Into Full Communion: Joanna Bogle to Launch New Book on the Ordinariate at the WeBelieve Festival

A new book by Joanna Bogle invites festival-goers to discover the Ordinariate’s remarkable story, from its roots in the search for Christian unity to its mission in the Church today.

This year’s WeBelieve Festival will include a special celebration for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, as Catholic writer and historian Joanna Bogle launches her new book, Into Full Communion, marking the 15th anniversary of the Ordinariate’s foundation.

The book tells the story of the Ordinariate: its origins, its place within the Catholic Church, and the remarkable journey by which former Anglicans have brought the treasures of their patrimony into full communion with Rome.

For those new to the Ordinariate, this is a story worth discovering. Established by Pope Benedict XVI, the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham provides a home within the Catholic Church for Anglicans entering full communion, while preserving and sharing the spiritual, liturgical, musical, and pastoral traditions that have formed them.

For Joanna, the story is not only historical, but personal.

“I became involved with the Ordinariate in the early days,” she explains, “partly through my friendship with Joan Lewis of EWTN’s Joan’s Rome.”

When the Ordinariate was first announced by Pope Benedict XVI, Joan came to London to cover the story and asked Joanna, “as an English Catholic, to explain the background.”

That background, Joanna says, “goes back a longish way” - through ecumenical ventures in the 1920s, the long and often prayerful search for Christian unity, and more recent events in the life of the Church of England.

As the Ordinariate began to take shape, Joanna came to know the South London Ordinariate group and became increasingly involved in the whole project. When the Ordinariate came to fruition, she began attending Precious Blood Church at London Bridge, where she remains a regular at the 11am Sunday Mass in the Ordinariate Form.

Fifteen years on, she sees the Ordinariate as a continuing gift to the wider Church.

“I believe the Ordinariate is a sign of hope and a realistic way ahead,” she says, “bringing some wonderful gifts of Anglican heritage and traditions to the wider Catholic Church.”

That sense of hope will be at the heart of the book launch at WeBelieve.

The launch will take place on Saturday 25th July at 17:30 in the Vianney Garden, a beautiful walled garden beside the College Museum. The event will begin with a short drinks reception, followed by a conversation hosted by Joanna with Bishop David Waller and guests. Together, they will explore the Ordinariate’s origins, mission, and contribution to the life of the Church today. There will also be time for questions, and copies of the book will be available.

The Ordinariate’s presence at WeBelieve is a wonderful opportunity to gather with the wider Church, celebrate 15 years of life and mission, and share this remarkable story with those who may be encountering it for the first time.

Whether you are already part of an Ordinariate community, curious about its place in the Catholic Church, or simply interested in the story of Christian unity in Britain, this promises to be a joyful and thought-provoking evening.

We warmly encourage Ordinariate members, friends, families, and all those interested in our mission to come along!

Discover the Festival here

‍