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The Rev. Mark Lewis awoke early on the last morning of his life as an Anglican priest and dressed in a suit and tie instead of his usual priestly regalia. That’s different, he thought, for the first of many times on a day when so much was different for St. Luke’s, the small Episcopal church in Maryland where Lewis had been rector since 2006.
On Sunday — with Lewis wearing lay clothing and sitting with St. Luke’s parishioners inside the Crypt Church at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shine of the Immaculate Conception — most of the parish from Bladensburg converted to Catholicism.
In doing so, St. Luke’s became the first Episcopal church in the United States to convert under new Vatican rules meant to attract disaffected Protestants.
“This truly is a historic moment,” said Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, who led Sunday’s conversion Mass, which he called “a joyful moment of completion.”
Fifty-eight of St. Luke’s roughly 100 parishioners were confirmed at the applause-filled Mass, during which they were anointed by Wuerl — one by one, old and young, white and black.
Osita Okafor, a 56-year-old Nigerian immigrant, found himself first in line before Wuerl for the rite of reception. His reaction? “Oh, my God, I must be blessed.”
Like many members of St. Luke’s, Okafor is an immigrant from Africa — in his case, Nigeria. Many others are from the Caribbean.
Lewis, the former pastor, was anointed last in an act of symbolism. “A good shepherd must be sure his flock gets through the gate,” Lewis said.
Ten other St. Luke’s parishioners were welcomed back as Catholics after long ago drifting from the church. Three received their first Communion.
At least 10 other St. Luke’s parishioners intend to be received by the Catholic Church later.
Full Article: Washington Post
Image: Washington Post
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