St Barnabas Society Launches Landmark Report on Former Clergy and Religious Entering Full Communion with the Catholic Church

Today at Aston Hall in Stone, Staffordshire, the St Barnabas Society proudly launches its new report, Convert Clergy in the Catholic Church in Britain: The Role of the St Barnabas Society, a comprehensive study into the lived experiences of former clergy and religious who have entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in Britain.

Commissioned in May 2019 by the Trustees of the St Barnabas Society and carried out by the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion, Ethics and Society at St Mary’s University, this research draws on decades of testimonies as well as statistical data. The project collected deeply personal testimonies from 36 participants including bishops, clergy, religious, and spouses and examines their journeys over a thirty-year period.

In his foreword, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the St Barnabas Society, reflects:

“It is fascinating reading … not only in its collating of facts and figures, but also in so many personal testimonies and insights … [this journey] is not so much a turning away or rejection of their rich and precious Anglican heritage but an experience of an imperative to move into the full visible communion of the Catholic Church, in union with the See of Peter.”

St Barnabas Society trustees hope that this publication will raise awareness of the many hidden stories, foster greater appreciation for the service of convert clergy, and encourage continued support of the Society’s work.

https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/centres/benedict-xvi/docs/convert-clergy-report.pdf