In May 2019, the Trustees of the St Barnabas Society approved funding for a research project, based at the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion, Ethics and Society at St Mary’s University, to explore the experiences of former clergy and religious of ecclesial communities, not in full communion with the Catholic Church, who have now entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in Britain.
To do this, it was necessary to assemble testimonies from a wide range of convert clergy/religious and, where relevant, their spouses, from over the past thirty years. We also needed to collate and analyse existing data, where available, concerning numbers and key characteristics.
This short report presents a synthesis of some of the main findings of the project. It offers key information about a significant period in the history of the Catholic Church in Britain, as well as recording the role of the St Barnabas Society during this time. It also highlights the substantial ongoing contribution to Catholic life made by convert clergy/religious in this country.
Download the report