After Some More Checking,

I found several more possible Ordinariate entities that aren't listed on the Communities page of the Ordinariate web site. (Among other things, there's a slightly more complete list on the website of the Anglican Use Society than on the Ordinariate's own website. I should mention as well that I still haven't received a reply to my query from Thursday to the Ordinariate's press maven on which 11 of the 36 groups they claim aren't listed on their Communities page.) These include:

• St. John Fisher Ordinariate Community (Potomac Falls, VA)
• Holy Cross (Sydney, Nova Scotia) however, this may have sputtered out, its web site is for sale
• Charleston Ordinariate Group (Charleston, SC)
• Toronto Ordinariate Group (Toronto, Ontario)

One problem here is that some groups, like St Mary the Virgin in Arlington, TX, seem to be calling themselves "Ordinariate", but apparently are actually still Anglican Use and have not yet been formally received -- this may apply as well to the Toronto group listed above. Others, like Holy Cross Sydney, seem to be following the established "continuing Anglican" pattern of disappearing without fanfare. And being "in formation" or just voting to go in, like St Timothy's Catonsville mentioned yesterday, apparently may or may not qualify a group.

This in turn stems from what appears to be a general loosey-gooseyness about the Ordinariate. For example, I believe that several Anglican clergy who'd applied to become priests in the Ordinariate were told that they were ineligible, since they didn't have an established group going in with them. On the other hand, as I've mentioned here before, Fr Chori Seraiah, who'd taken the position of rector at St Aidan's Des Moines in anticipation of going into the Ordinariate with that group, was cut loose when that parish changed its mind -- but, without a group to go in with, he was still ordained an Ordinariate priest.

Earlier this year, in a largely unpublicized (outside of Anchorage Catholic circles) move, Msgr Steenson witnessed the ordination of former Anglican priest Ken Bolin to the Catholic priesthood in the Ordinariate in Anchorage, AK, a five hour flight from the nearest Ordinariate group.

In November, Msgr. Steenson asked if Archbishop Schwietz would ordain Bolin, first to the diaconate and then to the priesthood. Monsignor Steenson plans to be in Anchorage to witness the ordination.

Bolin only recently entered into full union with the Catholic Church on Nov. 24 at St. Patrick Church in Anchorage. His wife Sharon and their three kids will follow him at the Easter Vigil when Deacon Bolin — then as a new priest — will administer the sacraments as his family joins the Catholic Church. . . . Deacon Bolin is under the jurisdiction of Msgr. Steenson who has directed him to continue serving as a military chaplain after his ordination.

Once ordained to the priesthood Deacon Bolin will be authorized to celebrate both the standard Roman Missal Mass as well as the adapted Anglican Mass. Archbishop Schwietz said he is not opposed to there being a celebration of the Anglican Catholic liturgy in the archdiocese but so far he has not received any requests. [emphasis mine]

So let me see -- Bolin was on a fast track indeed, received only on November 24 of last year, ordained a deacon not long afterward, ordained a priest in March. (Fr Bolin's qualifications, by the way, appear to be outstanding, and I don't mean to disparage him personally in any way.) There are other former Anglican and Episcopal priests who are not, shall we say, exactly on that sort of schedule, and in fact whether they'll ever quite make it in isn't clear at all. And Bolin's going to be an Ordinariate priest in an archdiocese where, so far, there have been no requests for an Anglican Use mass, much less a sodality or whatever for him to go in with.

And of course, you will search in vain for coverage of this wonderful and blessed event on the Ordinariate's own news page. Something's not right.