That said, here's one version for 2012 public consumption:
All of us desired to do what is best for the people of Our Lady of the Atonement Church, and it was in a spirit of cooperation that it became evident to me that for the sake of the continued stability and unity of our parish community, the best course of action at this time is to withdraw our request to enter the Ordinariate and to remain in our present status as a Personal Parish of the Anglican Common Identity, as is stated clearly in the Decree of Erection by which we were founded in 1983.And another:The archbishop recalled his recent visit to the parish, commenting on how impressed he was with the Academy students, with our facility, and with the sense of the sacred found here. He expressed his respect for the fruitful and particular ministry of our parish, and he looks forward to strengthening our bond of communion, as do we.
What does this mean in practical terms? Our liturgical and devotional life does not change, our patrimony remains intact, and our clergy and people remain together as one parish family.
I know the decision to withdraw our parish request to enter the Ordinariate is unexpected, and some of you might be perplexed. As you know, I have been very excited about the prospect of being in the Ordinariate, but I had to weigh every aspect of this, and decide what would be truly best for us. The stability of our parish is something I know you would not want to discard lightly, and this decision provides us with the best and safest way to continue to “preserve, nurture and share” our Anglican patrimony, as we have done for the past twenty-nine years.So, while acknowledging for public consumption in 2012 that the ties of communion with the archdiocese were important and the stability of the parish was primary, it's clear that something changed. Realistically speaking, the one thing that changed was Steenson's departure and Phillips's prospects for continuity (or now reinstatement) as pastor, presumably with the ability to influence the choice of his successor. But in 2017, Phillips seems to have brought about a situation that threatens the very parish stability he championed in 2012 and, by the archbishop's words, threatens the parish's communion with the archdiocese.As we have opportunities to deepen our communion with our Father-in-God, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, let’s make the most of them. He was genuinely moved to learn that we will be remaining in his jurisdiction for now, and he looks forward (as do we) to strengthening our ties with the archdiocese which has been our home for so long.
The time may come when we are prepared to enter the Ordinariate, and when the Ordinariate will be in a better position to receive us as we are. We can be grateful that God has used our parish, in some small way, to prepare the ground for the establishment of the Ordinariate in this country. As strange as it seems for us not to be part of it from the very beginning, the time is not yet right.
My impression continues to be that this is a succession problem: Phillips, I think, may have convinced his key parishioners that they'd rather have a Fr Featherstonehaugh appointed by Bp Lopes than a Msgr Kurzaj appointed by Apb Garcia-Siller, notwithstanding Fr Featherstonehaugh went to seminary where he learned nothing of Catholic moral theology, had no preparation to hear confessions, and had these deficiencies remedied in a perfunctory webinar.
A visitor reports,
I notice that confirmation is scheduled at Atonement for Feb. 21. I assume the Abp. will celebrate the confirmation. Would like to be a fly on the wall for that one!I'm glad I won't be there; I'd be having a one-man standing ovation in the back row.
