"Ecumenical Catholic parish celebrates ‘ordination’ of female Episcopal ‘priest’"

"A Catholic parish that serves as an ecumenical parish with the Episcopal (Anglican) community allowed the ‘ordination’ of a female Episcopal 'priest' inside the shared worship space and then accepted her as co-pastor.

Church of the Holy Apostles, a Roman Catholic parish that also serves an Episcopal worship community, allowed the February 'ordination' of the Episcopalian Marie Kirk-Clunan to take place in the sanctuary and has permitted her to serve as the co-pastor of the parish since her 'ordination.' The Diocese of Richmond’s Bishop Barry Knestout previously granted permission for Episcopalians to 'consecrate' a female 'bishop' in another Catholic parish.

Images from a parish Facebook post commemorating Kirk-Clunan’s 'ordination' show that she was 'ordained' by a female Episcopal 'bishop.' One of the pictures shows the Catholic chaplain of the chapel, Monsignor Raphael Peprah, attending the ceremony...

Just before the start of a February 16 Sunday worship service (viewable below) that featured a Catholic Mass immediately followed by Kirk-Clunan’s first Episcopal 'Eucharist' as a 'priest,' a laywoman reading parish announcements congratulated the Episcopalian on her 'ordination.' There followed immediate applause from the ecumenical congregation. The announcer also encouraged the congregants to stay for both liturgies to promote 'Christian unity.'

Holy Apostles Church was founded as an ecumenical parish in 1977 to serve as a 'visible sign of Christian unity.' The parish has a Catholic priest serving as a chaplain and a Episcopalian who serves as co-pastor; it is officially part of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia.

The church regularly has one worship service that includes a Catholic Mass and an Episcopal 'Eucharist,' and parishioners are always encouraged to remain for both liturgies.

In 2020, Bishop Knestout granted permission for the Episcopal Church to 'ordain' a female 'bishop' in one of the diocese’s churches, St. Bede Church in Williamsburg. Following backlash from the Catholic faithful, the bishop and the then-pastor of St. Bede, Monsignor Joseph P. Lehman, released letters defending the decision, citing ecumenism. Lehman notably also called the event a 'consecration' despite the Church’s stance on the invalidity of women’s and Protestants’ 'Holy Orders.'"