St Mary Of The Angels Moves To Divine Worship Missal

As of yesterday's Palm Sunday liturgy, the St Mary of the Angels parish began using Divine Worship -- The Missal. While this is the missal approved for use with Anglicanorum coetibus, the St Mary of the Angels parish is not part of the OCSP. Anyone, of course, may purchase a copy and use it as they please. The copies in use at St Mary's were donated by Abp Hepworth, and their implementation coincides with his current episcopal visit during Holy Week.

Both Abp Hepworth and Fr Kelley made it clear to me that this was not in response to any initiative from Houston and was implemented by Abp Hepworth in his capacity as parish ordinary. Previously the parish had used a version of the uniate mass published in pew booklets, with the 1928 BCP used for all other offices. Both of these have apparently now been superseded. I believe the TEC 1940 hymnal is still in use there.

Several parishioners have told me they like the new liturgy and seem to be taking to it enthusiastically. Abp Hepworth made the point to me that the previous eucharistic liturgy had never been approved by any jurisdiction, and the parish appears to be delighted to be using a liturgy actually approved for use, in this case by the Pope.