Another OCSP Group Loses Its Priest

My regular correspondent reports,

The problem of replacing retiring clergy becomes more acute. The parochial administrator of St Gregory the Great, Stoneham is retiring next month and Bp Lopes met with the congregation last Sunday to inform them that no replacement would be forthcoming for the foreseeable future. There is, of course, an Anglican Use congregation in the Greater Boston area with which this community can worship, so the situation is not completely bleak.

But in any event the bishop would seem to have few alternatives. It will take years to have a pool of celibate priests who can be deployed around the country. An affluent parish like St Mary the Virgin, Arlington can attract a Pastoral Provision priest by offering a salary, rectory, and benefits, but this is a distant dream for most groups.

Perhaps there are still married, Episcopalian/ Anglican clergy without groups waiting to be ordained for the OCSP and prepared to take on responsibility for a leaderless group while supporting themselves with diocesan work, chaplaincy, or teaching, but we haven't heard much about them recently. We certainly heard about Glenn Baaten for years before he was finally ordained. The fast track for those with connections may have slowed down, making the Pastoral Provision a more attractive option for the target group.

I think those on the fast track wanted things on their terms -- serving parishes they wanted, in locations that were convenient. I've got to say that in my working career I was no stranger to commutes between LA and Texas, Chicago, or even Connecticut. I don't see this attitude among Nashotah House alumni, even if the OCSP could pay the air fare. This is another factor that Anglicanorum coetibus didn't consider -- Episcopal clergy are not set up to emulate the likes of St Paul.