St. John Paul II Ordinariate Community

Frequently Asked Questions: 

Q: Who is welcome at St. John Paul II?

 A: Anyone and everyone!
 

Q: Are you wheelchair accessible? 

A: Yes. The ramp is located on the south side of the building (on the right if you are outside facing the Church entrance). There are handicapped accessible parking spaces in the lot near the ramp.
 

Q: Are small children welcome?

A: Always! Though we place great emphasis on reverence in our worship, we always remember we serve the Lord who said, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14)
 

Q: Am I invited to the social time after Mass?

A: Yes! (if we have one scheduled) We meet in the fellowship hall underneath the sanctuary. The entrance is outside and on the right (north) side of the building. There is an elevator for wheelchair users. It is just an informal time to meet the people pf the St. John Paul II Community. Just follow someone down or ask directions if you need them.
 

Q: Who can be a member of Saint John Paul II?

A: Any Catholic looking for a parish home or anyone looking to become Catholic.

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Q: Is Saint John Paul II part of the Diocese of Allentown?

A: Saint John Paul II is in The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter (POCSP), a non-geographical diocese whose Cathedral, Our Lady of Walsingham, is located in Houston, Texas.

But we are very grateful to the Bp. Schlert of the Diocese of Allentown, the priest and people of Holy Ghost Parish, and the Director of Lehigh University Campus Ministry for their support of our mission.
 

Q: What is The Ordinariate?

A: Our diocese was created by Pope Benedict XVI in the document Anglicanorum Coetibus. It was created to help former Protestants become Roman Catholic but our diocese also has a mission to share its particular liturgical, pastoral, and spiritual tradition with all Catholics.
 

Q: Is the Ordinariate Catholic?

A: Emphatically yes. Pope Benedict XVI created the Ordinariate. It is part of the Roman/Latin Rite. If you are a Catholic and you worship with us on Sunday, you will make your Mass obligation. 
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Q: Who is your Bishop?

A: The Most Reverend Stephen J. Lopes. He worked for the Congregation or the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) for ten years before being ordained a Bishop in 2016 to serve the POCSP.
 

Q: Why would I want to join The Ordinariate?

A: Because God is calling you. Calling you to be part of what our Patron Saint (St. John Paul II) called the New Evangelization- bringing the Gospel to people who have “heard”the message so often that they do not hear it. Come and help spread the Word. Calling you to enter into full communion with His Church. 500 years is long enough. Come home! Calling you to be part of a community who believe fully that the Psalmist is right and that we are to “Worship the Lord in the beauty of Holiness.” (Psalm 96:9 KJV). Calling you to fellowship on a more familiar scale. Calling you to the clear teaching of the Truth. Calling you grow in your spiritual life through the fullness of the Sacraments. Calling you to come to know Jesus better, and knowing him, to share.
 

Q: Can I join Saint John Paul II without joining the Ordinariate?

A: Yes. Any Catholic is welcome to become a member of our parish while remaining in their current diocese. If you are a Protestant considering conversion, you are welcome to worship with us as you discern God’s call to reunion.

Q: What is the Patrimony your diocese is charged to share?

A: The word Patrimony simply means “inheritance” and that is what, in essence, we are talking about. Its only connection to Patriarchy is its Latin root.

When Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon and broke away from the Catholic Church, the newly formed Anglican Church took with it prayers and practices that were at heart its Catholic inheritance. An example of this would be the beautiful Collect for Purity. While the Anglican communion, and its expression here in the United States, the Episcopal Church, moved away from the Catholic Church, they kept this inheritance, and with the return to Catholicism of the people, priests, and parishes, these gifts have been returned home, and the Church, recognizing them as her own has accepted and used them for the Glory of God and the salvation of souls. The point of the Ordinariate is not innovation but restoration.
 

Q: What does this look like in everyday terms?

A: From a practical standpoint- the Patrimony would include an embrace of the patterns and cycles of Life with Morning and Evening Prayer, and the seasonal Ember Days. It is found most especially in our celebration of the Mass. We use the Ordinariate Form of the Mass, which is the third expression of the Latin Rite. There is the Ordinary Form, which you would encounter at any diocesan parish, the Extraordinary Form, or the Latin Mass, and the Ordinariate Form, based upon the Book of Common Prayer. It is in what is sometimes referred to as sacral English. Our Sunday celebration of the Mass uses the Roman Canon. Do you like good strong hymns? Reverence and holiness in worship? A smaller scale to parish life and community? That is part of the Patrimony.
 

Q: Who may receive Holy Communion at your Parish?

A: The following words are printed in our weekly liturgy guide: "We ask that only those in full communion with the Catholic Church receive Holy Communion. Please be assured that this is not an expression of exclusion, but of the fervent hope that all Christians will one day be authentically reunited, as Jesus prayed and deeply desired for his followers.” Even if you are not in full communion, you are invited to come forward for a blessing. No one is ever excluded from coming forward.

Q: How do you receive Holy Communion at your parish?

A: The Sacrament is typically received kneeling, in both kinds, on the tongue (the Priest will intinct (dip) the Host in the Chalice and place it on your tongue). If for reasons of disability or your accustomed pattern you prefer not to kneel, you may receive standing.

Q: What if I will not be receiving Communion at Mass?

A: If you will not be receiving Holy Communion today, you are still most welcome to come forward for a prayer of blessing by the Priest. Simply cross your arms across your chest and bow your head as a sign that you intend to receive a blessing rather than the Sacrament. All who are not receiving Holy Communion are encouraged to express in their hearts a prayerful desire for unity with the Lord Jesus and with one another.
 

Q: What if I do not want to come forward for a blessing?

A: For whatever you reason you choose, you are free to remain in your seat during Communion. Take the time out in our busy world to be quiet with God- speak to Him, and listen.

Q: Why does your priest spend much of the Mass with his back to the people?

A: This is one of the traditions we have brought with us from our days as Anglican Christians. Properly understood, this posture for celebrating the Mass does not require that the priest "turn his back on the people," but rather, it ensures that the priest and the people are all facing the same direction, with their focus upon Jesus.