Wales: Ordinariate group in new Cathedral home

A small piece of history was made on the evening of 15 May in Cardiff when the Wales (South East) Group of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham had its first Mass in a chapel which has been provided for the Ordinariate by Archbishop George Stack in the mother church of the Archdiocese, the Metropolitan Cathedral of St David, Cardiff.

The Mass was celebrated by Fr Peter Clarke of the Bristol Ordinariate Group, who was assisted by Bernard Sixtus, of the Wales (South East) Ordinariate Group, who also preached. The new chapel comes as Deacon Sixtus is preparing to be ordained as a Catholic priest of the Ordinariate in St David's Cathedral, Cardiff, in July. The Mass was followed by a reception in the Cathedral's Cornerstone Centre. Among those present was the Cathedral Dean, Canon Peter Collins.

Deacon Sixtus said: "The Mass and reception were both well attended and it was excellent to be able to make some new contacts and refresh others at the reception".

The chapel for the Ordinariate has been created out of a recess to the right of the Cathedral sanctuary, with an altar and reredos provided by the Cathedral. Canon Collins, who was responsible for setting up the chapel, said that the Archdiocese was keen to see the Ordinariate group in Wales flourish." It is small as yet, but it makes a great contribution to the life of the Catholic Church and it also has a valuable contribution to make in supporting the decision-making of a number of Anglicans in the area who are contemplating their future at present", he said.

For more information see: www.ordinariate.org.uk