Around 600 Anglicans, with at least 20 members of their clergy throughout England and Wales, including groups from Folkestone and Deal have formally joined the newly established Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and are being welcomed in Catholic churches.

They will be entering into full communion with the Catholic Church during Holy Week.

The largest number of those entering the Ordinariate come from South-East England. In the Southwark diocese six groups have joined.

They include: the Beckenham & Bromley Ordinariate Group: Rev Simon Heans and a group from St Barnabas’, Beckenham; the Folkestone Ordinariate Group: Rev Stephen Bould and a group from St Peter's, Folkestone; the East Kent Ordinariate Group: Rev Christopher Lindlar and a group from St Andrew’s, Deal; the London South Ordinariate Group: a group from St Agnes', Kennington Park; the Sevenoaks Ordinariate Group: Rev Ivan Aquilina, Deacon James Bradley and a group from St John the Baptist’s, Sevenoaks; the Tunbridge Wells Ordinariate Group: Rev Edward Tomlinson and a group from St Barnabas', Tunbridge Wells.

Archbishop Peter Smith is expected to ordain seven former Anglican clergy to the Diaconate during Eastertide and six of these to the Priesthood by Pentecost.
 

Hawkinge Gazette and Channel Coast News 2011©