Bishop Thomas McMahon of Brentwood is putting on hold plans to cut
the number of Masses in his diocese because of an influx of Anglican
priests entering the ordinariate.
The bishop said he expected
around seven new priests and up to 300 parishioners to join the Personal
Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in his diocese.
He told BBC
Radio Essex that out of all the Catholic dioceses Brentwood would have
the largest number of parishes entering the ordinariate – three in Essex
and three in east London.
Bishop McMahon said:
“Rationalisation of Masses for a number of parishes has been put on hold
for the time being, as we wait to see what effect the priests coming
into the ordinariate will have in the diocese in the months to come.”
Anglican
priests and laity are to be received into the Catholic Church in Holy
Week. Priests will then be ordained into the ordinariate at Pentecost,
on Sunday, June 12.