Ordinariate ‘Commonwealth’ Daily Office Success Heralds New Projects for 2022

The Catholic Truth Society is gearing up for a second printing in January of Divine Worship: Daily Office (Commonwealth edition) to meet the enthusiastic demand from Ordinariate and diocesan Catholics, and even from Anglicans outside the Catholic Church. More resources are in the pipeline for this Office book for the Ordinariates of Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of the Southern Cross, including resources backed by EWTN Great Britain.

In this interview with the ACS, Fr Christopher Lindlar, the convener of the working group behind Divine Worship: Daily Office (Commonwealth edition), discussed the liturgical book’s wide appeal, and how its success is leading to new resources, including the development of a new project that would share more widely the spiritual treasures of the Anglican patrimony.

What goals did you see out to achieve with the launch of Divine Worship: Daily Office (Commonwealth edition)?
To fulfil the remit of the Holy See in the Commonwealth Edition; to produce a useable Office book, appealing to clergy and lay faithful alike; to conserve what might otherwise be lost.

Did you imagine that you would sell out the first printing already and commission a second at this point?
We did not! We are delighted that over 1,700 copies sold in eight weeks and that a second printing of 1,000 copies will be available in January 2022. We are delighted that the treasures of the worthy Anglican patrimony of the Daily Office, now incorporated into the life of the Church, is received so widely and enthusiastically.

In what ways is Divine Worship: Daily Office being incorporated into Ordinariate parish life? How is the availability of this book changing the liturgical life of communities?
While it is still early days, we see Ordinariate communities receiving and using the new Office book, both individually and together, publicly. We also see evidence of it being used as a means of engagement with the wider Catholic Church in England and Wales.

What resources is the Ordinariate developing to educate people in how to pray Divine Worship: Daily Office?
With the generous assistance of EWTN, we have produced a series of short “how-to” videos, that will be released in January 2022. We anticipate that additional resources, especially musical, will be made available via the Ordinariates’ websites.

Divine Worship: Daily Office was designed to work with music. What resources are recommended to work with it? Does the Ordinariate plan to develop musical resources to accompany it?
It is indeed. We do not recommend particular musical resources ahead of others. We encourage folk to start from where they are comfortable. This is a developing project and musical resources will be made available from time to time, usually on-line.

What kind of ecumenical principles were kept in mind with the development of Divine Worship: Daily Office (Commonwealth edition)? Have you seen any indication that this has paid off?
Retaining and conserving the BCP 1662 (and to some degree 1928) texts is a key ecumenical (and also musical) principle; these are treasures to be shared and sales beyond the two Ordinariates suggest that this is a fruitful ecumenical endeavour.

With the DW:DO Commonwealth edition published, what is next for the Ordinariate in the U.K.? Are there other projects on the horizon you're at liberty to share?
Work on this project has reminded us very strongly of the spirituality of “After the Third Collect.” We are prayerfully reflecting on the rich strand of spiritual writing from the earliest times to the recent past and how that might possibly provide worthy treasures to accompany Divine Worship: Daily Office.


To secure your order of CTS’s Divine Worship: Daily Office (Commonwealth edition) click here. Orders will be fulfilled as soon as the book is restocked in January.

Peter Jesserer Smith is the vice president of the Anglicanorum Coetibus Society.