades: hundreds of Anglican clergy and laypeople have followed their conscience into full communion with the Catholic Church. In an article from 19th November, The Telegraph reported that nearly a third of priests ordained in England and Wales since 1992 are former Anglican clergy, and more than 700 Anglicans have entered the Church in that time. While the reasons vary, the articles point to steady, sincere journeys of faith - often costly, often long-considered - shaped by a desire for unity, continuity, and the fullness of Catholic life.

For Ordinariate communities, this coverage is more than a statistic: it is a sign of mission. As Bishop Waller recently reflected in the Catholic Herald, behind every number stands a human story, a willingness to sacrifice, and a hope for deeper communion with Peter. The Ordinariate itself was born from that hope and continues to be, in Pope Benedict’s words, a “prophetic” expression of unity made real. Today, a “second generation” is already emerging - new vocations inspired by those who came before. These stories remind us that God is still drawing people toward the fullness of faith, and that our own witness, hospitality, and confidence in our patrimony are part of that unfolding work.

Our small but growing video series, Ordinary Stories, was built precisely because these headlines are, at their heart, stories of real people: men and women whose journeys into full communion with Rome deserve to be heard. By sharing them, we hope to honour their courage, inspire others who may be discerning the same path, and celebrate the quiet, faithful work of grace that continues to shape the Ordinariate today. 

You can watch our current instalments on our socials, or read on for this month's highlight of Ordinary Stories!