Real Catholic Blog

In today’s Gospel, our Lord, Jesus Christ, explains to the Apostles his passion, death and resurrection. But the Gospel also tells us that they did not understand. How were they eventually enlightened? The Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit brought the Word to them. Still today, the Holy Spirit brings clarity to our understanding of God’s Word if we open our hearts and seek to receive it. Father Ignatius Manfredonia of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Friary explains in his homily from Mass earlier today.

Jesus explained his death and resurrection in advance to the Apostles, but it was the Holy Spirit who enlightened them to understand. He enlightens us as well when we open ourselves to receive Him.

An Episcopal priest and 10 nuns from the Episcopal order Society of All Saints’ Sisters of the Poor, all who reside in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, will be confirmed into the Church at September 3 Mass celebrated by Archbishop Edwin F. O’Brien, according to the archdiocesan paper, The Catholic Review. The nuns will continue their ministry. The priest, Warren Tanghe, is discerning the priesthood. 

According to the article, found via Catholic Online:

Orthodoxy and unity were key reasons the sisters were attracted to the Catholic faith. Many of them were troubled by the Episcopal Church’s approval of women’s ordination, the ordination of a gay bishop and what they regarded as lax stances on moral issues.

The nuns strove to be a “witness for orthodoxy” within the Episcopal Church, but Mother Christina Christie, the community’s superior, said that by not doing anything more than that they sent the wrong message. They resisted pleas to stay as well as their own thoughts of joining the more orthodox Anglican American church, newly formed in a much publicized schism with the Episcopal Church over issues of orthodoxy, such as the consecration, in New Hampshire, of the openly homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson.

In the end, however, the Holy Spirit directed them to the Church — for some time, the sisters individually were secretly contemplating Catholicism. When they realized this, the decision was easier to make. Said Mother Christina:

This is very much the work of the Holy Spirit.

There was some earthly help, too, although, of course, the Holy Spirit was working there as well: As it turns out, the nuns greatly admire Pope Benedict XVI.