Ordination of Richard Ballard

Both priests at OLR are married men. In the late 1970’s a group of married Episcopalian ministers petitioned Pope Paul VI requesting dispensations from the vow of celibacy which would allow them to be ordained although they were married. Pope John Paul II set up a process allowing this to happen. Fr. Longenecker, as a former Anglican, was permitted to take advantage of this exception, and Fr. Ballard, as a former Lutheran minister was also admitted. This unusual exception to the discipline of celibacy for Catholic clergy is a powerful witness to the Catholic church’s call for unity.