British Catholics should welcome the newly published report commissioned by the St Barnabas Society and written by Stephen Bullivant;  Fernanda Mee and Janet Mellor The report considers the experiences of clergy and religious, who have converted from other denominations and provides some interesting statistics:

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• c. 700 former clergy and religious of the Church of England, Church in Wales, or Scottish Episcopal Church have been received into the Catholic Church since 1992. 

• The number includes 16 former Anglican bishops and two Continuing Anglican bishops (as of December 2024). 

• There were an estimated 491 ordinations of former Anglican clergy in the Catholic Church during the years 1992 to 2024 (5 Permanent Deacons, 486 priests). 

• c. 29% of diocesan priestly ordinations from 1992 to 2024 in England and Wales were former Anglican clergy.

 • c. 35% of combined diocesan and Ordinariate priestly ordinations from 1992 to 2024 in England and Wales were former Anglican clergy. 

• 9% of diocesan priestly ordinations from 2015 to 2024 in England and Wales were former Anglican clergy. 

• 19% of combined diocesan and Ordinariate priestly ordinations from 2015 to 2024 in England and Wales were former Anglican clergy.

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However, what sets this report apart and makes it such a valuable document is that the writers clearly understand that, behind the statistics, are human beings:  men who have left Anglican ordained ministry and entered into the full communion of the Catholic Church; each has a story to tell and the vast majority have benefited in some way from the support of the St Barnabas Society.  At times such conversions have been more of a trickle whilst at other moments large numbers have come in a single year.  In the 1990s, some (by no means all) received compensation payments from the Church of England – none of those coming in the 21^st Century brought financial support with them.  Clergy gave up homes and incomes and guaranteed pensions to become Catholics and in many cases they had wives and dependants to support.  It is true to say that many were dependant on the St Barnabas Society and its work continues.

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In his Foreword, Cardinal Vincent Nicholls reflects on the term “convert clergy” noting that ,whilst the phrase is commonly used and well understood, it is not completely accurate as a description of the clergy in question, noting that it is – not so much a turning away or rejection of their rich and precious Anglican heritage but an experience of an imperative to move into the full visible communion of the Catholic Church, in union with the See of Peter. The Cardinal’s point is important given the prominent misunderstanding that the men in question have left their previous denominations because of certain issues e.g. ordination of women or matters relating to human sexuality.  The truth is that the fundamental reason behind the vast majority of these conversions was the realization that to be fully the Church it was necessary to be in communion with Peter and it was becoming equally apparent that the Anglican Communion was moving ever further away from the possibility of such communion.

The Report identifies a steady number of converts over the years but also reflects on 2 occasions when numbers greatly increased:  the 1990s (after the decision in the Church of England to ordain women) and 2010/11 (after the papal visit and the erection of the Ordinariate.)    For many, the Ordination of women was the final proof that unity between Anglicans and Catholics was on the back burner, that it no longer made sense to wait for the day when all would be in communion with Peter and thus it became an imperative to seek that communion individually.  The St Barnabas Society was generous in its help and indeed some of those who benefited from its generosity later became directors of the Society.

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Others, equally clear of the necessity of Communion with Peter opted to remain in the Church of England a while longer to see if it was possible to salvage something of the hope of corporate reunion, knowing that this would be dependant on a willingness from Rome to now engage in ecumenical conversations with groups rather than entire denominations.  It was down to the keenness of some Anglicans to seek a corporate solution and the amazing generosity of Pope Benedict XVI that the Apostolic Constitution was published, providing the means for such unity via the establishment of the Ordinariate in January 2011.

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The Ordinariate is much more than an alternative way of coming into full communion; Pope Benedict referred to it as “prophetic” – it is to date the only model of realized ecumenism in the West.  At its heart it is an acknowledgement that there was much in Anglicanism that nurtured us in the faith and led us to see that we had to seek communion with Peter.  Therefore an Ordinariate (basically a nationwide diocese) provides for reception into the Catholic Church whilst retaining  aspects of the Anglican patrimony which are not contrary to the Catholic Faith.  The first wave of those coming into the Ordinariate presented a particular challenge to the St Barnabas Society, which it was quick to identify and embrace: for whilst the clergy being received via the Ordinariate were not in the longterm a greater demand on the Society’s resources than if they had come via dioceses, the number coming at once was unprecedented and the Society should be congratulated on its willingness and ability to rise to the challenge.

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The report contrasts the processes of reception in the dioceses and the Ordinariate, noting the speed of those first ordinations and the frustrations of some who were in formation via dioceses and now found those in the Ordinariate being ordained quickly.  To be fair, it has to be noted that many of the Ordinariate clergy made significant sacrifices:  their journey was an ecclesial one; bishops, priests and people leaving Anglicanism for a new life in the Catholic Church.  Priests were ordained quickly so that they could continue to minister to their flock.  Also they continued in part-time formation for 2 years after ordination whilst at the same time guiding their fragile communities through transition; earning their keep either in parishes or chaplaincies; moving house and many of them responsible for wives and children.  Those days were full of grace but also of significant sacrifice and should not be seen as a soft option.

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A strength of the report is that it looks to the future;  the Society continues to support convert clergy both in dioceses and the Ordinariate and it needs to have some pointers as to the needs it will be asked to meet.  The authors are clear that evidence suggests that there will still be a steady flow of Anglican clergy entering the Catholic Church and from my position as the Bishop of the Ordinariate I know of several men in the pipeline.

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A further issue which the report looks at is the need to meet needs and care for those convert clergy after ordination.  This is not a current priority for the St Barnabas Society in so far as they rightly prioritise their funds for help new converts who are those most in need.  After Ordination priests are cared for by their diocese.  However, this is the next challenge for the Ordinariate and, I hope, for those who support our work or benefit in someway from our ministry.  We do not have the assets dioceses have been able to accrue over the years and we do need to turn our attention to funding clergy formation – we have young seminarians.  Also we need to be able to look after our clergy in sickness and retirement – so far we have managed to raise £1 million but that will not go far in housing and funding retired clergy – the trustees of various clergy common funds have denied our priests access to those schemes.  All will be well for God provides.  But, there are still clergy coming and sacrifices being made.

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Another, aspect of the future is that many potential ordinands will have been nurtured by the convert priests of whom the report speaks.  Those who converted some years ago have now completed many years as parish priests or chaplains – they have been a positive influence on many and we are seeing a second generation of priests benefiting from that which the society  made possible.    Also, I am in conversation with a number of young men who have been exploring ordination in the Church of England and, as they look beyond the security of their own parish, they realise they need to become Catholics.  Might it be that we see a growth in the number of Anglicans converting before formation?

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I am not a prophet.  However, one can never doubt that the Lord who has blessed the past will most surely bless the future.  This report highlights how much the Church has gained by its convert clergy and much of that has only been possible because of the support of the St Barnabas Society.  The future will undoubtedly bring its own difficulties and sacrifices but the Church will continue to benefit from and be enriched by Convert Clergy and it is our common responsibility to provide for those whom the Lord calls and sends.