Many thanks to all for their prayers
Tonight at St. Vincent's Cathedral I was ordained into the sacred order of priests by Bishop Jack Leo Iker. It was a marvelous occasion. My dearest friend, Mary Beth Hwang, made all of my vestments by hand and was our litanist. Other friends from out of town in attendance included two clergy presenters, the Ven. Dr. Edwin Byford of the diocese of Riverina in western New South Wales, Australia, and Fr. Christopher Ashmore of the diocese of Springfield, Illinois. Fr. Ed Scully of Western Michigan, Steve Lord and Jay Weaver of Chicago, and Fr. Matthew Cantrell of Pennsylvania were also in attendance, as well as dozens of friends and family from across the DFW area. The choir was amazing and the liturgy was superbly done. The bishop's sermon brought many to tears, including myself. Students from my school brought the vestments to the bishop for my vesting. Below are some photos of the night. Thanks to all for their prayers and encouragement and to all who participated in the service tonight. 
posted by Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) | 11:16 PM
11 Comments:
Congrats, Father - it was wonderful to be present for such a blessed occasion.
If you hear that anyone taped the bishop's sermon- perhaps an audio file, let me know.
Congrats from the UK, Father! God bless you and your ministry.
Congratulations Father!
I so wish I could have been there.
Many years, Father!
Congratulations on your ordination and may God's blessing be on your life and ministry all your days.
Pax,
Ronald+
Warmest congratulations!!
Sounds like a beautiful night. I also wish I could have seen it.
:)
You will make a wonderful priest.
Many thanks to you all for your prayers and kind words. God bless.
Dear Father,
What an awesome night it was. Awesome liturgy, awesome vestments (Ms. Hwang is an amazing renaissance woman), awesome friends, awesome everything.
Thanks so much Fr Randall.
Congratulations, and blessings!
Congratulations, Fr. Foster!
Congrats, father! May God richly bless you and your priestly ministry!
JGA+
Into which church were you ordained? "General Convention of The Episcopal Church?" Was there any thought in your mind that you should have waited for the creation of "another Province of the worldwide Anglican Communion" or "an orthodox Province of the Anglican Communion"?
Was the liturgy of the service in someway "edited" so that you didn't have to "conform to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of The Episcopal Church"? (It wouldn't surprise me if it was so, for I have been to worship at St. Vincent’s and noticed in the use of Form VI of the Prayers of the People, the Presiding Bishop is NOT worthy of intercessory prayer, but the ABC is substituted and IS deemed worthy of intercessory prayer.)
This seems like the worst kind of contradiction. You have desired to become a Priest. And thus, you did, in The Episcopal Church. God bless you for that and God bless you in your ministry. On the other hand, you were willing to become a Priest in The Episcopal Church, taking advantage of the current structure for which you (perhaps rightfully) so passionate rail against and want to leave. Some might see your ordination as a “lack of faith” in the sovereignty of God.
Your contradiction is a micro version of the larger picture. Will you, St. Vincent’s, the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, and the Common Cause partners continue to be contradictory? Can you not leave behind the “silk and stone”, forsaking all things (including the buildings), and go to create a “separate ecclesiastical structure” in North America?
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