Bishop
Anthony Randazzo has used his homily for the Solemnity of Our Lady of the
Southern Cross to praise the Personal Ordinariate for which she is a patron,
saying it has a unique missional role in the life of the Church.
Speaking to
parishioners attending the midday Solemn Mass at Immaculate Heart of
Mary Church, Killara on Sunday, Bishop Anthony highlighted the important role
the Ordinariate plays in the life of the Church.
“The Ordinariate’s presence in Australia & Oceania,
under the loving guidance of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, enriches the
Church’s vitality and witness,” he said.
“We are reminded that this is not simply an accommodation or
an exception but a powerful testimony to the beauty of unity in diversity.
“The Ordinariate is a living witness to the truth that the
Church is ‘one, holy, catholic, and apostolic’ — a communion of hearts and
minds, united in the one faith handed down from the apostles.”
The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
was established in 2012, to serve groups of Anglicans who desire full communion
with the Catholic Church in Australia and Asia. It has congregations across
Australia and has a presence New Zealand, Guam, Japan and Philippines.
In 2023, Bishop Anthony was appointed as the Apostolic
Administrator of the Ordinariate, following the resignation of Monsignor Carl
Reid.
Bishop Anthony said the Solemnity was a chance to reflect on
the unique calling of the members of the Ordinariate.
“As we venerate Our Lady of the Southern Cross, we also
reflect on the unique gift and calling of the Ordinariate, born from Pope
Benedict XVI’s vision in Anglicanorum coetibus, which is truly
ecumenical in nature,” he said.
“This special community within the Church is meant to
welcome groups of Anglican faithful and their pastors into the fullness of
Catholic communion while preserving and celebrating their distinctive
liturgical and spiritual traditions.
“This unity in faith, coupled with a vibrant diversity in
expression, is a sign of the richness of the Church’s catholicity.
“Pope Benedict’s vision was to provide a home where the
treasures of English Catholic patrimony could flourish within the broader
Catholic Church, contributing to her life and mission.”
Following the liturgy, the Ordinariate community gathered
for a potluck lunch.