Portland Ordinariate Mass Shows Evangelizing Promise

As I sat down from chanting the epistle for the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter and the Cantores in Ecclesia began to chant the psalm, I felt a swell of joy in my soul. Here, within the fullness of the Catholic Church, I was hearing the sounds and seeing the sights of my patrimony. I was home. More importantly, nearly 100 people were there giving glory to God in the beauty of holiness.

The Ordinariate Members and Friends of Portland held the Ordinariate Mass for the Solemnity of the Chair of St. Peter on February 22, 2022 at Holy Rosary Church in Portland, Oregon. The chancery gave us permission not to transfer the feast, which was observed as a solemnity in the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter on Feb. 20. Dominican Father Gabriel Mosher said the Mass, according to Divine Worship: The Missal.

Thanks to the efforts of a number of volunteers, everything came together beautifully, and the evangelistic work of the Ordinariate within the greater Portland area was carried forward.

For many years, our effort to build an Ordinariate community in the Portland area met with obstacles and slow growth, but we continued to pray and hope. In the last year, our numbers have more than doubled. After several individuals enter the Catholic Church this Easter, we will have gone from 4 identified canonical members of the Ordinariate to 15, and from two families to five. This amazing growth includes two families entering the Church this Easter and one family with an Anglican heritage who will be joining the Ordinariate. Many of these individuals are now actively helping with leadership in our group.

This growth has come by the grace of God and the assistance of Fr. Gabriel. While we still have ways to go until we can petition Bishop Steven Lopes to accept us as an official Community in Formation, God is working in our midst as we continue in prayer and worship.

Pray for us here in Portland that we might be able to build a community of worship that will truly transform the lives of people in this city. 

For more information on the Ordinariate Members and Friends of Portland, visit here.

Kevin Greenlee is an Ordinariate member and coordinator for the Ordinariate Members and Friends of Portland, formerly the Portland Anglican Patrimony Society. 

This article was first published in the ACS e-magazine, St. Peter's Rambler.
Photo: A view of the sanctuary and worship aid before the Divine Worship Mass in Portland. Credit: Nathan Starnes.