Catholics Helping Convert Anglican Priests: Please Help!

I am writing to make an appeal to all readers of this blog and hopefully reaching many more Catholics around the Internet. I an aware that the St Barnabas Society is in great need of financial support from all of us at this time. As we all know, there are numerous Anglican priests who have recently become Catholics and have come by way of a solo swim.

There are also numerous Anglican Bishops and priests about to make the same journey in the Ordinariate. Everyone has different needs facing them. Can I ask every reader to consider being very generous to the St Barnabas Society and offering a gift to them for clergy who are leaving their livings and taking the step of faith and becoming Catholic?

Please consider giving to the Society that does so much to help families and individuals out. They are so generous and we need this society to flourish during this time. At this time of the year, the Society regularly gives gifts to families to help with added Christmas expenses as well. We need to support this society as it does a tremendous job and is a very worthy cause that deserves full support from the Catholic/Anglican communities.

Would all readers tweet this, forward this via email, and blog it on their blogs today as well. The newspapers are reporting that there will be a press conference today regarding the Ordinariate from Archbishop Nichols. We shall wait to see what comes of that. In the meantime, let us get busy promoting the St Barnabas Society! Go visit the website and make an offering as we follow the generosity of our Holy Father towards convert Anglican clergy in the same spirit.

The St Barnabas Society, a registered charity, operates in Great Britain and Ireland and exists to provide pastoral and financial help on behalf of the whole Catholic community to former clergy ministers and religious from other churches, who live in Great Britain and Ireland, and who have been led by faith and conscience to come into full communion with the Catholic Church.

St Barnabas was chosen as its patron because it was he who befriended Paul after his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus and encouraged him to begin a new life in the apostolic church with St Peter at its head.

Those who have been ministers, clergy or religious of other churches lose not only their jobs but also often their homes. Many are not qualified, trained or experienced in any other work and find it very difficult to obtain another job.

Thanks to the generosity of the Catholic community the St. Barnabas Society is able to help these people with friendship, advice, and where necessary financial support.
Those who have been religious may have no money or possesions of any kind.

The monetary grants we make may range from a one-off amount; to meet a particular need such as for clothes, to a regular monthly grant to help with living and housing costs. The Trustees decide the size and frequency of the discretionary grants on the basis of the needs of the applicant. Monthly grants are reviewed at regular intervals in the light of the applicant's current position.

The St Barnabas Society continues the work, begun over a century ago, of welcoming and helping clergy and religious of other churches. It cooperates with the Bishops and Parish Priests to provide support until the individuals have been integrated into the Catholic community and established in a new life.

Registered with the Charity
Commission No. 1009910A Company Limited by guaranteeRegistered in England No.
2645233